THE commercials showing now for Denny’s depict homey restaurants where waitresses call customers “Hon” and feature the slogan “America’s Diner Is Always Open.” The campaign, by Gotham, New York, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, is humorous but far from edgy, befitting a family restaurant.

But in an effort to pitch Denny’s to consumers aged 18 to 25, the company is producing a Web series that strikes a decidedly more provocative tone.

The series, “Always Open” features the comedian Dave Koechner, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus and a star of movies including “Anchorman,” who interviews celebrities while they share a booth at a Denny’s. “You climbed Mount Kilimanjaro,” Mr. Koechner tells his guest, the actress Jessica Biel, in a new video. “Let’s say we’re trapped on the mountain together, both of us, we’re freezing, and we need to share bodily warmth. Do you think it would get romantic?”