Reggie Watts left a gaping hole when he packed up his surreal musical brilliance and departed Comedy Bang! Bang! at the end of season 3, which the show has yet to fill — even after a solid close of season 4 from Kid Cudi. But following Cudi’s recent departure, a familiar face (and comedy legend) is set to try and bring some of that Reggie Watts magic back: Scott Aukerman announced on his podcast today that “Weird Al” Yankovic will be joining him as co-host and bandleader of the IFC series for season 5.
The show has long brought on celebrity guest stars, including Yankovic himself (plus his improvisational skills and Hawaiian shirts). Aukerman evidently enjoyed teaming up with the king of parody, which isn’t surprising given that he’s been a Weird Al fan for years. Working with the hilarious musician sounds like it is a dream come true for the irreverent host, and although Watts is an unparalleled force, Yankovic and Aukerman seem almost as suited for one another as the original pairing.
“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, I would have asked who you were and how you got in my room,” said Aukerman in a press release. “Then I would have politely shown you the door. Because that’s how I was raised.”
Weird Al seemed just as pleased to announce the news, sharing it in a tweet Monday.
I’m very happy to announce that I will be @scottaukerman’s new co-host/bandleader on the 5th season of @ifc’s @ComedyBangBang!
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) January 25, 2016
Comedy Bang! Bang! has had plenty of evolutions on its way to surreal talkshow comedy gold. The IFC version of Comedy Bang! Bang! was born from the podcast, which originally aired as a radio show. Along with the sprawling list of big stars that have stopped by, including Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, and Jon Hamm, episodes feature a mix of comedic oddities like fake games and made-up celebrity guests, skits, and, of course, music.
Season 5, which will span 20 episodes, begins production today and is set to premiere sometime this spring.