By Alicia Rancilio
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --Neil Patrick Harris wants his live variety show "Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris," to be must-see TV that will get people talking.
"You'll get to see a bunch of cool (expletive) and it will be live, so you will be able to reference it the next day after you see it," he told a panel of television critics Thursday.
The show will feature stunts, surprises, music and games, but details are being purposely kept quiet.
"We're holding a lot of cards close to our vest because that's what's gonna make it fun to watch live," Harris said. "I really do think it will be fun, and I'm hoping a little bit game-changing. But I also didn't anticipate how much work went into the production of it. It's essentially producing six, seven shows simultaneously."
When asked about whether he learned anything from Ryan Seacrest's "Knock Knock Live," which was canceled after two episodes by Fox, he said: "I didn't even watch. I didn't even know that it was on.
"I don't say that as some sort of back-handed anything. I didn't really know that it was on and that it was happening. I think what they did was ambitious, but it's a hard conceit to do those things as a new idea."
"Best Time Ever" is inspired by the British variety series "Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway." Harris has hired "Takeaway" executive producer Siobhan Greene to run his show, which will last for eight weeks.
If there's a second season, the plan is for it to air at the same time next year.
"I think something like this deserves to be a little bit of an event," Harris said. "I don't want to over-saturate this idea by just continuing to do it and do it and do it," he said.
Harris is no stranger to live television. He has hosted the Tony Awards four times, the Primetime Emmy Awards twice and this year's Academy Awards.
"I was so honored to have asked to be a part of it truly. It's a giant beast in almost every way," he said. "I knew what I was getting into. I loved doing it. I think it's fun. It's a very rare ask, and it's a lot of effort that goes into something that at the end of the day becomes inconsequential. Everyone watches it, and as soon as it's done they're off to the next ting and they don't talk about it much."
He said, "You're hard-pressed after an award show to remember the nominees. That's the interesting dynamic and the dualities of the hosting those. As soon as it's done, it sort of vanishes."
"Best Time Ever" premieres Sept. 19 at 10 p.m. EDT.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More