Friday, February 21, 2020

NBC Brings to Life the Funniest and Most Unbelievable Stories You've Never Heard with "True Story," Starring Ed Helms and Randall Park

NBC BRINGS TO LIFE THE FUNNIEST AND MOST UNBELIEVABLE STORIES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD WITH ‘TRUE STORY,’ STARRING ED HELMS AND RANDALL PARK

From Warner Horizon Unscripted Television Comes a New Six-Episode Hybrid Series Based on Australian Hit Show “True Story with Hamish & Andy”

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Feb. 21, 2020 – NBC has ordered “True Story,” a hilarious new series co-hosted by award-winning actor-comedians Ed Helms (“The Office,” “The Hangover”) and Randall Park (“Fresh Off the Boat,” “Always Be My Maybe”). Helms will also executive produce. 

Based on the critically acclaimed Australian megahit “True Story with Hamish & Andy,” “True Story” is a six-episode hybrid alternative-scripted series in which everyday Americans sit down with Helms and Park to share their most extraordinary and unbelievably true stories for the first time. 

As the stories unfold, events are humorously brought to life by a star-studded cast of comedians and actors in heightened, dramatized re-enactments of cinematic proportions. In a first-of-its-kind format, “True Story” will give real people their very own biopic with well-known celebrities cast in the title role. 

Each hourlong episode will feature two real-life stories. A premiere date will be announced in the future.

“I can’t wait to bring ‘True Story’ to American audiences with my buddy Randall Park,” Helms said. “It’s an incredibly warm, hilarious and kind-spirited show that celebrates the lost art of laughing at ourselves ... with a little help from epic reenactments.”

“I’m so excited to be a part of a show that combines three of my favorite things: great stories from real people, my pal Ed Helms and couches,” Park said. 

“‘True Story’ is the perfect combination of heart, humor and ingenuity that has become synonymous with the NBC Alternative brand,” said Meredith Ahr, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “We believe that truth can be stranger (and funnier!) than fiction, and Ed and Randall are the ultimate duo to help real people bring their incredible stories to life.”

“‘True Story’ is an entirely new kind of funny television,” said Mike Darnell, President, Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television. “Ed and Randall are innovators on the comedy circuit making them the perfect combination to headline this show for NBC.”
“True Story” is casting now and NBC is looking for everyday people with hilarious stories. To submit your story or nominate a friend or family member, please visit www.truestorycasting.com

As an actor, writer and comedian, Ed Helms has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most beloved performers with scene-stealing roles on both film and television. Upcoming, Helms will star in “Coffee & Kareem,” opposite Taraji P. Henson. A collaboration between Helms’ production company, Pacific Electric Picture Co., and Netflix, the film is slated for release this spring. He has also completed production on Nicole Beckwith’s comedy “Togetherish,” opposite Patti Harrison and Tig Notaro. Additionally, Helms is set to write, co-executive produce and star in Michael Schur’s “Rutherford Falls” for NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock. Founded by Helms and Mike Falbo in 2012, Pacific Electric produced the Comedy Central special, “The Fake News with Ted Nelms,” which was honored with the Writers Guild of America Award for the Best Comedy/Variety Special. Under his production banner, Helms has several other TV projects in the works at various networks, including Netflix, FX and Apple. Among his diverse list of credits, Helms is known for his tenure on NBC’s award-winning comedy series “The Office” and the box office smash hit film trilogy “The Hangover.”

Randall Park will reprise his role as Jimmy Woo in the upcoming Marvel’s series “WandaVision” for Disney+, and is currently starring in the sixth and final season of the ABC series “Fresh Off the Boat.” He co-wrote, produced and starred in the Netflix feature rom-com “Always Be My Maybe,” and has previously appeared in “The Interview,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Aquaman,” among other films. In 2019, Randall co-founded his production company, Imminent Collision, which focuses on Asian-American comedic storytelling.

“True Story” is executive produced by Tim Bartley, Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Ryan Shelton, Ed Helms, Mike Falbo and Nicolle Yaron, who will also serve as showrunner. The series is produced by Warner Horizon in association with Pacific Electric Picture Co. and Universal Television Alternative Studio. 

ABOUT WARNER HORIZON UNSCRIPTED TELEVISION
Warner Horizon Unscripted Television is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of primetime reality series for both network and cable. A division of Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television, led by Mike Darnell, Warner Horizon’s Unscripted slate includes “The Voice,” “Little Big Shots” with Melissa McCarthy, the Ellen DeGeneres-hosted “Ellen’s Game of Games” and “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways” for NBC, plus “The Bachelor” franchise, which includes “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and the upcoming touring version “The Bachelor Live on Stage,” as well as digital and podcast extensions of the long-running franchise.

ABOUT PACIFIC ELECTRIC PICTURE CO.
Founded by Ed Helms and Mike Falbo in 2012, Pacific Electric Picture Co. is a TV and film production company with a first-look deal at Universal Television. On the feature side, Pacific Electric is currently in post on “Coffee & Kareem” for Netflix, directed by Michael Dowse (“Goon”) and starring Ed Helms, Taraji P. Henson, Betty Gilpin and David Alan Grier. The company's latest film, “Corporate Animals,” was written by Sam Bain (“Peep Show,” “Fresh Meat”) and directed by Patrick Brice (“Creep,” “The Overnight”) and after a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2019, was released theatrically in September. On the television side, Pacific Electric is producing “Rutherford Falls,” a scripted comedy series at Peacock from Helms, Michael Schur and Sierra Ornelas. Pacific Electric also produced the Comedy Central special “The Fake News with Ted Nelms,” a subversive, apolitical news show satire hosted by a guy who kind of looks like Ed Helms. The special was honored with the Writers Guild of America Award for the Best Comedy/Variety Special.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ALTERNATIVE STUDIO
Launched in 2016, Universal Television Alternative Studio is a leading supplier of hit unscripted content and formats, and creates, develops and produces a diverse slate of original series domestically and internationally. The studio’s most recent breakout hits include the two biggest successes among new series launched during the summer of 2019, the songwriting competition “Songland” and the comedy competition “Bring the Funny.” The studio is responsible for the high-stakes game show “The Wall,” which has been sold into 27 territories internationally, and “Hollywood Game Night,” which has been remade across 21 territories. Also on the studio’s slate are “Making It” from Emmy Award-nominated hosts Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, Dwayne Johnson’s “The Titan Games,” Emmy Award-winning “World of Dance” from Jennifer Lopez, USA Network’s “The Biggest Loser,” Bravo’s “Blind Date” and History’s “In Search Of.” Upcoming projects include comedy variety event series “That’s My Jam,” hosted by Jimmy Fallon, hybrid alternative-scripted series “True Story,” co-hosted by Ed Helms and Randall Park, the tiny-challenge game show “Small Fortune,” premium landmark series “The New World” from BBC Natural History Unit, “Thanks a Million” for Quibi as well as original talk show series “The Kid’s Tonight Show” from Jimmy Fallon and “Saturday Night Live”-themed documentary series “Who Wrote That?” for Peacock. Universal Television Alternative Studio is a division of NBCUniversal.

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