Late Night Hosts Teaming For Podcast to Support Striking Staffers
During the height of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, many people in the industry are looking for work. Five late-night hosts have managed to find a new short-term gig: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver are all getting together over at Spotify with their own show. The aptly-titled Strike Force Five features these late-night hosts talking about the strike, the industry, and just sharing general banter. The series is a Spotify exclusive, running for at least 12 episodes. The show features all of the hosts for every episode, however, it's hosted by a single individual on a rotating basis.
The initial seed of the idea began when all of the late-night hosts got together on Zoom to discuss the results of the work stoppages in their lives, as well as various other issues centered around the strike. Eventually, they realized that it could be a solid foundation for a show. Spotify says it “was a series of hilarious and compelling conversations. Now, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers and Oliver invite you to listen in on their once-private chats on this all-new podcast.”
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All of the proceeds will go to paying the out-of-work staff behind each one of their late-night talk shows. It's also sponsored by Mint Mobile (of which Ryan Reyolds owns a sizeable portion) and the alcoholic beverage company Diageo.
Strike Force Five launches on August 30, and it'll be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and most other big podcast outlets. While the show promises to be at least 12 episodes, it's supposed to run for the duration of the strike. You can listen to it here.