FAMU graduate Roy Wood Jr., the former "Daily Show" correspondent, has been named to host "Have I Got News For You" on CNN. The U.S. version of the long-running BBC comedy series debuted on Saturday, September 14 at 9 p.m. eastern with a ten-episode run. The show will air regularly on Saturdays before being made available on Max, the streaming service owned by corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery.
The series joins rebroadcasts of Bill Maher’s HBO roundtable program, "Real Time," as CNN aims to branch out into news-driven comedy. According to Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent and content, the network is exploring the idea of providing weekend viewers with a break from the intensity of the news week with lifestyle programs or comedy shows that allow viewers to connect with personalities not typically seen anchoring CNN shows or original series.
"Have I Got News For You" has been a staple of the BBC since 1990, featuring two teams discussing various news stories of the week. The U.K. show has faced scrutiny, even being brought to court over panelists' comments about news subjects.
In Wood, CNN gets a host who many feel has long been poised for bigger things. He has a history of hosting the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2017 and a long tenure as a correspondent at Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show." Wood is also set to appear alongside Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill in the upcoming AppleTV comedy "Outcome" and has recently been seen in the 2022 movie "Confess, Fletch" and the Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building."
Wood left "The Daily Show" in 2023, frustrated by the protracted effort to find a new host after Trevor Noah's departure. He expressed eagerness to find new ways to reach audiences who are no longer tied so closely to traditional late-night programs. "I do not believe late-night as we know it will be the way we continue," Wood said. "Budgets are changing, and we are going into the age of some people, demographically, who did not necessarily always grow up with late night. So how do you engage those people and bring those people to the art form?"
"Have I Got News For You" has been produced by Hat Trick Productions since 1990, and the company will also supervise the series in the U.S. Two "captains," one for each team of panelists, are expected to be named soon.