Red Nose Day, which is the U.K.’s #1 television fundraising event, is coming to America in a spectacular star-studded special live on Thursday, May 21 (8-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.
Inspired and supported by Comic Relief U.K. – the British charity behind Red Nose Day – NBC will televise the three-hour benefit featuring hilarious stand-up comedy, clever parodies, sketch comedy, incredible music performances from A-list artists and short, compelling films about the cause.
Funny or Die, the award-winning top destination for comedy on the web and producer of high-quality content across numerous platforms, will partner with NBC to create original content for the special.
The money raised during Red Nose Day will be used to fund programs that address the immediate needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The money will be split between domestic and international poverty issues. The pre-selected charity partners are Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children’s Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; The Global Fund; LIFT; National Council of La Raza; National Urban League; Oxfam America; Save the Children and United Way.
In the U.K., Red Nose Day has been going for 30 years and is an inspiring cultural phenomenon that unites people from all walks of life in the interest of saving and changing lives across the globe. With superstar presenters and comedians, original sketch comedy, hilarious film parodies and amazing musical performances, Red Nose Day has been the one of the BBC’s highest-rated Friday night shows for many years, and it has raised more than $1 billion in donations so far for organizations addressing poverty.
Created in 1985 by Oscar nominee and Emmy Award-winning writer-director-producer Richard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Bridget Jones Diary,” “Notting Hill”), the idea of Red Nose Day was built upon the foundation that mass media and celebrities can help raise money and awareness of poverty to save and change millions of lives.
Richard Curtis will serve as an executive producer for the NBC telecast (a Universal Television production), along with Hamish Hamilton and Ian Stewart of Done + Dusted Productions. Henrietta Conrad and Lily Sobhani will also serve as executive producers, as will Mike Farah, Anna Wenger and Joe Farrell from Funny or Die. Hamilton is set to direct.
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