The U.S. version of Have I Got News For You doesn’t return to CNN with new episodes until September 6, but Michael Ian Black isn’t letting fans go hungry this summer. Starting today, he’s stepping into the podcast arena with Have I Got News For Your Ears, a new weekly weekly designed to tide over viewers during the show’s off-season.
Produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Podcasts, the new series aims to keep the show’s satirical flame burning between seasons. Each episode features Black joined by a rotating cast of guests, and behind-the-scenes players to break down the week’s headlines and offer a peek into the inner workings of the show. Think of it as the backstage pass version of the series—less buttoned-up, more unfiltered.
The debut episode, now streaming, teams Black with HIGFY‘s executive producer Jim Biederman for a no-holds-barred riff on the week in news, followed by an interview with Jimmy Mulville, the creator of the original UK version of Have I Got News For You. Expect a mix of current events, production war stories, and the kind of irreverent banter that’s made the TV show a sleeper hit.
New episodes of the series will drop Wednesdays on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Andy Richter is lined up for next week’s installment, and Black teased that fans may soon be invited to play along on future episodes.
Hosted by former Daily Show standout Roy Wood Jr. and featuring team captains Black and Amber Ruffin, the U.S. adaptation has quickly become a Saturday night success story for CNN, routinely outpacing the network’s weekday lineup and drawing a streaming audience the next day on HBO Max.
