D.L. Hughley Gets CNN Series

CNN will premiere a new weekend news/entertainment show starring comedian D. L. Hughley Oct. 25.

The show, tentatively titled D.L. Hughley Breaks The News, will feature the Kings Of Comedy performer’s comedic take on the week’s events in the news—everything from politics to entertainment, sports and pop culture. Hughley will also conduct one-on-one interviews with a wide range of newsmakers and the reporters who cover them.

“D.L. is a news junkie who is bursting with things to say about what is going on in the world—most of them funny, all of them thoughtful, none of them predictable,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. in a statement. “When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh—and that time will be Saturday nights at 10 on CNN.”

Hughley, who in 2005 hosted a late night entertainment series weekend series for Comedy Central, more recently appeared in a one-hour stand-up special for HBO titled Unapologetic; hosted BET’s 2008 Awards show as well the network’s hidden camera show S.O.B.; and hosted the 2008 season of HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. Hughley also starred in his own sitcom, The Hughleys, in the late 1990s.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the network that I have watched for a very long time, and that to a large extent, has shaped my comedic view,” Hughley said in a statement. “CNN offers the perfect blend of news and information on a local, national and international level. What more can a comedian ask for?”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.