'Carpool Karaoke' showrunners discuss series ahead of Apple Music debut

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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited August 2017
In a new interview published on Monday, the minds behind "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" talk about the bit's breakout success, transforming the segment into a full-fledged TV series and why Apple Music was the right fit.




Speaking with Billboard, co-creator and co-executive producer Ben Winston and series executive producer and co-showrunner Eric Pankowski said "Karaoke" is more than a viral hit. The segment, which first aired on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2015, lets viewers see their favorite celebrities candidly talk -- and sing -- without being hindered by production teams, managers or even camera operators.

"People talk about it being a viral hit, but the fundamental thing that makes it work is that it's really just a beautiful piece of television with two people having a chat and making each other laugh, singing songs, with none of the barriers we usually see on TV," Winston said.

Born from a sketch Corden performed in 2011 on British television with George Michael, the idea later made its way to U.S. television with a short segment starring Mariah Carey. That clip did indeed go viral, generating 14 million hits on YouTube, an impressive number for a new late night show. The Carey segment has been viewed more than 30 million times.

Recognizing the bit's potential, Corden and Winston enlisted Pankowski's help to turn the segment into a spin-off. Shopping the idea around, the group ultimately landed with Apple, which is looking to broaden its Apple Music content offering with new and original shows.

"We met with Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue jimmy and they were so compelling in their vision for the show as a partner. And the greatest thing they said was, 'make a show as long as you think it should be.' So, some [episodes] are 12 minutes, some 16, some 20, whatever it takes to make it the best. That's the wonderful thing about working with Apple, they let us make the best show we can," Winston said. "Second, Apple represents so much about what is relevant and cool, and 'Carpool' is relevant and it's a cool brand people love. Apple has always been at the forefront of music and now Apple Music is doing things other streaming services aren't. They were an obvious partner, a match made in heaven."

Apple's huge installed consumer base was a selling point for Pankowski, who said, "As a producer and someone who is responsible for entertaining people... there are 1.2 billion iOS devices in the world. That means our show is available for 1.2 billion people whenever they want it. It's incredible, it's inspiring and humbling."

Unlike its TV counterpart, Corden will not host each "Karaoke" episode. Instead, celebrities drive around town singing and talking with each other, a free format producers hope will make the show relatable. Corden will appear in two episodes, the premiere with Will Smith and the finale with LeBron James.

From film and TV stars to singers to professional athletes, "Karaoke" features an eclectic mix of guests. The show's variety and candid nature makes it special, Pankowski said.

"It's a celebration of the joy of music. You see people singing the hits you love, big stars singing other people's songs -- actors, comedians and athletes singing and rapping songs that mean something to them," Pankowski said. "You can tell [it's real] because you can't fake passion and when you see it it's infectious."

"Carpool Karaoke" launches on Apple Music tomorrow with the Corden and Smith episode, which is to be followed by 19 more installments.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Unlike its TV counterpart, Corden will not host each "Karaoke" episode. Instead, celebrities drive around town singing and talking with each other, a free format producers hope will make the show relatable.
    Bizarre reasoning.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    ireland said:
    Unlike its TV counterpart, Corden will not host each "Karaoke" episode. Instead, celebrities drive around town singing and talking with each other, a free format producers hope will make the show relatable.
    Bizarre reasoning.
    I agree. James Cordon is the relatable figure on the show, not the musicians and screen actors.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    Sooo, whose the blonde chick???

  • Reply 4 of 11
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Sooo, whose the blonde chick???
    I'm assuming a stunning still image of Sophie Turner aka Sansa Stark.

    edit: Yep.

    edited August 2017
  • Reply 5 of 11

    Apple's huge installed consumer base was a selling point for Pankowski, who said, "As a producer and someone who is responsible for entertaining people... there are 1.2 billion iOS devices in the world. That means our show is available for 1.2 billion people whenever they want it. It's incredible, it's inspiring and humbling."
    I own 6 iOS devices. Does that make me one person or 6 people? 
    watto_cobralolliverSoli
  • Reply 6 of 11
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    This could be a load of fun if they're good in casting the pairs.
    Its as much the banter between the people than the music that people tune in for.

    Its pretty rare you get that long with artist in semi natural settings (its a reality show so off course, even with minimal editing it's still not "real").

    But, there are some reality formats were besides the settings, it's a pretty light touch.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    getvoxoa said:

    Apple's huge installed consumer base was a selling point for Pankowski, who said, "As a producer and someone who is responsible for entertaining people... there are 1.2 billion iOS devices in the world. That means our show is available for 1.2 billion people whenever they want it. It's incredible, it's inspiring and humbling."
    I own 6 iOS devices. Does that make me one person or 6 people? 
    I'm guessing that people don't own 6 on avarage, I'd say 1.5 is probably closer. So, that would still mean about a 800 million people pool. If only 10% are interested, that's still a lot more than any show on TV right now. Many times those things are watched many many times over, so they could get 200-300 million views for a popular 30 min clip over the course of a year. Popular music videos get a lot more but they're also much shorter.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member
    Imo its going nowhere..
    dead on arrival..
    mobird
  • Reply 9 of 11

    They should do classic pairs -- Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry, Cheech & Chong, probably Penn & Teller, but it would be too one-sided!

    Then again, I'm probably a couple of generations older than the demographic Apple is aiming for!

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 11
    mr omr o Posts: 1,046member


    "It's a celebration of the joy of music. You see people singing the hits you love, big stars singing other people's songs -- actors, comedians and athletes singing and rapping songs that mean something to them," Pankowski said. "You can tell [it's real] because you can't fake passion and when you see it it's infectious."

    This ought to be a celebration of Self Driving cars, where you don't have to be fully engaged with the traffic around you.

    Having said that, I am not sure if Tesla is compatible with  Music? If not, there must be other self driving cars out there?

    >:x
  • Reply 11 of 11
    It's pretty funny so far, it gives you a bit of history of the artist and other things, will have to see how it goes 
    Soli
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