Spike TV spins off “Lip Sync Battle” from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Can you imagine a whole half-hour of Jay Leno’s JayWalking? How about a weekly half-hour of the late Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent?

This is a first: A signature bit from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and now The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has been spun-off into its own weekly half-hour series, as Spike TV announced it’ll premiere Lip Sync Battle on its cable channel in April 2015.

The spin-off series is a collaboration among Fallon’s Eight Million Plus Productions, plus two of his early lip-sync battlers, actors John Krasinski and Stephen Merchant.

Fallon announced the deal during his interview of Merchant on Thursday night’s Tonight Show.

It’ll tape in January in New York City.

“Lip Sync Battling is one of the coolest things happening in pop culture right now and already has a huge fan base thanks to the amazing talent involved,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Vice President, Talent Development and Production, Viacom Entertainment Group. “We’re thrilled to be in business with producers as talented as Jimmy, John and Stephen as Spike broadens its programming in new and exciting ways.”

Weekly episodes will feature celebrities in head-to-head lip-sync battles. Fallon, Krasinski and Merchant all will appear in the inaugural season, which debuts Thursday, April 2, 2015. Other celebrities and a host have yet to be announced.

Other celebrities who have already lip-synched with Fallon in late-night: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Emma Stone, Paul Rudd, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton.

Here’s what those battles looked like:

If you’re wondering how this could stretch into a half-hour, just come with me back in time to the glorious era of 1980s Saturday programming of Puttin’ on the Hits.

For originality, a 27! For appearance, a 28!! And for lip sync, a 27!!!

Spike TV’s “Lip Sync Battle” will be executive produced by Jimmy Fallon’s Eight Million Plus Productions, John Krasinski, Stephen Merchant, Rick Schwartz of Eight Million Plus, Jay Peterson of Matador, and Casey Patterson of Viacom Entertainment Group.

Beth McCarthy-Miller will direct.

I’m suprised Debbie DeMontreaux from Embassy Row isn’t an executive producer on this, too. Wink, wink.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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