First off, let’s pour one out for the Late Night band. As we reported earlier this week, the band, which sometimes includes Fred Armisen and always keeps the studio audience hyped for Meyers, won’t be back next season. But on the plus side, Seth will. As will Jimmy Fallon. And Taylor Tomlinson. After Midnight got renewed this week, which is fan-fucking-tastic. I’m always saying comedians need a space to be goofy on national television and get their brand out there. Speaking of, here’s what rocked this week in late night.
5. Dan Licata Does a Tight, Tight 5
Speaking of excellent moments in branding: Dan Licata on Late Night Tuesday. That was the most on-brand Dan (on-Dan) set one can get through censors. From writing his own intro to having a through line for all the jokes, it was just a cohesive piece of comedy. No one can watch that set and not understand exactly what to expect at Licata’s shows in the future. Like him taped? See him live. It’s that simple.
4. Stephen Colbert’s Floor Time
Hats off to Stephen Colbert for really exploring the space. During the recurring “Sound of Science†segment, he did a story about “floor time†and how lying on the floor can really chill you out. I speak from experience: This is true. One time the Dial-a-Nurse hotline told me to clock some floor time and it worked. Colbert did the rest of the segment from the safety of his floor, and it was great. You could even hear the difference from the room tone. He should do a segment from the lighting catwalk next. What’s the point of having such a big theater if you’re not going to occasionally get Phantom of the Opera with it?
3. The Daily Show Shames Our Corporate Masters
What I appreciated most from this long-form piece about the hollow nature of corporate Pride was how Jon Stewart and his team connected fake Pride with fake BLM and fake environmentalism — and even fake patriotism! The faux ad at the end tickled me. Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic as the white people actually in charge rather than the diverse folx in normal commercials was a great move. And calling out that no business has ever really cared about being carbon neutral was especially gratifying.
2. Tina Fey’s QVC Prop Comedy
[Note: This might have aired on QVC+/HSN+ last week, but it dropped on YouTube this week. I won’t pretend I understand QVC+/HSN+’s digital release schedule, and you can’t make me!]
Now this is interesting! Busy This Week took advantage of being on a shopping channel and made Tina Fey interact with shoppables. It was quite the tightrope act Fey had to do: be funny with the purchasable items, but don’t make fun of them too much, lest no one purchase. It’s like someone heard her “Authenticity is dangerous and expensive†monologue on Las Culturistas and said, “I dare you not to have an opinion about this long-legged Santa Claus.†But she stuck the landing.
1. Questlove Spills Some Tea on The Tonight Show
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Questlove dropping three blind items in rapid succession on The Tonight Show. While talking about the 50 Years of Hip-Hop performance at the 2023 Grammys, Quest revealed the following:
• One group who performed in the set was feuding so hard he had to hire a life coach to sort their shit out.
• Two performers dropped out during Bad Bunny’s set.
• One artist lost AOTY and left in a huff rather than be the surprise finale of the performance.
I am gagged. I am agog, I am reserving the book Questlove was promoting on Libby. That’s how you do a late-night appearance.
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- Queening Out With the Divas of Late Night This Week
- Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Compassion Won Late Night This Week