Gayle King and Charles Barkley are teaming up this fall to host a new CNN Prime show to be named “King Charles,” the pair announced Saturday on TNT.
“King Charles” will air on Wednesdays beginning this fall and continue through 2024.
“I think it’s great for both of us, it’s live TV,” King said in an on-air announcement. “For me, live TV is like working without the net. So, what happens, happens.”
Barkley said, “I want this to be apolitical… but we don’t want to say we’re liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat; It’s one of those things that has already ruined television in general.
King and Barkley explained during their live announcement that neither of them were looking for additional jobs. However, Barclay admitted that when talks first began about a possible new show, he only took it so he could work with King.
“He said, ‘What about Gayle?'” Barkley recalled. “I said, ‘Gayle who?’ And he said, ‘Gayle King’ and I said, ‘Oh, I’ll work with Gayle. That’s one way.'”
Barclay said he immediately called King to talk about the show. King recognized that she only wanted to work with Barkley, and thus “King Charles” became a new primetime show for the network.
Ben Mullin of The New York TimesCNN CEO Chris Licht posted an internal statement confirming the new show.
“This show will be an exciting new way we are delivering culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our viewers from two incredibly dynamic personalities,” said Licht.
Both King and Barkley said they were not leaving their main jobs, his at CBS and her at TNT.
