Charlamagne To Host Comedy Central Series

• Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of the Premiere-syndicated The Breakfast Club has inked a deal with Comedy Central to host a new weekly talk show — Tha God’s Honest Truth with Lenard ‘Charlamagne’ McKelvey (his given name), is set to launch Friday, Sept. 17, at 10pm.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the New York-based half-hour series is being billed as a culturally fluent take on social issues, with a mix of deep dives, sketches and social experiments — or, as a Viacom press release describes the show, “redemptively comedic, refreshingly unfiltered, and unapologetically Black, nothing is off limits.”

Interestingly, one of the Executive producers of the show is Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, who first gained national prominence on Comedy Central, first as a cast member of The Daily Show, and later, as host of The Colbert Report.

Charlamagne has shared history with fellow South Carolina native Colbert, and MTV Entertainment Group President & CEO Chris McCarthy, who is producing the series in house, with Rachael Edwards (MTV’s Wild ‘N Out) serving as showrunner. McCarthy describes Charlamagne as “one of the most culturally significant voices of our time,” adding, “His thought-provoking and uninhibited observations both get under peoples’ skin and open their minds, which is why we are thrilled to be doing this show with him and equally thrilled to welcome back the Dean of Late Night to Comedy Central, Mr. Stephen Colbert.”

Charlamagne commented, “This is the third talk show Chris McCarthy has done with me and those shows prepared me for this opportunity. My South Carolina brethren Stephen Colbert is the ultimate cosign in the late night space and he wouldn’t cosign no bullshit! We are going to win an Emmy next year for best lighting direction I can feel it!!” Colbert added, “For too long, the town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina has been underrepresented in late night. I look forward to all the ways in which the fearless, peerless Charlamagne is going to change the game.”