Late Night TV Discussion Thread

[Dead & Messed Up]

Craig Ferguson was the most interesting interviewer in late night, while he was on.

[Gittes]

Speaking of, Conan's back in NY next week and I'm going to the Monday Halloween taping.

How was this? I ended up missing a lot of these when they aired (caught the Louis C.K. interview, though). Anything especially notable about the experience? Did Pardo still warm up the crowd?

[number8]

The remotes, as usual, were the best. I was at the TJ Miller/Sugarhill Gang episode, and it felt pretty surreal watching a mostly white and geeky crowd attempt to dance and sing along to "Rapper's Delight" in The Apollo.

I believe Pardo stopped working at Conan sometime last year.

[Gittes]

I believe Pardo stopped working at Conan sometime last year.

Oh, I had no idea. I'm now trying to find out who took over via Google, but nothing so far.

[Gittes]

The Christmas decorations on the SNL stage last night were so nice.

Glad to see Cranston show up, too. That was a funny idea. His "live from New York" recitation had some real gusto behind it.

[Henry Gale]

Wowww. In a massive change: Conan will become a weekly show.

As someone who still watches the show regularly and has done so forever, I totally get it. The things that he's always been the most memorable and revelatory in are the remotes, going out with other actors and comedians, and especially when he goes international. From Finland in 2006 to Germany a few weeks ago, he's never lost his sharpness and goofy sensibilities when being thrown outside of the studio. As much as I love his banter with certain actors (obviously Norm, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Burr, even Jennifer Lawrence), his monologues and the ownership/exacerbation of jokes that don't work, and all the absurd scripted bits/sketches the writers act in, it has all begun to feel too status quo for how funny a capable a performer he is form him to just stand there or sit behind a desk.

I'm really excited by the idea of a weekly show that starts with a monologue of the week, a weird sketch with Andy and the staff, an extended remote (driving around with a given celebrity, a Clueless Gamer), one great actor interview, a musical guest or comedian, and then enough inspiration and time to bank some more for the next week.

Hell, make it 90 minutes!

EDIT: Okay, it's already been refuted as an active plan, but not ruled out as a future possibility. For now, the only thing confirmed is that, like Lip Sync Battle (though not officially attributed to Fallon but instead "created" by Stephen Merchant and John Krasinski), the future Car Pool Karaoke series (and a knockoff), and the new game show Big Fan that spawned from Kimmel (hosted by Andy Richter!), Clueless Gamer is set to become its own spinoff series. With or without Conan, I'm not sure, but I'd hope so since he's the essential ingredient there. It just makes sense in general to have it become its own separate thing since many of those segments veer into double-digit minutes and even have extended versions online.

[Henry Gale]

I thought Aziz Ansari's SNL episode was pretty excellent. Much like the Chappelle's episode the week of the election (and also the best since it), using the lamenting cultural mood of the day after the inauguration to recalibrate where the show would like to keep its spirits, with its voice and its audience assured despite it all is a very cathartic thing that somehow also seems to bring the best completely silly and politically unrelated sketches amongst it all too. I also realize, like Chappelle, Aziz is more than accomplished in this world having also been a part of another one of the best sketch series of this generation, and having been away from that world for a while he probably had a few gestating ideas for premises kicking around in his head that got out at the pitch meeting. The dirty talk sketch also feels like something he maybe wanted to work into Master of None but couldn't make its broad tone work for the series.

Can't actually watch this YouTube clip myself, but for you Americans who missed it, the monologue was definitely a highlight:

[number8]

That was a great episode of SNL to actually watch live. Kristen Stewart saying fuck in the opening monologue, seeing a Totino's sketch and then having actual Totino's commercials during the breaks, actually being surprised by Melissa McCarthy's appearance, and the multiple fuckups by both Che and Jost during Update (I hope they keep the live version as the official episode on streaming instead of using the dress rehearsal version). It's great to be reminded of how fun live broadcasts can be.

[Henry Gale]

Yeah, it was a lot of fun and Stewart was really good in ways even her recent work hasn't found ways of showcasing. I missed the first couple of sketches, but it was such a lively, laid-back episode with very solid material to back it up. The filmed sketches especially.

seeing a Totino's sketch and then having actual Totino's commercials during the breaks

I'm not sure if this is a bubble-burst, but I think the show negotiated with the network and advertisers this season to get less commercial break time and more actual show in the 90-minute time slot, but the stipulation of that was more product integration in their sketches for brands who already paid for ad-time. Obviously things like the Totino's one show how they are making the most of it, but it's still there.

and the multiple fuckups by both Che and Jost during Update (I hope they keep the live version as the official episode on streaming instead of using the dress rehearsal version).

Oh wow. Have they done this with anything in the past? We don't see Hulu's or NBC's versions morning-after versions up north so I'd have no idea.

[number8]

I'm not sure if this is a bubble-burst, but I think the show negotiated with the network and advertisers this season to get less commercial break time and more actual show in the 90-minute time slot, but the stipulation of that was more product integration in their sketches for brands who already paid for ad-time. Obviously things like the Totino's one show how they are making the most of it, but it's still there.

Sure, I knew as soon as I saw the first actual ad that the sketch must have been sponsored, but my point was that it's really funny seeing the sketch and the real commercial in tandem, which I never got with the previous Vanessa Bayer Totino's sketch since I watched that one online the day after. It's one of those instances where the content was enhanced by the ad.

Oh wow. Have they done this with anything in the past? We don't see Hulu's or NBC's versions morning-after versions up north so I'd have no idea.

Yes, many times, it's been their practice for reruns and syndications for decades. It's why they tape the whole dress rehearsal. It's not just for mistakes, either. If the dress audience responds to a sketch better, they'd use that instead.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The Bayer Totinos "Hungry Guys" sketch trilogy.

[Dead & Messed Up]

(cont'd)



My favorite is the Larry David one.

Sidebar: Totinos for whatever reason brings out the best in branded comedy (ugh, feel like a shower's needed after that comment). They sponsored an episode of the "My Brother My Brother and Me" podcast, and it turned into this goofy brilliant riff on old branded radio shows.

[number8]

Don't forget Tim & Eric.

[Dukefrukem]

Barstool sports have been advertising Totinos for the last month- Totinos rented a house for them in Houston for the week while they do super bowl coverage.

http://www.barstoolsports.com/philad...ind-the-rolls/

[Dead & Messed Up]

Don't forget Tim & Eric.

Didn't even know that existed.

T&E confuse me. Sometimes I love their sketches, sometimes I watch one like this and don't even crack a smile.

[Ezee E]

Kristen should do more comedy. She's pretty funny in roles.

[Dukefrukem]

[number8]

Pretty top notch SNL ep with ScarJo. All the sketches were either really strong (Zoo Pornographer, Kyle and Beck write Day Without Women sketch, Cherry Grove) or really absurd (Shanice Goodwin Ninja, Olive Garden, dog talking). I think the only misfire was the Trump cold open. Baldwin's schtick seems to be getting less and less effective.

Also, ugh, Lorde, I love her so much.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Thinking of making a few more Zebra inserts courtesy of the "Last Week Tonight" footage. Anyway, here's a zebra cheering on the emergence of the Galactic Empire:



Want to add Zebra Boy to Halloween when I get home.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Highlight (to me) of SNL's Louis CK action last night:

[Dukefrukem]

thought this was funny

[Dukefrukem]

[Idioteque Stalker]

Lol at "Hail satan."

[Dead & Messed Up]

I want a hot track with Yung Bitch, Pregnasty, and ya boi Skiffle.

[Spinal]

Only way I knew that was Cecily Strong as Hawt Clown was by process of elimination.