Penn Jillette Disappears from Sony, Reappears on Revision3

Your favorite 6’6″ Libertarian magician with a home modeled after a correctional facility and one helluva ponytail is joining your favorite technophilic internet television network. Coming May 24, Penn Jillette’s shiny new series, Penn Point will be part of the programming slate at Revision3.

Ryan Vance, Vice President of Programming & Production at Revision3, tells us Penn Point will deliver “an unfiltered look at the world through the eyes of Penn Jillette.” Bryan Curtis, writer for Slate, tells us Penn Jillette is a public intellectual, “always on the verge of another revelation,” a devoted skeptic, atheist, and avowed enemy of Michael Moore and Mel Gibson. So, what does that information tell us about how Penn Point will look and feel? Jillette will get in front of the camera, discuss whatever’s on his mind with obvious biases towards maximizing individual liberties and minimizing government, and Revision3 will take the homemade footage and make it look pretty. It will be pointed political commentary fit for the reason.tv set with just enough current events and pop culture thrown in to pique the interest of your average Revision3 fanboy.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Jillette’s Penn Says – a videoblog where Jillette discussed whatever he wanted to discuss, from Katy Perry to the Tea Party – had been airing on Sony’s Crackle from January 2008 through December 2009. A recent post on Crackle’s blog wished Jillette a heartfelt goodbye, but didn’t leave any details as to why the magician was leaving to do a very similar show for a different online studio.

I’m supposing Jillette’s network switch is in part because his star status holds more weight in contract negotiations over at Revision3 than it does at Sony. I’m also supposing Revision3 feels they can better market Jillette. Fans of Kevin Rose might not have any clue who Milton Friedman is, but they feel completely comfortable watching entertaining individuals talk directly into the camera for extended periods of time. Jillette should be able to fit nicely into the Revision3 lineup without too many tricks.