Chelsea Handler Inks Talk Show Deal with Netflix

Netflix is throwing its hat into the talk show arena.

Comedian Chelsea Handler has signed a multi-tiered deal with the online platform, part of which includes a new on-demand talk show.

Set to debut in 2016, Handler's new show will be similar in format to her current E! show, Chelsea Lately, incorporating celebrity interviews as well as her commentary on entertainment and pop culture. Episodes will debut simultaneously in all Netflix territories and viewers can watch them on demand.

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Handler will also debut a one-hour stand-up special on Netflix on October 10 as part of the deal. Taped at the Harris Theater in Chicago on June 20, it will feature material from her "Uganda Be Kidding Me" tour.

Next year, Netflix will also premiere four docu-comedy specials starring and produced by Handler. The specials will chronicle Handler's attempts to get a better understanding on subjects including politics, NASCAR and the NBA draft.

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Handler has been fairly open about her attempts to move on from E!, and last month it was announced that Chelsea Lately will end its seven-year run on August 26. Earlier this year, a photo on Handler's Twitter feed sparked speculation that she might be in talks with CBS to have her own show. However, shortly thereafter, Handler told Ellen Degeneres she would "never be on a regular network."

"If I was going to continue working in this industry, I knew I had to do something outside the box to keep myself interested," Handler said in a statementThursday. "I wanted to sit with the cool kids at lunch, so I approached Netflix to make sure they were as cool as I thought they were, and when I confirmed my suspicions, like with any other future lover, I made my move. I'm more excited than I've been in awhile, and the team at Netflix is the most forward-thinking, alert group I've sat down with in ages. No offense to the Shahs Of Sunset."