Musical Satirist 'Weird Al' Yankovic to Join COMEDY BANG! BANG! as New Bandleader & Co-Host

IFC announced today that the iconic musical satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic will make his historic return to television as bandleader and co-host on Scott Aukerman's COMEDY BANG! BANG! Taking the reins from Kid Cudi, Weird Al brings his twisted humor and famous hair to the set of the surreal IFC talker. A long time fan and recurring guest of the show, Weird Al will now join Scott center stage to banter with the weekly guests, create unforgettable music and lend his signature brand of comedy to the show's "weirdest" season yet. Production starts today on the upcoming season with 20 half-hour episodes beginning this Spring on IFC.

"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. Then I would have politely shown you the door. Because that's how I was raised," said Scott Aukerman.

"As COMEDY BANG! BANG! enters its fifth season, IFC continues to be proud of how the series subversively reinvents the late-night talk show and attracts some of the biggest names in Hollywood, all thanks to comedic Renaissance man, Scott Aukerman," said Jennifer Caserta, president of IFC. "We are thrilled to welcome Weird Al to Comedy Bang! Bang!, as he joins us straight from his global tour in support of his first number one album. This is big news, people!"

"Weird Al" Yankovic has an acclaimed musical career spanning four decades, leading up to his recent album Mandatory Fun, the first comedy album in history to debut at the top of the Billboard chart. The four-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter has sold more than 12 million albums since his first nationally-released single in 1979. Known best for parodying pop culture's biggest tunes, Weird Al is responsible for such hits as "Amish Paradise," "Eat It," "White & Nerdy" and his latest Top-40 hit "Word Crimes." COMEDY BANG! BANG! marks his first return to a weekly TV series since starring in The Weird Al Show in 1997.

Since its debut in 2012, COMEDY BANG! BANG! has built a strong legion of devoted fans for its absurdist take on the late-night format. The untraditional celebrity interviews, intertwined with Scott's deadpan style, create a truly surreal half-hour of television filled with entertaining guests and uproarious moments.

Comedy Bang! Bang! is produced for IFC by Abso Lutely Productions; Aukerman, Dave Kneebone and Neil Campbell serve as executive producers.

For continued updates on Comedy Bang! Bang!, please check out: Twitter: @ifc/@comedybangbang/@scottaukerman/@alyankovic Facebook: facebook.com/ifccomedybangbang Online: www.ifc.com/comedy-bang-bang

About IFC

IFC is the home of offbeat, unexpected comedies. Series like Portlandia, Documentary Now!, MARON and COMEDY BANG! BANG! air alongside fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows. IFC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., and available across multiple platforms. IFC is Always On Slightly Off.

Image courtesy of IFC

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