Weird Al Yankovic To Join Comedy Bang! Bang! As Co-Host and Bandleader

Being a bandleader on Comedy Bang! Bang! is starting to seem a lot like being a drummer for Spinal Tap. Sure, Reggie Watts held the position down for quite a while, but Kid Cudi’s reign was much shorter, and now Weird Al Yankovic has emerged as the latest in the line of succession. Starting in season five, the legendary song parodist will join host Scott Aukerman on the show that’s based off the (excellent) podcast of the same name.

Unlike Watts and Cudi, Yankovic will also share co-hosting duties with Aukerman, and it will be interesting to see whether this addition can help CBB gain more traction in the comedy world. The show, for various reasons, has never caught on quite like the podcast, and it hasn’t received the kind of critical praise bestowed on other cult shows like Andy Daly’s Review or Nathan Fielder’s Nathan For You. This could be due to the channel, IFC, or the absurd content, which is perfectly suited to the longer podcast format, but may not translate quite as well to television. The TV version of Comedy Bang! Bang! is a sort of variety show, featuring sketches, music, and interviews with strange characters played by comedians like Nick Kroll and Paul F. Tompkins.

“If you would have told me, when I was a teenager, listening and laughing along to Al’s In 3-D album, that one day I would partner up with him,” said Aukerman, in a press release, “I would have asked who you were and how you got in my room. Then I would have politely shown you the door. Because that’s how I was raised.”

Season five production begins today.