by From YouTube to basic cable, from My Damn Channel to E!, Grace Helbig is headed for primetime stardom in 2015
The Grace Helbig Project is the tentative title for the comedian’s weekly primetime “hybrid comedy talk show” set to debut in April on E!, the network announced today.
Helbig, 29, is coming off smashing successes in 2014 that included a #1 New York Times best-selling book, Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up, passing 2 million subscribers on her “It’s Grace” YouTube channel, making Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch list, and co-hosting the Streamy Awards (which she had won big-time in 2013 with best first-person series for her previous My Damn Channel “Daily Grace” vlog as well as Streamys Personality of the Year).
“Congratulations to E! for giving an internet-obsessed introvert a talk show. I’m looking forward to working with humans,” Helbig said as part of the official announcement.
And this, from Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Development, E! Entertainment: “This show is a fresh take on the conventional talk show with a very unconventional host who has already captured an enormous fan base of young viewers on the web. As we continue to seek out programming that offers a rich multiplatform experience, we are excited to launch this forward-thinking talk show that speaks so perfectly to our audience and to the core of E!’s pop culture brand.”
Helbig’s weekly E! show will include plenty of social media segments and features, in addition to interviews with celebrity guests — although those interviews will be staged “in an assortment of everyday locations, ranging from her car to the grocery store. With a comedic approach that is improvisational, each interview feels like a sneak peek into a private conversation where neither participant is taking themselves too seriously.”
Helbig also starred in an indie film with her frequent comedy partners Mamrie Hart and Hannah Hart, Camp Takota, which is now on Netflix, as well as a comedy travel series with Mamrie Hart for Conde Nast, HeyUSA. Helbig and the Harts also have been selling out live shows across North America under their #NoFilter tour banner.
The Grace Helbig Project is produced by Embassy Row, with executive producers Michael Davies, Amanda McPhillips, Grace Helbig and Ken Treusch.
