The deal Bill Simmons struck with HBO last summer is finally set to bear fruit. The network announced today that Simmons’ long-awaited talk show, to be called Any Given Wednesday, will premiere on Jun. 22, settling into a weekly slot at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on its titular day.
“I’m excited about the show, I’m excited about the title and I’m really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV,” Simmons said in a statement. Given the vitriol between him and ESPN, his former employer, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if that F-bomb is hurled right at “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
Any Given Wednesday is set to cover pop culture and sports in Simmons’ unique style, which he honed at ESPN, on his podcast The B.S. Report, and on his dearly departed web magazine Grantland. The show will feature a mix of commentary, guest interviews and field segments. HBO is doubtless hoping that Any Given Wednesday can match the success of Last Week Tonight and become a staple of the network’s newsy programming.
This isn’t Simmons’ first post-ESPN venture; his new website, The Ringer, is set to debut this summer, and his Bill Simmons Media Group already produces a weekly Game of Thrones recap for HBO called After the Thrones, hosted by ex-Grantlanders Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan.
It’s very exciting to see Simmons returning to television. Meanwhile, you can read the excellent story of how our own Shane Ryan—himself a Grantland alum—got his big break courtesy of Simmons.