Jimmy Kimmel & Wheelhouse Group’s Kimmelot Strikes Unscripted Production Deal With ITV America
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EXCLUSIVE: Kimmelot, the company formed by Jimmy Kimmel and Wheelhouse Group last year, has struck an unscripted production deal with ITV America.
The company has set up its recently announced revamp of Crank Yankers for Comedy Central as its first show to be produced through the exclusive arrangement.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! Host launched the company in November with Brent Montgomery, boss of Wheelhouse, which was set up in January 2018 when Montgomery left his position as CEO of ITV
America.
Kimmelot serves as Kimmel’s “creative lab” and will develop and produce unscripted and scripted projects for linear TV and digital as well as app/mobile-based content. ITV America, which
produces shows including Netflix’s Queer Eye and the forthcoming reboot of Love Island for CBS, will be the production partner on Kimmelot’s unscripted slate.
The deal was unveiled by Scott Lonker, the former CAA agent who was named president of Kimmelot last month and ITV America CEO David George and was brokered by Danielle Bibbo, executive vice
president, business development & strategy, ITV America and Tonko Soljan, senior vice president, business affairs, ITV America.
The first show set is the Crank Yankers reboot, which will air on Comedy Central after the Viacom-owned network ordered 20 episodes of the 30-minute comedy. The show celebrates the world’s
favorite profane puppets as they prank on phones, social media, e-sport platforms and any venue where trouble can be made. It is being showrun by Jonathan Kimmel, who exec produces alongside
Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, Daniel Kellison and ITV America’s George. The series is being updated for a digitally driven audience.
Kimmel said, “I couldn’t be more pleased to partner with ITV America on our first Kimmelot series. David and Danielle understand how crucial it is to expose a new generation of Americans to
the art and beauty of crank calling.”
George added, “We can’t wait to get moving with Jimmy, Scott Lonker and the whole Kimmelot team. ITV America is thrilled to be on board for Crank Yankers, and with a lot of other projects in
the works, it’s just the beginning of what we hope to be a long, prank-filled relationship.”