Deadline reports that Eli Roth has been tapped to host a five-episode run of half-hour late-night talk shows tied to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which makes sense given Roth’s experience with graphic dismemberment and general disregard for human life. Roth will be joined by “celebrity guests, shark fans, and shark experts,” all of whom better not splash around too much lest Roth think they are seals and rip into their tender flesh.
Roth has long felt an affinity for his fellow dead-eyed killing machines, calling himself “completely shark obsessed” and the Shark After Dark (yep, that’s the name of the show) hosting gig a “dream come true.” As far as we can tell, Roth got the job one of two ways—either by bathing in Chris Hardwick’s blood, thus absorbing his post-show gabfest host essence, or because he’s worked with Discovery Channel in the past. (He re-created the controversial Milgram Experiment for the network in 2011).
We kid Roth, of course. It’s entirely possible to write and direct horrifically violent movies and still be a good person. Some even say it’s healthy to illuminate the darker corners of the human mind through fiction. Hemlock Grove was sadism of the highest order, though.
Shark After Dark will air on Discovery Channel beginning July 5 at 11 PM ET/PT.