Comedian Iliza Shlesinger (Excused, Last Comic Standing) has been named the host of the upcoming TBS series Separation Anxiety, a comedic, relationship-based game show featuring a unique twist that isn't revealed to contestants until after they've played the game. TBS has ordered 14 one-hour episodes of Separation Anxiety, with plans to launch the show in late 2015. The series, which was announced in May during Turner's Upfront presentation in New York, is being produced by 5x5 Media and Electus.
"What makes Separation Anxiety such a fun, unique game show is the way it puts relationships to the test," said David Eilenberg, senior vice president of unscripted series, specials and late night for TBS. "On top of having a great premise, Separation Anxiety is hosted by Iliza Shlesinger, one of the hottest new comedians in the business. We're very excited to be adding Iliza's fresh and funny voice to TBS's growing roster of comedy superstars."
Originally from Dallas, Shlesinger moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Emerson College. She is the only female and youngest comedian to hold the title of NBC's Last Comic Standing. In 2013, her debut one-hour comedy special, War Paint, reached #1 on the iTunes charts and was named one of the Top 10 Albums of 2013 on iTunes. In early 2015, Shlesinger's follow up
Netflix Original Comedy Special Freezing Hot sealed her title as one of the hottest touring acts in America, selling out clubs and theatres across the nation. Esquire recently listed her as one of the top working comedians today.
Shlesinger's live stand-up resume also includes performing at the coveted Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, in hundreds of clubs and colleges, and in various countries for our troops overseas. Shlesinger loves the troops and was honored to participate in The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's personal USO Tour throughout the Middle East and Europe, as well as
Al Roker's Today Show USO Tour in Afghanistan, with
Jay Leno and
Craig Robinson. Shlesinger's television credits include hosting CBS's
Syndicated comedy dating show Excused, for which she filmed 230 episodes, as well as multiple appearances on NBC'S Tonight Show with
Jimmy Fallon, Fox's World's Funniest Fails,
Comedy Central Presents, NBC's Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon,
E! Entertainment's
CHELSEA LATELY and The Soup, NBC'S
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY and TBS's Deal With It and Who Gets the Last Laugh?
Separation Anxiety expands TBS's creative partnership with 5x5 Media and Electus, the producers of King of the Nerds, which completed its third season in March. The new series is executive-produced by 5x5 Media's
Craig Armstrong (Survivor, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Food Revolution), Rick Ringbakk (The Amazing Race, Fashion Star) and Charles Wachter (King of the Nerds, American Gladiators), and Chris Grant (Food Fighters) of Electus. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, will distribute the new series internationally.
"No single genre holds as much potential in terms of international production as that of a clean and truly global game format," said Chris Grant. "After launching both
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? and The
MOMENT OF TRUTH overseas, we have spent years searching for the next vehicle to tap that vast potential and, we believe, that with
TBS and 5x5 Media, we have now accomplished our objective with Separation Anxiety."
Executive producers
Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk said, "We created Separation Anxiety to be an exciting, unpredictable and totally irreverent take on the game show genre - one that we think audiences will love. We are thrilled the show has found a great home on TBS."
About 5x5 Media
Multi-Emmy-winning producers
Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk are co-founders and CEOs of production company 5x5 Media. Launched in 2009, Armstrong and Ringbakk's 5x5 touts an eclectic array of formats, game shows and inspirational reality skeins that chronicle and herald heroes, nerds and everyone in between. 5x5 produces fan favorite
KING OF THE NERDS (just wrapped its third season on TBS), and has also produced The Hero (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) for TNT; the Emmy-winning
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and
BET ON YOUR BABY for ABC; and
FASHION STAR for NBC. With shows airing in more than 100 countries, 5x5 has multiple series in development at numerous broadcast and cable networks.
About Electus
Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world, including: broadcast, cable, digital, OTT and various emerging technologies. The company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be true partners in campaigns and content creation. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, is responsible for all international sales and distribution for Electus' programming and its studio partners as well as programs and formats from other well-known 3rd party providers. Electus is an operating business of IAC [NASDAQ: IACI]. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.
About TBS
TBS is basic cable's #1 entertainment network among young adults in primetime. Available in 101 million households,
TBS features such original comedies as American Dad!,
YOUR FAMILY OR MINE and the upcoming Clipped, Angie Tribeca, The Detour and Wrecked, along with unscripted originals like King of the Nerds,
MEET THE SMITHS and the upcoming Separation Anxiety. In late night TBS, is home to the Emmy(R)-winning series CONAN, starring
CONAN O'Brien. The
TBS lineup also includes the popular contemporary comedies
THE BIG BANG THEORY and Family Guy; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage of Major League Baseball's regular and post-season play and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
TBS is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; kids and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
Photo: Facebook
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