SYFY ANNOUNCES FIRST ORIGINAL LATE NIGHT ANIMATED SERIES ‘ALIEN NEWS DESK’

From Producers of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Series Set to Premiere Early 2019 

‘Saturday Night Live’ Alum Will Forte and Current Featured Star Heidi Gardner to Voice Animated Characters

Today, SYFY announced its first original late night animated series, ALIEN NEWS DESK. Set to debut early 2019, ALIEN NEWS DESK is a weekly, half-hour topical animated series set in an extraterrestrial newsroom. Voiced by Emmy® nominated comedian Will Forte (alien news anchor “Drexx Drudlarr”) and “Saturday Night Live’s” Heidi Gardner (alien co-anchor “Tuva Van Void”), the 12-episode series will cover up-to-the-minute news and commentary about the universe’s most baffling species - the inscrutable Humans of Planet Earth.

ALIEN NEWS DESK is produced by Broadway Video and Bento Box Entertainment. “Saturday Night Live” creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels serves as executive producer alongside “Saturday Night Live” producer Erik Kenward, also executive producing. “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update” head writer Dennis McNicholas serves as executive producer and showrunner, with Scott Gairdner (“Moonbeam City”) as co-executive producer. Joel Kuwahara and Scott Greenberg from Bento Box Entertainment serve as executive producers. From Broadway Video, Andrew Singer serves as executive producer, with Katy Jenson as co-executive producer.

“The expansion into original animation and late night marks the next step in the evolution of SYFY, and builds on the successes we’ve had bringing new, younger viewers to the network,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “Tackling news, politics and entertainment from the perspective of alien newscasters completely puzzled by our human ways, ALIEN NEWS DESK is a fun, irreverent way to put a uniquely ‘SYFY’ spin on the late night current affairs genre.”

For a sneak peek of the animated news anchors voiced by Forte and Gardner, please click here.

About SYFY

SYFY is a global, multiplatform media brand that gives science fiction fans of all kinds a universe to call home. Celebrating the genre in all its forms, SYFY super-serves passionate fans with original science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and superhero programming, live event coverage and imaginative digital and social content. The brand is powered by SYFY WIRE (www.syfy.com), the premier portal for breaking genre news, insight and commentary. SYFY is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About Broadway Video

Broadway Video is a global media and entertainment company focused on the creation and distribution of premier content. Founded by Lorne Michaels in 1979, Broadway Video’s legacy originated with the cultural icon Saturday Night Live. Broadway Video has since built a stable of television programs including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Documentary Now!, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Portlandia, A.P. Bio, Miracle Workers, The Other Two, Detroiters, 30 Rock and feature films such as Wayne’s World and Mean Girls. Broadway Video has also created and launched the digital studios Above Average, Más Mejor, and The Kicker. 

About Bento Box Entertainment

Bento Box Entertainment is a multiple-time Emmy® award-winning entertainment company. With studios in Los Angeles, Atlanta and London, Bento Box produces animated content for broadcast, cable and digital networks. This includes Bob's Burgers on FOX; Brickleberry and Legends of Chamberlain Heights on Comedy Central; The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special on NBC; Paradise PD and The Who Was? Show on Netflix among many others. Additionally, Bento Box has produced music videos with artists including Coldplay and LSD. Bento Box is dedicated to extending its reach to new audiences via its live events, brand management and Sutikki (kids and family) business units. Bento Box can be followed at bentoboxent.com and across social media channels @bentoboxent.