‘Between Two Ferns’ coming to Comedy Central

Who said popular Internet shows couldn’t find their way to television? Clearly someone forgot to mention it to Zach Galifianakis. It has been announced that a 30-minute episode of the popular web series “Between Two Ferns” will air on Comedy Central. This will mark the web show’s first time on television.

Galifianakis, best known for playing Alan in the “Hangover” movies stars in “Ferns.” In the show, Galifianakis conducts interviews with popular celebrities between two potted ferns. The impromptu show consists of Galifianakis interviewing unaware celebrities while asking bizarre and inappropriate questions to his guests. Guests have no knowledge beforehand of what will be asked before they sit down for their interviews. The show airs on the comedy website Funny or Die which was created by Will Ferrell and director Adam Mckay in 2007.

In the vein of YouTube, Funny or Die consists of user generated original videos. Along with user created videos, the site hosts videos from the likes of Galifianakis, Ferrell, Judd Apatow, and James Franco among others. Viewers can then vote for the videos, either “funny” or “die.” If the video receives over 80 percent “funny” votes it will get an immortal rating. It is the first site that allows viewers to choose which videos stay and which ones go based on public voting.

On his show, Galifianakis has interviewed everyone from Michael Cera and John Hamm to Natalie Portman and Tila Tequila. Starting in 2008, there are currently thirteen episodes of Ferns available on the site. All episodes have received a solid amount of viewers. This highest rated episode with Natalie Portman has over 10.8 million views, and even the least viewed episode starring Jimmy Kimmel has over four million views. With numbers like those it is surprising that no one thought to bring “Ferns” to the small screen before now.

“Ferns” isn’t the first time a viral video has found its way to television. In 2009, Dane Boedigheimer created the Annoying Orange. In those videos, an orange annoys other fruits and vegetables by using crude jokes. It was announced in January that Cartoon Network was creating a television series based on the popular YouTube videos. The show is set to air sometime this summer.

This will be the first new “Ferns” episode in a little over a year. Unfortunately for fans, even if the special does well on Sunday, nobody should expect the show to be on the fall schedule next year. Galifianakis’s budding movie career should take care of that. At the very least it will be a fun way to enjoy an extended episode of “Ferns” on television.

The 30-minute episode will be called “Between Two Ferns: A Fairy Tale of New York.” Former Saturday Night Live head writer and current “30 Rock” star Tina Fey is set to join Galifianakis. Other announced guests include Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show”) and English businessman Sir Richard Branson. The show is set to air Sunday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. right before the second annual Comedy Awards on Comedy Central.