Charles Barkley-Gayle King CNN show survives network changes

As CNN overhauls its programming in the wake of Chris Licht being let go, Charles Barkley and Gayle King remain scheduled to launch their new show.

Monday morning, CNN issued a press release to announce the cable news network’s new slate of weekday and weekend shows. Despite some skepticism about whether or not the show would ever get off the ground, Barkley and King’s pending project was listed in the release. Per CNN:

Gayle King and Charles Barkley: As previously announced, King Charles, with Gayle King and Charles Barkley, will debut later this fall on Wednesdays at 9pm as a limited series. The show will feature freewheeling, authentic and dynamic conversations, centered around the people and events shaping our culture.

News of a possible show for Barkley and King was first reported in February and was officially announced by the network in April. However, shortly after it was officially announced, CNN moved on from CEO Chris Licht following a turbulent tenure with the network. But as CNN undoes a lot of the programming Licht created, King Charles will survive.

Licht was behind the vision to recruit Barkley and King for a prime-time show. CNN and Barkley’s primary TV home, TNT, are both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, and Licht previously brought King to CBS to co-host their daily morning show in 2012, a position she still holds.

Earlier this year, Barkley noted he keeps getting advised to “abort” the show, comparing CNN to the Titanic amid the network’s recent flux. But Barkley, who keeps saying he wants to start working less, not more, agreed to do the show to help the “struggling” CNN. It’s hard to imagine a weekly show at 9 p.m. every Wednesday will do much in rebuilding the network, but whenever Barkley is talking, he manages to generate interest.

[CNN]