Randall Park will hoist a glass in his new talk show — brought to you by Maker’s Mark bourbon and Roku‘s recently formed branded-content studio.
The actor-comedian-writer, best known for his starring turn in ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” is the host of “The Show Next Door,” a weekly talk show in which Park shoots the breeze with actors, athletes, musicians and other guests. The first two episodes of the six-episode series premiered Wednesday (July 14), available for free on the Roku Channel and across Marker’s Mark social channels.
Each episode of “The Show Next Door” takes place in Park’s “living room” (i.e., not actually his living room) and begins with him mixing a favorite cocktail during his opening monologue. Season 1 guests include Tony Hale, Terrell Owens, Fortune Feimster, Jason Mraz, Mark Duplass and Gina Yashere.
“I always wondered what it would be like to host a talk show, and now I know — it’s super fun,” Park said in a statement. “I had a great time building this show with Roku and Maker’s Mark, and I’m excited it’s now available for everyone to enjoy!”
The show is from the Roku Brand Studio, formed this spring from the company’s recent acquihire of Funny Or Die’s branded-entertainment team, led by Chris Bruss. It’s the division’s second production, following “Roku Recommends,” a 15-minute weekly program about trending or topical titles (either on the Roku Channel or on partner channels) co-hosted by Maria Menounos and Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins.
Roku primarily makes money through advertising and subscription revenue splits with content partners, as well as from ads it sells for the lineup of short-form originals it acquired from Quibi earlier this year. Roku Brand Studio gives the company a way to bank marketing dollars using short- and mid-form TV shows, interactive video ads and other content.
Publicis Media’s Starcom USA, which oversees media on behalf of Beam Suntory-owned Maker’s Mark, developed the partnership with Roku.
“We turned to the Roku Brand Studio because we want to go beyond the traditional ad experience on the largest screen in the home,” said KK Hall, global senior marketing director for Maker’s Mark. “Together we developed an entertaining and clever show with a splash of spirit as audiences transition from ‘working at home’ to ‘being at home.'”
