THE EDGE WITH JAKE SASSEVILLE has been airing weekly in late-night since 2008. Currently, the show’s footprint is 40 million households in 55 Fox and CW markets nationwide, aimed at 18-34 year old trendsetters. Coupled with broadcast, JAKE INC has built a powerful viral platform guaranteeing millions of viral video views we produce as part of the show as well as for brands..
Forget formula TV. The series combines celebrity interviews, unscripted comedy and behind-the-scenes footage of how a 24-year-old rocks late-night. The show is led by Sasseville, head written by Will Ferrell collaborator Michael Delaney and executive produced by the Emmy-nominated Comedy Central showrunner Dave Steck. (Meet the JAKE INC team.) Irreverent and offbeat, the half-hour of entertainment is a compelling and unexpected look at the world from Jake’s eyes.
When “The Office’s” Rainn Wilson canceled his interview at the last minute (Jake was waiting outside of “The Office”), Jake drove to the actor’s house outside Los Angeles and broke in. The talk show host found Wilson in his underwear playing video games. Awkward hilarity ensues for the remainder of the segment.
The show paces quickly into a look behind the scenes (docu-comedy) at how it all comes together. As with most personality-driven sitcoms, THE EDGE talk show takes its storylines from real-life events and navigates the show accordingly.
Cut to: Jake chilling backstage with Wyclef Jean ranting about Shakira and discussing Haiti.
Before the commercial break, a segment called “I Love Local Commercials” airs. Jake sent two guys to middle America to find local businesses. Their assignment: produce 1-minute pieces of satire on that business. Cut to: 90-second commercial break.
At the end of the show, THE EDGE launches the Denny’s Allnighter Concert Series, featuring underground acts and established music groups. The bands are interacted with on the show of the performance, via Denny’s websites and on Jake’s site as well.
THE EDGE aims for talking about what the generation is thinking or talking about. Jake’s “go anywhere, do anything” mantra led him to booking an interview with a nude model. He took off his clothes and modeled with her for the five-minute piece, too.
THE EDGE’s integration of social media is key to the show’s success. Jake and his PR team convince bloggers and twitterers with hundreds of thousands of followers to chat about the show. Jake’s stunts in various cities lead to a plethora of regional and national press, traditional and nontraditional.
“The fourth wall of TV has been broken for a while,” says executive producer Dave Steck. “Jake’s deconstructive commentary on the broken wall and his own unique view of the world around him lives not only TV, but across all platforms that reach his generation.”
Jake acts half the time as if he’s on a dare. He’s no goofball and his ability to make anyone warm up and take notice has led him to the nationwide syndication deal through September 2010, with an option to renew through 2012.
