Conjuring images of a dark future in which James Corden has successfully sold off every portion of his CBS late-night talk show, leaving him with nothing to do but engage in meaningful, Dick Cavett-style conversations with his guests, TBS has announced that it’s green-lit the new series Drop The Mic. Produced by Corden, The Late Late Show’s Ben Winston, and rap battle expert Jensen Karp, the series will serve as a half-hour adaptation of a popular segment from the Show, in which Corden and guests trade faux-vitriolic hip-hop verses with famous people who’ve been carefully coached to rhyme.
Drop The Mic is the second popular segment from the Late Late Show that Corden’s managed to spin-off to a separate vector just this year, suggesting that he might be taking the idea of “viral content” in a surprisingly literal direction. Apple Music recently acquired a show based on his recurring “Carpool Karaoke” segment, after a primetime special (and roughly a jillion YouTube views) suggested that the concept was popular enough to stand on its own.
Now TBS will take a chance on “Carpool”’s rap-based cousin. Past installments of “Drop The Mic” have seen Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson, and Kevin Hart (who’s actually releasing a hip-hop album this fall, under his “Chocolate Droppa” rap-battle persona) all face off. TBS is reportedly currently looking for someone to host the show, since Corden will be busy back at CBS, thinking up new ways to mash together singing, vehicles, and conflict into yet another ubiquitous online hit.