Late Night TV Discussion Thread

[number8]

The same people came up with those two sketches.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...ns-snl/505226/

[Sycophant]

I feel like most baby boomers in the mid-1990s right now when I say:

I miss David Letterman. I miss Craig Ferguson. I miss Jon Stewart.

For some reason I'm not that moved by or compelled to watch either Conan or Stephen Colbert's current shows. John Oliver and Sam Bee are both knocking their current shows out of the park, but both produce weekly on a less regular basis and have moved away from the talk show format.

Admittedly, missing Jon is a different thing from missing Dave and Craig. Dave and Craig had great hang-out shows. I used to be a real late night enthusiast, but the leaders on that landscape are so out of sync with my tastes. I'm fucking old.

I'll check back in with Colbert after the election (I'm enjoying his election material in clips, actually, but the show still feels awkward to me as a whole).

[Lazlo]

I feel like most baby boomers in the mid-1990s right now when I say:

I miss David Letterman. I miss Craig Ferguson. I miss Jon Stewart.

For some reason I'm not that moved by or compelled to watch either Conan or Stephen Colbert's current shows. John Oliver and Sam Bee are both knocking their current shows out of the park, but both produce weekly on a less regular basis and have moved away from the talk show format.

Admittedly, missing Jon is a different thing from missing Dave and Craig. Dave and Craig had great hang-out shows. I used to be a real late night enthusiast, but the leaders on that landscape are so out of sync with my tastes. I'm fucking old.

I'll check back in with Colbert after the election (I'm enjoying his election material in clips, actually, but the show still feels awkward to me as a whole).

I miss Jon a ton. His whole run on that show was so meaningful to me. I haven't given the Noah iteration much of a chance since the first few weeks after its debut. I like the correspondents and what I see on their Facebook feed. But Noah just isn't Stewart and that hurts the show too much.

[Ezee E]

Love Conan, I just don't tune in to any late night TV, I'll wait for the interesting interviews to pop up on Facebook.

Colbert gets unique guests which is cool, but I don't think I've even seen his monologue yet.
The political shows (Maher, John, Noah) are kind of obnoxious to me really, and seem to do all the same things, and go for easy jokes.
Kimmel... Fine, but his good stuff will get on social media too.
Fallon, I like to watch with my brother just to make fun of how much he sucks up to the guests and laughs at everything. Plus, it's cool having The Roots on.
And then the car singing guy. Pretty sure he should just change the entire format to that.

[Henry Gale]

I honestly watch everything in late night TV as I like them all to varying degrees.

When everything is new, my schedule seems to go: Start with Kimmel (my favourite host, monologue, and ensemble of people) --> Switch between Kimmel, Fallon and Colbert depending on guests (and catch the more YouTube-ready pieces I missed the next morning) --> Watch Seth Meyers' first 15-20 minutes --> Go to Corden's all-at-once guest couch --> Watch Conan in its entirety afterwards.

I don't know how to be objective about Kimmel and Conan, since they've meant so much to me growing up and watching them almost every night for forever now, bringing more joy into my life more consistently than maybe anyone ever on TV. They are constants of entertainment in my life who I will watch until they're no longer on TV. Both shows have conformed and become less insane over time, but as hosts they're as good as ever.

I love Colbert. I do not love his new show. Out of the gate, his premiere week was fantastic, but now, it doesn't feel like he has anything other than good guests with interviews (they're also shorter than most), the odd great field piece, and in the vein of Letterman and inheriting the Ed Sullivan Theatre, better-than-most musical guests always sounding sensational. He really shame he doesn't have as much bite in the role of his actual self than his fake self. He structures bits like ones on the Report, building them to feel like they'll get to something brilliantly subversive, and then right at that moment he pulls back just and throws to a commercial.

When I say I like everything in late night now to varying degrees, Fallon would land at the bottom of my ranking at this point, which mainly comes from his monologue being so bland and, as Ezee said, his interviews being so predictably "Aw shucks, buddy! C'mon! Are you kidding me! You're the best!" all the time. But I can't deny that The Roots, the games, Higgins, and pre-taped bits are all a lot of fun. They need to use A.D. Miles on camera so much more, though. His Late Night years were much better and weirder, but it's now The Tonight Show. This is to be expected.

Corden's show is actually very good despite its reputation of "that show with Carpool Karaoke" since to me it's "that odd (almost deconstructionist) show with Reggie Watts as its bandleader that does really absurd bits and even shoots its show in unsuspecting civilians homes from time to time". Like most late night shows, the weirdness is already waning, but its first year might be the sturdiest, most assured I've ever seen for an American late night talk show. And I kinda hated Corden before it!

Meyers' monologue are probably the best written of the bunch, and his Closer Look segment is always very strong. His interviews have the casualness and friendly rapport of Craig Ferguson (Seth also uses no notes) but he also tries to conduct formal, pointed interviews at the same time. And then in the tradition of Late Night, very strange things happen and it's all the better for it. It's a good show that I feel doesn't get enough praise.

Last Week Tonight is great, but is it just me or over time has it shown its least effective moments are when it goes for actual jokes? I enjoy watching Real Time despite not really liking Bill Maher, even when I agree with him. I tend to watch Daily Show's Facebook field piece clips more than anything else, since I don't see myself warming to Noah as a host anytime soon.

(@Midnight doesn't really fit the bill of everything else we're talking about here, but it's great fun even when it's easy jokes. The guests and the format work wonders towards its enjoyable nature.)

As much as I'm satisfied with everything right now, I obviously really miss Ferguson and Stewart. Letterman too, since once he announced his retirement he had a renewed energy and edge that was missing for some time. Still, those three, Kimmel, Conan and Conan represent my all-timers, so still having half of them around means things are still holding onto a golden era of sorts for me.

[Gittes]

This doesn't quite fit the bill, but this fellow's show is often leagues ahead of what I see from guys like Fallon, Kimmel, Corden, etc.

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Show Spoiler

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[Henry Gale]

Oh yeah, I love Bang Bang, as much as I do realize it's not for everyone. I mainly say that because it airs on MuchMusic here, so more people tend to know about it and express contempt for it in my life who it was never really going to be for. Luckily I also know a lot of people who are fans of it (especially from the podcast) who connect to it enough to feel comfortable making references to it around each other. Bummed that this is the last season, though. Yankovic has been a perfect sidekick.

The Chris Gethard Show is another very good one that I recently got into (mainly thanks to Winston pointing out that every episode is on YouTube) that similarly falls into a category of it being its own brand of self-aware, outside-the-box talk show that I forget to include it in late night TV conversations.

And of course, The Eric Andre Show might be one of the most incredible things on television.

[Winston*]

Have you been watching the whole Gerhard archive Henry? Some insane episodes in there

[number8]

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

[number8]

Thing is, I listen to so many politics podcast now that I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with a daily dose of Stewart anymore, anyway. Sam Bee and Oliver's weekly schedule is perfect for me, and hard to ask Bee for more when she's been so flawless so far.

[Henry Gale]

Have you been watching the whole Gerhard archive Henry? Some insane episodes in there

The Fusion ones, yes. I had a few weeks in the summer where I was watching more than one a day (especially with the half-hour episodes of the first season), and then watched random ones of the public access years. I've slowed down, but it was a great little while, and it's still a really reliable thing to throw on any time.

[Gittes]

I haven't checked out Full Frontal yet but I plan on doing so soon.

John Oliver's show is great, but I have an idiosyncratic quibble: his energy is sometimes a touch too abrasive. I'm talking about the way he really leans into those jokes that require him to launch into expletive-laden tantrums. Those can give me a weird, visceral reaction. Just something about the way he dials up his anger one too many notches. I know it's always in service to a gag/point, but the occasional stridency of his performance makes for unpleasant viewing.

On another note, I'd love to see a behind-the-scenes video that showcases the staff that is responsible for researching and acquiring all of those obscure clips that they show from time to time. I'm curious about the specifics of that process. You'll see, say, some random clip from a random moment in an ABC news program from years ago. What's the process like in terms of discovering it all and then retrieving it and putting it on the show?

[Winston*]

On another note, I'd love to see a behind-the-scenes video that showcases the staff that is responsible for researching and acquiring all of those obscure clips that they show from time to time. I'm curious about the specifics of that process. You'll see, say, some random clip from a random moment in an ABC news program from years ago. What's the process like in terms of discovering it all and then retrieving it and putting it on the show?

http://splitsider.com/2015/03/inside...-tonight-work/

[Gittes]

That's very interesting. Thanks.

I'm intrigued by this mysterious bit:

I did learn that SnapStream is not the only method these shows use to research content and media, so even though SnapStream can be considered part of a comedy news show’s secret sauce, there are other ingredients as well.

[Sycophant]

I have to say, I'm glad that Last Week Tonight has really scaled back on the lavish main segment-ending stunts. In the first couple years, it seemed they'd cap every single week with an expensive, glitzy, slick, star-studded crescendo, but now they seem to really reserve it for when the material itself calls for it.

[slqrick]

What an incredible opening monologue by Chapelle on SNL. Perfect time for his humor to make a return to the mainstream.

[Henry Gale]

What an incredible opening monologue by Chapelle on SNL. Perfect time for his humor to make a return to the mainstream.

100%

I never expected this episode to feel so therapeutic and fun in equal measure. And even aside from the necessary, pointed political stuff, something like the Walking Dead skit pretty much everything I've wanted for the last 12 years. Me and my oldest friend (who, when we were teenagers, would often watch Chappelle's Show episodes for the first time together, and then obviously re-watch over and over) were in tears between that and his monologue.

I've been generally very impressed with this season, but this might be one of the very best front-to-back episodes of SNL I've ever seen. Just beautiful. Especially being this week's show.

[Dukefrukem]

This too

[number8]

The back to back combo of the song, the monologue, and the election night sketch were seriously just needed. This is why I'm such an SNL fanboy.

[number8]

Oh and Tribe, obviously.

[Spinal]

Gotta be a dissenting voice on the opening song. I thought it was ridiculous. Using Hillary as some sort of symbol of justice is an eye-roller. And YOU'RE THE ONES WHO HAD TRUMP HOST YOUR SHOW!

[Spinal]

But yes, Chappelle. Masterful.

[Winston*]

Gotta be a dissenting voice on the opening song. I thought it was ridiculous. Using Hillary as some sort of symbol of justice is an eye-roller. And YOU'RE THE ONES WHO HAD TRUMP HOST YOUR SHOW!

At least do a less cliched Leonard Cohen song. This one seems appropriate.

[TGM]

Gotta be a dissenting voice on the opening song. I thought it was ridiculous. Using Hillary as some sort of symbol of justice is an eye-roller. And YOU'RE THE ONES WHO HAD TRUMP HOST YOUR SHOW!

Agreed. Ridiculous is the perfect word to describe that segment.

[number8]

The thing that I love is that it's something Aaron Sorkin would've written to open Studio 60 and people would've savaged him for portraying as effective, but it's now for real and is praised by many.