Carpool Karaoke hitches a ride with Apple
James Corden is offering more ride-share opportunities as his popular carpool singing franchise expands to Apple Music.
The 20-episode Carpool Karaoke: The Series, a spinoff of Corden’s popular Late Late Show ride-along/singalong segments, launches Tuesday with a Corden- Will Smith collaboration that takes to the L.A. skies in a helicopter. It marks Apple’s second TV series, following the Shark Tankstyle Planet of the Apps.
The late-night segment features Corden driving to work with a music star, such as Adele, Madonna or Lady Gaga, and breaking into conversation and song along the way. The spinoff shares the spirit and general structure, although Corden isn’t driving in most episodes and you don’t have to be a superstar singer to hitch a ride — although it helps.
“We realized there was an opportunity to open it out and make it with lots of people who seem to be keen to get in the car” but haven’t racked up any gold albums, Corden told USA Today. There’s no host, either, “so that you’re peering in on two people’s lives in this very intimate setting.”
Two 12- to 25-minute episodes will be released each Tuesday on the subscription-based streaming service.
Corden and fellow executive producers Ben Winston and Eric Pankowski tried to bring together people with existing relationships, such as music-star friends John Legend and Alicia Keys, or “strange bedfellows” such as Metallica band members and Billy Eichner, who, “it’s safe to say, was not blasting Metallica music as a kid growing up,” Pankowski says.
The groupings yielded bonuses. “The night before the show, Alicia said, ‘Why don’t we call my friend Taraji (P. Henson) and get her to jump in the back seat?’ ” he says.
“We’ve had a lot of fun trying to match up different people and seeing what results we get,” Corden says.
Although some expected the Carpool series to land on a more traditional TV network, Corden says Apple Music is a great home (with very deep pockets). USA Today