John Krasinski’s viral feel-good news show Some Good News lands at Viacom/CBS after huge bidding war

John Krasinski has unexpectedly come out even more of a winner than expected during this unprecedented period of quarantine, as Some Good News, his at first small effort to uplift and inspire the masses, has now taken on a life of its own.

The feel-good web series consisting of only good news by and for viewers worldwide has scored a multiplatform showcase across Viacom and CBS after a bidding war that resulted in a ‘rich deal’ as seen in The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday.

And while Krasinski, 40, will no longer act as the series’ host, the actor-director will remain involved as an executive producer and will continue to have some sort of periodic on-air presence.

The Quiet Place auteur began Some Good News at the end of March, as a response to the crushing amount of stress-inducing news coming out in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.

And in the space of eight weekly episodes, the show has gained a wild amount of traction, with 2.56M subscribers on YouTube and fans posting content from every corner of the globe.

‘Could not be more excited and proud to be partnering with CBS/Viacom to be able to bring Some Good News to so many more people!’ Krasinski said Thursday in a statement. 

‘From the first episode, our goal was to create a news show dedicated entirely to good news. Never did I expect to be joining the ranks of such a historic news organization as CBS.’

As THR reports, Some Good News  will be produced in-house at Viacom at Comedy Central Productions, with the media conglomerate also having an ownership stake in the series. 

A new host (or hosts) will be named at a later date.

Over its eight episodes on YouTube, which Krasinski self-financed and self-produced from his home, SGN saw charitable giveaways, memorable musical moments, as well as reunions of the Office cast and the original cast of Broadway smash hit Hamilton. 

On Sunday, Krasinski said the series was taking a break, without specifying a return date as he got choked up reminiscing about what the show has accomplished and how it has inspired him personally. 

Meanwhile, fans of John’s other buzz worthy property – A Quiet Place – eagerly await the sequel A Quiet Place Part II starring his wife Emily Blunt, which was supposed to hit theaters in March just as the pandemic hit.

As of now, the theatrical release of the sequel is slated for September, but it remains to be seen whether that date will stick as it is hard to tell whether fans will be allowed, or willing, to crowd into cineplexes by that time.