Bill Simmons’ HBO Show Has An Airdate, And Sounds Like There’s Tons Of Nudity And F-Bombs In Store

Rejoice, Bill Simmons fans! And pretty much anyone who enjoys good sports and pop-culture talk…

The Grantland founder and former ESPN pundit will officially be hitting your television screens (if you have HBO) come June 22 at 10:00pm EST.

In collaboration with HBO, Simmons is set to launch a 20 episode series called Any Given Wednesday, that, as the title indicates, will air on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer and into fall.

The official announcement of Simmons’ new gig was made by Home Box Office president, Michael Lombardo, on Tuesday, and it sounds like the show will allow the sports-talk magnate to toe – and even cross – those contentious talking point lines that found him in trouble several times over during his tenure with ESPN.

“Bill Simmons represents a unique and distinct voice with a proven track record of challenging the norm and igniting debate and discussion on a wide range of topics,” said Lombardo. “We are excited about the concept Bill and his team have developed for this show, which takes advantage of Bill’s intelligence, talent and insights.”

Naturally, Simmons seems more than amped to start the new gig.

“I’m excited about the show, I’m excited about the title and I’m really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV,” says Simmons. “We are going to figure out nudity down the road, as long as it’s tasteful.”

And the show sounds as if it will offer up a little bit for everyone with its takes.

Spanning pop culture and touching on everything from sports and entertainment to arts and technology, ANY GIVEN WEDNESDAY WITH BILL SIMMONS will feature intimate conversations with compelling guests each week. The show will also include field segments and Simmons’ signature commentary on current events.

ANY GIVEN WEDNESDAY WITH BILL SIMMONS will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, as well as other affiliate portals.

The show is part of a major exclusive multi-year, multi-platform agreement with HBO that was announced in July 2015. Making HBO Simmons’ exclusive television home, the deal provides for a comprehensive partnership on a variety of platforms between the network and Simmons, the founding editor of Grantland.com and the creator of the new content site The Ringer. In addition to delivering video podcasts and features, Simmons also consults with HBO Sports on non-boxing programming, including the development of shows and documentary films.

Back at it again, HBO! Continuing to pump out some of the best programming on TV. There’s zero doubt here that Bill Simmons’ new show will be some must-watch stuff, just like John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight.

Fittingly, the executive producers for Any Given Wednesday are Eric Weinberger and Stuart Miller. Weinberger is president of the Bill Simmons Media Group, and previously served as executive producer of the NFL Network, overseeing a wide range of studio and live event programming. Miller was a two-time Emmy-winning producer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Yup, must-watch television for sure. And congrats to Bill on the new desk.

[via HBO PR]