Groupe V Media is set to unveil a new original, Phil s’invite on its flagship channel V.
The weekly talk show will see comedian Phil Roy interact with a new star every episode. The premiere episode, airing Wednesday, Jan. 30, will feature Quebec actor Maripier Morin. Future episodes will feature other Francophone superstars such as Penelope McQuade, Pier-Luc Funk, Jay du Temple, Valerie Roberts and Martin Juneau.
However, Phil s’invite comes with a twist: rather than Roy playing host and inviting the stars to chat with him on a soundstage, Roy will invite himself into the celebrities’ homes, discussing current issues, trends and lifestyle in a more intimate, personal setting.
Brigitte Vincent, VP of content at Groupe V Media, tells MiC that Roy has a strong fanbase among the 18 to 49-year-old demo. “He has a unifying humour that reaches a young audience, the same target audience of V.” She says the audience looks at him as “a good friend, someone accessible.”
V first re-entered the late night talk show space with Le show Rousseau last year, when it brought comedian Stéphane Rousseau to the late night airwaves. It was part of a strategy to position V as a network that, while fun with a little edge, was still brand-safe. EVP of strategy Dmitri Gourdin told MiC in a previous interview that V was well-known as “a channel that had a lot of audacity, that dared to do disruptive things… But maybe it was a little too much,” adding that it had gotten feedback that it was seen as vulgar or too edgy.
Rousseau was a key part in marrying a slightly edgy tone with brand-friendly fun, while also offering a late-night alternative to news on competitors TVA and SRC.
While Phil s’invite boasts that same balance of brand-safe comedy, Vincent says it will offer a more intimate and lighthearted experience.
“The atmosphere is completely different,” says Vincent. “We really enter into their bubble.”
Vincent says V’s current content strategy, which it pivoted to last year, is focused entirely on delivering to the 18 to 49 audience.
