Neil Patrick Harris inks deal with NBC to host new variety show

'How I Met Your Mother' star selected as host for NBC variety show based off of Britain's 'Saturday Night Takeaway.'

Neil Patrick Harris was unsurprisingly chosen as the host for the 2015 Academy Awards after his extremely well-received stints as host for the Emmy and Tony awards shows, but NBC announced Monday that the Oscars won’t be the end of the How I Met Your Mother star’s prestigious hosting career.

The network confirmed that Harris will take over their upcoming U.S. version of popular British variety show Saturday Night Takeaway sometime next year. According to the NBC press release, the Harris-led show “will feature comedy sketches, musical numbers, mini game shows, hidden camera pranks on celebrities and appearances by A-list stars.” The network has already ordered 10 episodes of the show, which will be filmed in front of a live audience.

Saturday Night Takeaway has been a hit in Britain since it began in 2002, and Paul Buccieri, charmain of ITV Studios U.S. Group and Global Entertainment, says that the format is also popular in Germany, Portugal, Italy and Belgium.

Vulture‘s Josef Adalian states that several different networks were competing for the rights to air the series, and NBC was forced to pay ITV $2.5 million for each hour-long episode and agree to an on-the-air, ten-episode order. However, NBC’s press release makes it seem like the network was perfectly fine with the show’s steep price tag and ITV’s demands.

“All of us here at NBC have been dying to work with Neil, as we’ve watched him brilliantly host the Tonys and Emmys,” said Paul Telegdy, NBC Entertainment president for alternative and late-night programming. “This series will suit his extraordinary talents perfectly.”

Harris, who has previously expressed his desire to host his own variety show, also seems to feel like the show will be a great fit for his many talents.

“As I watched the show, I couldn’t stop smiling. Now that I’ve seen many seasons, my face hurts. It’s a game changer,” said Harris in a statement.

“Nothing like this has been done before, and its unique structure fits right into my random skill set. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and have some fun!”