Late-night host and YouTube sensation James Corden is taking his beloved Carpool Karaoke series for a spin — among prospective SVOD and cable buyers, that is.
Corden and Ben Winston, the executive producer of The Late Late Show, are reportedly looking to take the viral bit — in which Corden croons alongside famous singers to alleviate the boredom of his daily commute — and turn it into a standalone series. CBS Television Studios and Winston’s production company, Fulwell 73, would serve as producers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which was first to report the news. But in a twist, Corden would not host the show. In stead, he would executive produce and only appear on occasion.
The project is proving to be so popular that a bidding war is likely to ensue, according to the Reporter. And a host will be selected once a network is attached.
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The buzz surrounding the project is no wonder given that it has spearheaded the exponential growth of Corden’s YouTube channel in recent months. Everyone from Justin Bieber to Sia to Stevie Wonder to Elton John has appeared, and the videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. Adele’s appearance alone — the series’ most popular thus far — has clocked 84 million views.
If it arrives on television, Carpool Karaoke would follow in the footsteps of Lip Sync Battle, a segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that spun off into a popular series on Spike TV. In fact, Spike TV has already ordered its own Carpool Karaoke knock-off entitled Caraoke Showdown in hopes of capitalizing off of Corden’s biral success. The game show — a one-off special premiering later this year — will be hosted by The Office’s Craig Robinson and executive produced by Howie Mandel.
