Pickleball’s so incredibly popular that it’s about to have its own two-hour special. Stephen Colbert’s Spartina, Funny Or Die, and CBS Studios have committed to Pickled, a special all about the sport that’s expected to air later this year.
“I love hosting The Late Show, but at the end of the day – and I’m specifically talking about the hours between 8 and 10 PM Eastern – I see Pickled as a chance to bring lots of different people together for something playful and unpredictable,” stated Stephen Colbert. “And since the supply chain snarl has delayed delivery of my Margaritaville™ Frozen Drink Machine, I find myself with some free time. I’m honored to be a part of the Pickled family.”
Spartina’s Stephen Colbert, Carrie Byalick, Evelyn McGee Colbert, and Tom Purcell are on board to executive produce along with Funny Or Die’s Mike Farah, Joe Farrell, and Henry R. Muñoz III.
“Funny Or Die is thrilled to partner with our friends at Spartina and CBS Studios on Pickled,” said Mike Farah, CEO of Funny Or Die. “We can’t wait to bring together celebrities from the worlds of comedy, sports and beyond, to play in the highest-stakes and lowest-impact pickleball tournament ever created for television. This idea was inspired by playing pickleball with my mom back in Michigan, and she has LOTS of ideas for this show. Is this an appropriate forum to let Stephen know my mom wants to be showrunner?”
According to CBS, Pickled is a “new comedic, celebrity-packed pickleball tournament.” The network offered this description of the sport and the upcoming special it inspired:
“The buzziest new sport in a generation is a classic American cocktail – mix one part tennis, a splash of badminton, muddle in some ping pong, toss a couple of ibuprofens in there just in case, and add a heaping scoop of passion. Shake vigorously, then pour yourself a tall glass of FUN. In the special, Pickled will curate the best all-star competitive teams to play against each other in the name of charity, and ultimately vie for the coveted totem of excellence: the Golden Gherkin. Additional details about the special and celebrity competitors will be announced at a later date.”
