Bill Simmons’ new HBO show has a title, and an air date. Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons will debut on 22 June, and the host is “really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV.”
The new show – a play on Oliver Stone’s 1999 film Any Given Sunday, which itself is taken from Pat Toomay’s 1984 novel about a fictional pro football team – is described as a “sports media” talk show, but will also involve pop culture, entertainment, the arts and technology.
The half-hour show will go out on Wednesday nights at 10pm. Twenty episodes have been ordered.
Simmons said: “I’m excited about the show, I’m excited about the title and I’m really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV. We are going to figure out nudity down the road, as long as it’s tasteful.”
Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming, said: “Bill Simmons represents a unique and distinct voice with a proven track record of challenging the norm and igniting debate and discussion on a wide range of topics. We are excited about the concept Bill and his team have developed for this show, which takes advantage of Bill’s intelligence, talent and insights.”
Any Given Wednesday represents the latest instalment of Simmons’ multi-year, multi-platform agreement with HBO that was penned in July 2015.
Simmons left ESPN under a cloud in May last year, after almost 15 years with the network. A former bartender and part-time blogger, Simmons had developed into one of America’s most influential sports voices, and had spearheaded a series of successful ventures with ESPN, including Grantland and 30 for 30. But after months of negotiations, the pair were unable to agree a new contract, and Simmons departed.
“It was clear it was time to move on,” ESPN president John Skipper said in a statement at the time.
