‘Drunk History’: Why Comedy Central will never cancel the show

Six seasons later and Comedy Central’s Drunk History is still a thing of the present. The comedy series featuring drunk celebrities dive into historical events is just like one of those studying games you used to play in your college dorm room – but with better production value. 

For anyone questioning whether or not Drunk History still holds up in 2020, the answer has already been decided for you. Comedy Central has no intention to cancel this popular show anytime soon – here’s why. 

Drunk History is the most intoxicating show on TV

Drunk History first premiered in 2013, welcoming the world to a new variety of guest-show marked by stories instead of simple interviews. Hosted by Derek Waters – a writer, actor, and comedian who has led the show to seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations – Drunk History quickly amassed a loyal fan following. 

Celebrity guests are invited to imbibe and share their knowledge of history through various tales about famous events & figures. Usually connected by a similar location or theme. Adding an extra dimension, the stories are presented by switching between the celebrity narrator and live-action reenactments with a recurring cast of actors. 

The often-incorrect tellings become more incoherent and ridiculous as the narrator’s become more inebriated – the obvious hook behind the show’s originality. Make no mistake, celebrities like Don Cheadle, Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, and Jack Black really are getting drunk and vulnerable before your eyes. 

In a candid interview with The Wrap, Waters expressed some of the difficulties in creating each episode – from sending each guest an information packet on the topic they’ll be speaking about, to ensure they choose alcohol they can handle. Waters’s diligence aims to secure a fun, honest, and safe performance for every episode. 

Drunk History to stay on its home network

The arrival of another season of Drunk History has been a long time coming – an announcement made earlier this year confirmed the show was indeed renewed for Season 7. Although the Season 7 release date is still unknown, there are no doubts it’s on the way. 

What may surprise long-time fans is less about when Drunk History is set to return, but where. Recent reports have confirmed Comedy Central is concentrating a heavier focus on the production of adult animation, and shifting focus further away from several of its live-action comedy series – including the likes of The Other Two and South Side.

Despite these changes, Drunk History has proven to be an irreplaceable staple in the Comedy Central lineup, and will, in fact, be staying as part of the network’s regular programming. 

Comedy Central will never cancel Drunk History

The moves of some live-action comedies away from basic cable are indicative of a greater trend – the growing inability for such shows to retain viewer interest when interrupted by the frequent placement of advertisements cable TV so heavily relies on. 

Moving to HBO Max will solve many of the woes of some of these hilarious shows, freeing them from obligated interruptions. But why are Comedy Central so keen to hold onto others like  Drunk History? 

Explaining in greater detail the deal with HBO Max, the COO heading over ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Brands, Keyes Hill-Edgar, explained the desire for Comedy Central to “maximize the value of our content by selectively working with third parties while prioritizing franchise IP for our own platforms.”

One such third party includes HBO Max – a streamer more than happy to take up production and air some funny, diverse content formerly of Comedy Central – including Franchise IP or “intellectual property” still remains a strong focus for comedy central – shows like Tosh.0, various stand-up specials, and of course, Drunk History. 

Comedy Central and Drunk History: A sobering truth

In January 2020, Comedy Central’s very own press release spoke more on the success of original content shows like Drunk History, revealing the program garnered over 100 million views across social media platforms in 2019 alone.

Last year, the Drunk History official Youtube channel was responsible for a 522% growth in viewership alone compared to 2018 – a strong indication the show is still a commercial success, and growing. As long as Drunk History continues to demonstrate such progress, Comedy Central will be more than happy to retain its exclusive rights. 

If you haven’t had the chance to either binge or skim through some of the more iconic episodes of the first six seasons, now is the perfect window before any official announcement of Season 7. One of Comedy Central’s most unique shows, Drunk History is ready and waiting to air its next chapter – and there’s no sign of slowing.