Some good news for John Krasinski.
“The Office” star, most recently known for his YouTube series “Some Good News,” has licensed the viral show to ViacomCBS. Although it’s unknown exactly how big of a payday this is for 40-year-old Krasinski, it’s probably hefty: The Hollywood Reporter describes it as a “rich” licensing deal and there reportedly was a bidding war.
“Some Good News” has been a bright spot of the coronavirus pandemic. While everyone has had to stay in their homes, Krasinski, also known for Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” in his post-Jim Halpert era, has featured a slew of feel-good programming, including a “Hamilton” performance, reunions of “The Office,” online proms and more. He has self-funded and self-produced the weekly series so far, and it’s gotten up to 17 million viewers.
Unfortunately, bad news for viewers who are fans of Krasinski. Although he will still produce the show, he’ll be replaced as the host. (The new face of the show will be named at a later date). It will also migrate from YouTube to CBS All Access and other Viacom-owned platforms.
“Could not be more excited and proud to be partnering with CBS/Viacom to be able to bring ‘Some Good News’ to so many more people,” Krasinski told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “From the first episode, our goal was to create a news show dedicated entirely to good news. Never did I expect to be joining the ranks of such a historic news organization as CBS.”
So it’s good news for Krasinski’s wallet, but bad news for fans of “Some Good News” in its current format. Cue a shot of Jim Halpert looking straight at the camera.
