By Variety | Created at 2024-11-11 18:57:52 | Updated at 2024-11-18 04:43:03
6 days ago
Here’s your chance to outwit “SmartLess” co-host Sean Hayes.
SmartLess Media, the company behind the popular “SmartLess” podcast hosted by Hayes, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, is gearing up to launch “ClueLess,” a quick-hit brainteaser game show. Hayes will serve as the inaugural season’s “permanent contestant.”
“ClueLess” is hosted by Emmy-winning writer and comedian Elliott Kalan, who will guide listeners through different puzzles, brainteasers and conundrums — and see if they’re able to figure out the answers faster than Hayes (previously best known for his turn on sitcom “Will & Grace”). The games will rotate, and producers promise that there will always be “an element of surprise”: Will you be solving logic puzzles with a pop-culture twist, or doing simple math problems using song titles? (Listen to the trailer below.)
“ClueLess” will premiere on Monday, Nov. 18, with new episodes releasing every Monday and Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the SiriusXM app and other major audio platforms.
Episodes of the show are short, lasting about 10-12 minutes each. The company describes the series as a kind of audio version of the New York Times’ Wordle game — a brisk brain teaser to play while on the bus or over morning coffee. It’s also in the vein of NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” weekly news quiz show hosted by Peter Sagal.
“‘ClueLess’ is dedicated to bringing you all the fun of a game night with your friends without all the hassle of organizing a game night with your friends,” Kalan said. “We promise to be funny, fast-paced and completely divorced from reality.”
Kalan served as head writer for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” a show he worked on for 13 years, and was head writer and executive producer for Netflix’s revival of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” He recently came aboard Netflix’s animated “Ghostbusters” series as writer and executive producer. He’s also a podcaster, currently co-host of the long-running “The Flop House” and “The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Power Broker.”
Earlier this year, SiriusXM inked a three-year, $100 million-plus deal with SmartLess Media covering distribution and advertising for the founders’ flagship podcast and other shows. SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscribers ($5.99/month, available through Apple Podcasts) will be able to listen to new episodes of “ClueLess” without ads.
“ClueLess” is produced by SmartLess Media. For SmartLess, Hayes, Arnett, Bateman, Richard Korson, Elliott Kalan and Bernie Kaminski serve as executive producers and Devon Torrey Bryant and Anne Harris are producers.
Bateman, Hayes and Arnett launched “SmartLess” in July 2020. SmartLess Media describes the show as “a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity.” A regular feature of the podcast is that one of hosts has invited a mystery guest on the show, who is revealed to the other two in each episode. SmartLess Media is represented by CAA.
Listen to the trailer for “ClueLess”:
