A shark talk show highlight's Discovery's week

NEW YORK (AP) - Comic Josh Wolf may not want to hear the word "shark" after next week, much less bump into one.

Discovery has given him a unique assignment: host an hour-long talk show for five nights in a row on the menacing beast, a new wrinkle in the network's annual "Shark Week."

"Shark After Dark" will debut Sunday at 11 p.m. EDT.

Wolf, who's a recurring character on Fox's "Raising Hope" and perhaps best known as a regular guest on E! Entertainment's "Chelsea Lately," said he's looking forward to the challenge.

"Not only have I always been fascinated with "Shark Week,' I've always wanted to do a late-night talk thing," he said. "That's been on the bucket list. This kills two birds with one stone."

So how do you fill an hour each night with chatter about a creature that does all its talking with its teeth?

Wolf will open each night with a shark monologue. He'll talk about the "Shark Week" programs that Discovery aired that night and bring in some shark experts and celebrities. One booked guest is actress Tara Reid, who starred in the Syfy network's "Sharknado" movie earlier this summer. Others are Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and actor Dominic Monaghan.

There are limits, though.

"You can't do an hour of shark jokes," Wolf said. "Trust me."

So he expects "Shark After Dark" will be more expansive than the title. Craig Ferguson is the show's executive producer, and Wolf said the late-night host's interviewing style is an inspiration. "He lets the conversation go where it goes," he said. "That's what I hope to do, too."

"It's shameful that the shark demographic has been neglected for so long by late-night TV," Ferguson said. "I'm delighted to be making a show that combines comedy, witty chat and ferocious biting predators."

"Shark After Dark" is part of Discovery's effort to promote "Shark Week" as a pop culture event, said Michael Sorensen, the network's senior director of programming. Discovery can only hope for ratings success that mirrors its promotion; its cheeky ad about a giant shark ruining the return of "Snuffy the seal" to the ocean has received more than 5 million streams online.

The idea behind "Shark After Dark" is that ""Shark Week' is a party and people just want to be invited, (so) let's continue the experience into a talk show," Sorensen said.

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Online:

http://dsc.discovery.com/