Trevor Noah Producing U.S. Adaptation of U.K. Late Night Show ‘Mock the Week’ for Amazon Freevee

The U.S. will get its own version of Mock The Week, the long-running BBC Two late night comedy series, with Amazon’s Freevee picking up the series for a 2024 debut. The BBC had canceled the show last year after 17 years on the air.

Former Daily Show host Trevor Noah will serve as executive producer of the U.S. edition of the series through his Day Zero Productions, alongside the show’s creators, Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson (who also created the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Norman Aladjem, Sanaz Yamin, Derek Van Pelt, and Rob Lee will also serve as EPs. The series is produced by Angst Productions, Day Zero Productions, Mainstay Entertainment, and Amazon Studios.

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Mock The Week combines improv, stand-up comedy and panel shows into a format that sees two teams of comedians taking aim at news and world events. The host and talent will be announced at a later date, though in a statement Patterson that “after 21 successful seasons on the BBC, we can’t wait to bring the format to the U.S. and work with America’s deep pool of brilliant comedians.”

“Two things I’m most passionate about in life are paying my landlord and making people laugh. We could all use a little bit more laughter as we continue to navigate today’s crazy world,” added Noah in a statement. “By bringing Mock the Week to America with the talented Dan Patterson, I’m looking forward to doing just that.”

It’s also unclear when Freevee will program the show, which usually aired at 10 p.m. or later on BBC Two in the U.K., once per week. Streaming services have had a difficult time adapting late night shows to the on-demand consumption patterns of SVOD and AVOD platforms, though with Mock The Week Freevee is betting that it has a format that will click.

Mock The Week will join another late night show with an atypical format on U.S. TV screens when CBS revives @Midnight, the former Comedy Central series that will replace the Late Late Show after Stephen Colbert’s Late Show. Both shows rely on a panel of comedians to take aim at the news, though @Midnight, with its focus on viral clips and memes, may be a bit more evergreen.

“For years, Mock the Week delivered a witty spin on the news—entertaining a broad cross-section of the UK audience through funny conversations, one-liners, and improv comedy. In one episode, you can catch up on weekly headlines, hear multiple points of view on a topic, and find your next favorite stand-up comedian,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD Originals, unscripted, and targeted programming for Amazon Studios. “We are thrilled to expand our comedic slate on Amazon Freevee, with this much- needed series from Dan Patterson and Trevor Noah, two enormously talented producers with the exceptional ability to marry laughter and learning.”

Trevor Noah is repped by CAA, Mainstay Entertainment, Hansen Jacobson and Jill Fritzo PR.

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