On February 21, comedians Desus Nice and the Kid Mero will officially move their late-night talk show from Viceland to Showtime. If that sentence makes you roll your eyes and wonder if the world really needs another late-night show, then you clearly don’t know the Bodega Boys: There isn’t a late-night show like Desus & Mero on television.
“We like to keep our ear to the streets and see what the people care about,†Nice said during the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday in Pasadena.
The Bronx comics say what sets them apart from the traditional late-night programs of guys in suits sitting behind desks is that they cover New York–specific topics — like, say, bodega signage problems — as well as issues that affect a national audience, like student-loan debt. “We used to be told we were too New York–centric,†Mero said. “People want the authenticity; people appreciate that. Even if you don’t understand what we’re saying, you watch because you like us and you wanna know what we’re saying.â€
The revamped Desus & Mero will also feature celebrity guests, although they say they’re not interested in talking points or publicist-approved questions. “Don’t come on the show only to promote something,†Nice warned. “Everyone we have on the show is someone we rock with. We’re not having them on to amplify their message.â€
And, yes, that invitation is open to politicians, too. Mero said he’d love to have former president Barack Obama on because he feels he “would be more loose†now that he’s out of the Oval Office. They even said they’d welcome President Trump if he were so inclined — although, they joked, that might backfire if they bonded with him over a shared love of New York City.