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EXCLUSIVE: When NBC’s Up All Night started to implode this month following the departure of Christina Applegate, co-stars Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph immediately began fielding pilot offers. Arnett settled on a pilot, picking Greg Garcia’s untitled CBS project, while Rudolph has been passing on pilot offers — about five of them. I hear the Saturday Night Live alumna instead wants to topline a variety show, and multiple networks and studios are interested. I hear suitors include 20th Century Fox, ABC and NBC.
Rudolph, daughter of soul singer Minnie Riperton, brought a lot of variety elements to NBC’s late-night comedy series SNL during her seven-year stint there. Her memorable impersonations and original characters often included music performances, including her recurring gig as Beyoncé Knowles in the Prince Show sketches.
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Contrary to erroneous belief, a prime-time variety show can work if it’s done right with the appropriate versatile TALENT (there’s that word again) such as Rudolph.
NBC will pick it up. Then from there, they’ll re-boot it into a talk show where Rudolph helps people figure out how to live. But they don’t like her name anymore, so they’ll change it to Ava. Then, when the Ava show is popular, they’ll create a spin-off sitcom about the happenings behind the scenes of the Ava show. But, to court more viewers, they’ll also add an element about parenting to the mix.
Great idea – she is like Carol Burnett – tough form to stick or float these days but if anybody can do it she can.
As I read the article I thought the exact same thing re Carol Burnett. If she can get a good ensemble cast around her, it might just work.
This is a terrible enough idea that I assume every network will bid on it.
I agree. Great idea. With the right talent around here this could clean up. I’ve always secretly hoped Kristin Wiig would do a show like Carol Burnett, but now she can just guest on Maya’s. Break a leg everyone.
I would watch this, no questions asked! A variety show in the vein of The Carol Burnett Show or something similar to Saturday Night Live would be amazing for Maya Rudolph! She can act, sing, and is an amazing comedian. Let this happen!!
FANTASTIC!! Maya is AAAMAZING! And she’s got the TALENT to do this. Would love to Seth McFarlane join her on a regular basis. DON’T SCREW THIS UP GREENBLATT. AMERICA IS watching you.
“Pursue.” That was funny.
if she does do it hope she taps that reno 911 mary birdsong…she’s a harvey korman if there ever was one if you saw her in marty short’s show…
Calling Minnie Riperton a ‘soul singer’ is like calling Pavarotti ‘a tenor.’