Shame it is not Kitty’s show. She really carried it tonight. The monologue needs to go. It is too slow, awkward and unfunny, especially at the top.
The show might be close to live, but it really misses the live feeling even. They could have caused ‘chaos’ trying to get Kitty a seat, instead they left it to during the break. The crime board was good, but Sam trying to work it out on air would be funnier. The pork crackling bit was a bit closer to the mark.
They need to let go and be a bit more loose. Sam relies too heavily on the cards, which I think makes him more nervous than not.
I think it’s worth mentioning that these shows are always a work in progress and because the US versions get to be nightly they can fine tune a lot better. Doing 8 shows weekly then going off air for rest of the year makes it hard to get a groove.
They should follow this run with a season hosted by kitty, then other comedians. Rotate through 4 or 5 a year and then repeat next year. Great way to have all year content and keeping it fresh at the same time
I agree that dropping the cards would probably work for him, though at the same time I’m not sure if he should be improvising either, as we’ve seen from Thank God You’re Here it’s really not his strong suit.
But man, Kitty being the guest announcer definitely unlocked something that could make the show really tick. She’s been positively received online, maybe they can work out bringing her on full time, or at least being a regular guest announcer.
I do agree that dropping the monologue might be best - he’s definitely not a monologue type of guy. Maybe have the first guest be someone to go through the week’s headlines instead, and have Sam react to them?
Kitty Kitty Pang Pang was fantastic and I loved the both of them together.
Maybe they should just make a new show with the two of them and the stool - “The Cheaper Stools” or the late night version, “Two Comedians, One Stool”.
One tweak to the show, for the better, is if Sam was seated at the desk from the beginning. Cut the monologue. Introduce the quests and interact with the guest Announcer. And have the guests arrive in segment two, rather than in segment three .
The ratings dropped to 575,000 for the second episode. Still good for the time and great demos where it was ahead of the post-reality programs - even outrating Idol.
Episode one averaged 1,004,000 in 7 day consolidated.
Also I think the Live element could go away, it doesn’t really benefit the show at all (there’s no viewer call-ins or Netflix-style lack of time constraints).
The trick to US talk shows is editing, even though they seem live. Saw an episode of Fallon where on TV the interview was edited down a lot, while on YouTube they had a full unedited version. Throws to ad breaks on Colbert always seem to be naturally edited in, so a good conversation can go on without being cut short.
Means you can be more relaxed in the moment, doesn’t feel like you’re The Project and rushing guests. And then some of the edges (and maybe nerves) can be smoothed over.
I have really tried with this show but after the second episode I just can’t get into it. I gave it about 20 mins last night then moved on. The whole vibe in the opening section was a tad awkward, some of the jokes were funny but the vibe felt a bit forced. When he interacted with Kitty things felt better, which indicates he needs some more people in the studio or a bit of a side panel that can jump in and he can bounce off. The studio itself really lacks atmosphere. It needs more of a fun vibe for a tonight show. Get a band, get a couple extra people in there supporting the show. It needs something more.
