Howie Mandel remaking Banijay format for US TV

US comedian and presenter Howie Mandell is remaking Celebrity Stand-Up for the US market.

The show was created by producer and distributor Banijay’s Danish arm, Respirator. The US version will be made by Mandell’s production company Alevy and Banijay’s US company Angel City Factory (ACF). There is not a confirmed broadcaster yet.

In Denmark, the show debuts tonight on free-to-air network TV2.

The format follows celebrities as they use their real-life experience as the basis for a stand-up routine. A studio audience sees the ensuing routines and votes on the best.

“There really isn’t anything like Celebrity Stand-Up on air in the US right now,” Mandel said, “I see it as a unique and clever spin on the immersive celebrity interview. The contestants must examine their own lives to write sketches based on their personal experiences, and challenge themselves to go outside their comfort zones. The result is celebrities exposing themselves in a very honest and raw way, giving viewers a really intimate insight.

Mandel and ACF have already worked together and are producing reality series Mobbed, which will be on Fox after a special aired earlier this year.

Banijay International will distribute the US version of the show.