Late Night Television

[brundlefly]

I too was sad to see this thread revived to do something other than celebrate this recent cultural accomplishment.

[Farley Flavors]

The Daily Show needs a shakeup, one where Stewart is completely gone, even from his position as producer. They missed the boat by not giving the job to Roy Wood, but there are many fresh voices out there that aren't as jaded as Jon has become. The right person could be Hassan Minhaj, who was originally slated to take over the job last year.

They originally missed the boat by not handing the gig to Samantha Bee, who proved that she could have easily handled the job when she went on to host Full Frontal. She was the longest running correspondent when Stewart left and one can only presume it was rampant misogyny that led to her not even being considered.

[pianocrash]

I too was sad to see this thread revived to do something other than celebrate this recent cultural accomplishment.

I admit I've seen every episode of this CBS late night show, but this segment might be the crowning achievement (aside from "Is It Caked?", which, sadly, is now crowdsourcing all future content due to lack of caked photographs currently on-hand).

As for Samantha Bee, TBS lost a wave of good-to-great programming when it folded most of their original programming, but at least they have Impractical Jokers (from truTV) and the forthcoming Joe Schmo Show?!? It's ruff out there, folks!

[brundlefly]

I too was sad to see this thread revived to do something other than celebrate this recent cultural accomplishment.

I admit I've seen every episode of this CBS late night show, but this segment might be the crowning achievement (aside from "Is It Caked?", which, sadly, is now crowdsourcing all future content due to lack of caked photographs currently on-hand).

As someone weaned on the Lettermanian ethos that there’s no higher calling than wasting network television time, “Push or Pull?” came on like an ideal realized.

I too have taken to regularly winding down with @fter Midnight (though on YouTube). I didn’t catch the Chris Hardwick show much, tuned out when I did. Tomlinson can be very good in this, which is strange to me; her stand-up is so well-crafted and personal you’d think throwaway monologues and interjections wouldn’t hold much satisfaction. Maybe it’s that she’s often familiar with the guests, maybe her work ethic makes her incapable of indifference.

Do sometimes bail halfway through. It’s a show that hinges on the guests finding chemistry as they read their pre-scripted “answers.” I don’t know what it means that the best ep I’ve seen so far was the very first I saw, but the 100th episode featured a panel that had evident camaraderie and looked to jump the rails. Like Pete Holmes said:



And it was my introduction to Jess McKenna, who can be something of a wonder while improvising whole musicals or bits like "A Scene from David Mamet’s Workplace Drama ‘Build a Bear-y Glenn Ross.’” So now I’ve got a Dropout subscription to get me through Taylor’s hiatus.

[pianocrash]

Tomlinson can be very good in this, which is strange to me; her stand-up is so well-crafted and personal you’d think throwaway monologues and interjections wouldn’t hold much satisfaction. Maybe it’s that she’s often familiar with the guests, maybe her work ethic makes her incapable of indifference.

The first season was filled with a kind of chaos that the second season hasn't quite lived up to, unfortunately, though there are times when it shines through. It helps that a majority of the panelists seem hand picked for their previous working relationships with one another (the through-line is easy in the world of Los Angeles comedy circles), inasmuch that their chemistry and teamwork can make or break the show. It also helps the three to go off the rails depending on the material, so I don't mind when the CBS-fed casting of Ghosts or whatever Star Trek off-shoot program shows up, because they all are least trying to have a good time & occasionally be funny. It also helps that Taylor knows so many comedians as a result of her endless work schedule, so there's a higher chance of the panelists strictly trying to make her laugh over making the audience laugh.

Just don't watch the episode wherein three of the show's staff writers are the featured panelists (the second taping the day after this year's presidential election, and I'm sure no other option was available), as it was the absolute nadir of trying to make your boss laugh at your lousy jokes that they already heard three hours earlier at rehearsal.