Carpool Karaoke Producers Calls Series a ‘Celebration of the Joy of Music’

In a new interview published on Monday, the producers behind “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” talked a bit about the show’s breakout success.

Speaking with Billboard, co-creator and co-executive producer Ben Winston and series executive producer and co-showrunner Eric Pankowski said Carpool Karaoke will be more than just a viral hit. The segment, which first aired on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2015, lets viewers see their favorite celebrities candidly talk and sing without any slow downs from production teams. In a statement, Winston said:

“People talk about it being a viral hit, but the fundamental thing that makes it work is that it’s really just a beautiful piece of television with two people having a chat and making each other laugh, singing songs, with none of the barriers we usually see on TV.”

Corden and Winston wanted to turn the show into a spin-off series. The group ultimately landed with Apple, which is looking to broaden its Apple Music content offering with new and original shows. Apple’s huge installed consumer base was a selling point for Pankowski. During the interview, Winston said:

“We met with Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue and they were so compelling in their vision for the show as a partner. And the greatest thing they said was, ‘make a show as long as you think it should be.’ So, some [episodes] are 12 minutes, some 16, some 20, whatever it takes to make it the best. That’s the wonderful thing about working with Apple, they let us make the best show we can. Second, Apple represents so much about what is relevant and cool, and ‘Carpool’ is relevant and it’s a cool brand people love. Apple has always been at the forefront of music and now Apple Music is doing things other streaming services aren’t. They were an obvious partner, a match made in heaven.”

Unlike its TV counterpart, Corden will not host each “Karaoke” episode. Instead, celebrities drive around town singing and talking with each other, a free format producers hope will make the show relatable. Corden will appear in two episodes, the premiere with Will Smith and the finale with LeBron James.

Carpool Karaoke launches on Apple Music tomorrow with the Corden and Smith episode, which is to be followed by 19 more episodes.