Freestyle Digital Media Buys VOD Rights for George Schlatter Documentary

Freestyle Digital Media acquired the North American video-on-demand rights to Sock It To Me: The Legend of George Schlatter.

The distribution deal secures the film for release on digital platforms starting Dec. 8. The transaction was negotiated directly between Freestyle and the production team. This arrangement places the project under the banner of Allen Media Group.

The documentary profiles Schlatter, the 96-year-old creator of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and the reality series Real People. It utilizes archival footage and new interviews to examine his seven decades in television production. The film highlights how his work influenced late-night formats and launched the careers of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin.

Interviews in the feature include Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, and Lionel Richie. Byron Allen, who hosted Real People as an 18-year-old in 1979, also appears. Schlatter described the collaboration with Allen's company as a full circle moment. He noted that he had previously suggested others write his story because it would not be a traditional autobiography.

Chris Coronado wrote and directed the film. Coronado has served as creative director at George Schlatter Productions since 2016. He produced the project alongside Greg Myers and Dayna Winston. The film serves as a retrospective of Schlatter's impact on comedy and variety television.