With the seemingly interminable presidential primaries finally terminating, there are about to to be a lot fewer opportunities for people to point and laugh at TV debates. Michael Ian Black wants to help fix that: The former State cast member has signed on to serve as moderator for Debate Wars, a half-hour show which will pit two teams of comedians against one another with the stated goal of settling “the greatest arguments of all time.”
“I look forward to moderating spirited debates on all manner of inconsequential subjects that are, nonetheless, of grave national importance,” Black says in a statement. “Hopefully our debaters will conduct themselves with exactly the same level of maturity as our presidential candidates.”
Among those slated to step into the show’s “Debatium” are Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, Gilbert Gottfried, Eugene Mirman, Aparna Nancherla, Todd Barry, Jo Firestone, Connor Ratliff, Guy Branum, Phoebe Robinson, and Dave Hill. Improvisors Brandon Scott Jones and Morgan Grace Jarrett will provide color commentary.
The comedy debate show — which will be run by veteran Late Night with Conan O’Brien writer Brian McCann — will air on Seeso, NBC’s new subscription comedy streaming service. “I feel like this show is, in a way, the realization of Donald Trump’s vision of building a wall and making Mexico pay for it,” executive producer Dan Pasternack explains. “Except in this case it’s Seeso paying instead of Mexico. And it’s not a wall, it’s a half hour comedy debate show. But otherwise, it’s totally the same thing.”