Save the Children has been chosen by NBC and the “Red Nose Day” organization to be one of 12 poverty-fighting non-profits that will benefit from its three-hour comedy television event in May.
NBC will televise its “Red Nose Day” special on Thursday, May 21, from 8 to 11 p.m., in front of a live audience. Stand-up acts, sketch comedy, parodies and music performances from A-list artists will all be part of the telecast.
“Red Nose Day has become a British institution, and we are excited that Save the Children is a non-profit partner of the first U.S. version,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. “This will be a great chance to share a laugh and further support around our efforts to ensure all kids have a healthy start in life, an education and protection from harm.”
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 funds will be split between domestic and international poverty issues. In addition to Save the Children, the other 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; and United Way.
“It is a distinct honor to have our Red Nose Day efforts aimed toward assisting these exceptionally worthwhile charities,” said Paul Telegdy, president, Alternative and Late Night Programing, NBC Entertainment. “Our goal is to create an extraordinary broadcast that is entertaining while inspiring a level of goodwill and giving that will dramatically change the lives of those with the most immediate need.”
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, one-off sitcom reunions and amazing musical performances, it’s no wonder that this program has been one of the BBC’s highest-rated Friday night shows for many years. Best of all, it’s raised more than $1 billion in donations so far for organizations addressing poverty, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Said actress Sienna Miller, who co-starred in “American Sniper” and “Foxcatcher,” both recently nominated for best picture Oscars: “Red Nose Day is almost like a national holiday in the U.K. It’s a day of real excitement as everyone looks forward to it and the entire country gets involved in some way. I’m thrilled it’s coming to the U.S.!”
Created by writer-director Richard Curtis in 1985 (“Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “About Time”), 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.
“For many years I’ve dreamt of bringing Red Nose Day to the U.S., and I’m so excited that we’ve teamed up with NBC, who will do such a brilliant job on this,” Curtis said. “Experience has taught me how extraordinarily compassionate and generous Americans can be, and I’ve lived my life in awe of American comedy talent. So putting those two things together will, I hope, create an amazing event that will make a massive difference to the lives of millions of children and their families in the U.S. and in the poorest countries around the world.”
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 executive produce. Hamilton is set to direct.
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.
Guest stars will be announced at a later date.
