CBS announces 8 celebrity teams competing on "Pickled"
CBS announced Wednesday the eight celebrity teams competing in the new two-hour sports comedy special PICKLED. The pickleball tournament, produced by Stephen Colbert's Spartina, Funny Or Die and CBS Studios, will air Thursday, Nov. 17 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. Emmy Award-winner Stephen Colbert of THE LATE SHOW hosts this cutthroat pickleball competition.
Below, meet the acclaimed teams playing to benefit the non-profit Comic Relief US and ultimately win the coveted totem of excellence: The Colbert Cup!
TEAM: DINK FLOYD
CELEBRITIES: Kelly Rowland and Murray Bartlett
TEAM: PARTY 'TIL YOU CUKE
CELEBRITIES: Tig Notaro and "Mystery Player"
TEAM: THE PADDLE SNAKES
CELEBRITIES: June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer
TEAM: TAKE THIS LOB AND SHOVE IT
CELEBRITIES: Jaime Camil and Aisha Tyler
TEAM: THE VOLLEY RANCHERS
CELEBRITIES: Sugar Ray Leonard and Emma Watson
TEAM: DANIEL DAE LUIS
CELEBRITIES: Luis Guzmán and Daniel Dae Kim
TEAM: DILL-I-AM
CELEBRITIES: Jimmie Allen and Max Greenfield
TEAM: WHEN HARRY NET RALLY
CELEBRITIES: Dierks Bentley and Phil Keoghan
All-star announcers, including Cari Champion, John Michael Higgins and Bill Raftery, add color and commentary to the thrilling matches. After the national anthem is performed as a duet by singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins and Stephen Colbert, the eight celebrity teams take to the court to battle for the honor of being named the PICKLED champions.
Stephen Colbert's Spartina, Funny Or Die and CBS are joining forces with Comic Relief to re-ignite the magic of creating change through comedy with PICKLED. Calls to action during the broadcast will raise funds to support Comic Relief's safety programs, which address the life-altering impact of homelessness, rootlessness and lack of safety often experienced by children and families living in poverty. In addition to funds raised from the broadcast event and at ComicRelief.org/pickled, Comic Relief will also be engaging pickleball leagues, lovers and communities across the U.S. to get in on the fun to help children and families experiencing homelessness.
PICKLED partnered with two brands as exclusive sponsors of the event.
Claussen Pickles, the Original Cold Crunch, brought viewers a fun, comedic take on the traditional mid-game recap – "The Claussen Crunch Time-Halftime Show." The host and analysts gathered in the branded space with the competitors to review first-half highlights and laugh about the lighter moments in the matches. Of course, there were pickles provided by the brand, for everyone including the fans in attendance to enjoy.
OOFOS Active Recovery footwear presented the "OOFOS Recovery Lounge." After each competitive pickleball match, players could cool off in the courtside branded tent to begin active recovery while conducting their post-match interviews. The premium lounge included a misting system, comfortable chairs and displays featuring the latest OOFOS styles.
PICKLED is produced by Funny Or Die in association with Spartina and CBS Studios. Executive producers are showrunner K.P. Anderson, Funny Or Die's Mike Farah, Joe Farrell and Henry R. Muñoz III, and Spartina's Stephen Colbert, Carrie Byalick, Evelyn McGee Colbert and Tom Purcell.