Nick Cannon made a name for himself on the network TV circuit thanks largely to his role as host of America's Got Talent for years until a joke resulted in his departure from the series. The good news for Cannon fans is that he could make a big splash with a new network TV project. He is currently developing his own late-night talk show for an unexpected network.
The prospective series is in the works at Fox, which had generally stayed out of the late-night sphere and left the post-primetime talk shows to CBS, NBC, and ABC. Given all the changes in store for Fox, perhaps exploring late-night programming could help the network become more competitive on network television than ever. Nick Cannon could certainly be the ideal host to attract an audience.
He's a recognizable name and won a fanbase over on America's Got Talent, to the point that even AGT judge Howie Mandel was openly hoping he would return rather than AGT landing a new host. All of this said, the prospective Fox series as it is currently in development would not be a show along the lines of The Tonight Show or The Late Show. If ordered to series, it would be a weekly topical show rather than something that airs every weeknight.
The project is in development with Nick Cannon teaming up with Talking Dead executive producer Michael Davies. In addition to Cannon as host, episodes would tackle pop culture and showcase interviews with celebrities, musical performances, and stand-up comics. THR reports that Cannon is on board as an executive producer as well. Interestingly, the description doesn't mention politics. Most late-night shows nowadays cover the latest in political developments, with Stephen Colbert's Late Show actually thriving thanks to his political commentary. Perhaps Cannon's currently untitled series would provide a politics-free block of entertainment.
As part of the potential late-night series, Nick Cannon and the Talking Dead producer would also help curate only segments for social media distribution along with Fox's digital team. This isn't the first time that Cannon has joined the Fox team for a project. He is next slated to host the upcoming game show called The Masked Singer, which will see celebrities face off against each other in musical battles, but their identities will be hidden from their opponents. Yes, masks will be involved.
Nick Cannon will executive producer as well as host The Masked Singer, which will premiere in January 2019, although no exact premiere date has been revealed at this point. The Masked Singer is only one of a number of new game shows in the works; for now, Cannon's late-night show seems to be the only one of its kind in development at Fox. We'll have to wait and see if Cannon will prove more successful as a Fox late-night host than Chevy Chase in 1993, Joan Rivers and Arsenion Hall in 1986, and Wanda Sykes in 2009.
For your viewing options sooner rather than later, swing by our fall TV premiere guide. There are plenty of shows heading to the airwaves as well as available in late-night slots.
