Roy Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black Join CNN's Have I Got News For You (Updated)

Updated Aug. 19, 2024: Have we got news update for you. CNN is adding a pair of reliably hysterical comic voices to its newest Saturday night series. Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black are joining previously-announced host Roy Wood Jr. on the American version of the long-running British satirical news show, Have I Got News For You. Ruffin and Black will serve as team captains on the series, who are tasked with helping the rotating cast of guest stars learn the rules of the various games they'll be playing. "It is an honor to get to work with comedy favorites Michael Ian Black and Roy Wood Jr," Ruffin said in a statement. "It is our hope that this show will take people from saying, 'This is CNN.' to 'THIS is CNN!?!?'” Original article continues below: Roy Wood Jr. is bringing his comic news chops to CNN. The network announced that the former Daily Show correspondent and guest host will emcee the U.S. version of Have I Got News For You, based on the long-running British series. "For far too long immigrants have been coming to America and taking black jobs, kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States," Wood Jr. said in a statement. "It is an honor to be a part of such a hallowed British institution to help make sense of the American institutions of chaos, name calling, disinformation, reality television and the 8-hour news cycle." Premiering Sept. 14 for a 10-episode limited run, Have I Got News For You will air at 9 p.m. after CNN's weekend replay of Real Time with Bill Maher. It's part of a new weekend strategy that CNN head Mark Thompson discussed with TVNewser in May. "The idea is: Let’s see what Saturday nights are like when we’re sitting back and enjoying and laughing at what’s happening in the world—as well as still exploring it," said the London-born Thompson, calling Real Time and Have I Got News For You "very smart shows." The British version of Have I Got News For You has aired on the BBC since 1990 and combines freewheeling political conversations with quiz show antics. Besides Wood Jr., the creative team behind CNN's version includes executive producers Jimmy Mulville, Richard Wilson and Jim Biederman. Thompson has different plans for CNN's Sunday night lineup, eschewing comedy in favor of lifestyle and travel shows like Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain. "Sundays will be pleasurable, relaxing and engrossing,” he told TVNewser. "Sometimes it’ll be eye-opening investigations or long-form documentaries and other times it’ll be feel-good travel and food series."

CNN

Roy Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black Join CNN's Have I Got News For You (Updated)

Ethan Alter

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Ethan Alter