The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore

[JirinPanthosa]

So it started last night in Stephen Colbert's old slot. What'd you guys think?

I think it was funny and definitely relevant. I hope though they don't always devote 20 minutes to the panel segment and I think the set is ugly.

 

[Jedi_Master]

I will have to watch it online, didn't catch it last night. I like Larry Wilmore, and late night has a horrible lack of African-American voices, so he is a welcome addition.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I liked it a lot. I enjoyed the panel segment, which reminded me of Bill Maher. The Oscars bit was the funniest where he expressed outrage over The Lego Movie.

 

[Borgminister]

Gonna give it a shot have 2 episodes taped... but Colbert will be tough to beat. John Steward doesn't, so Wilmore has an uphill fight. IMO.

 

[Mr Light]

It's hard to exist in Colbert's shadow... I agree that I don't like the panel format taking up 2/3 of the show. It needs more comedy segments. It would also be nice to have correspondent traveling segments the way Daily Show does, since Colbert didn't do that.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I enjoyed the panel discussion on Bill Cosby in the second episode. I agree that Wilmore has a huge uphill battle to overcome, but I think the show has potential to be great.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Haven't seen the second episode, yet.

On the first one, I have to disagree with a few people here. I like the idea of a panel, similar to what Bill Maher's doing on his show. It didn't quite work on this first episode, yet, though, and I think part of the problem is that Maher has more time to do a panel, so people can actually talk longer than half a minute at a time (if Maher let's them).

So, if anything, the panel doesn't get enough time (or they should stick with one topic - again, haven't seen the second episode, yet, so maybe they did).

Another problem was that they had three people representing the media (in addition to Wilmore), and only one politician/public official, and there was a whole lot of consent in that panel. Not much actual discussion going on.

 

[Beagleman]

I have only seen the first episode yet but I liked it a lot. Of course, filling Colbert's shoes is tough but Wilmore is awesome and it seems he can carry a show quite well.

 

[Trekker4747]

I really wish people would stop bowing to the altar of Colbert. I found him funny, but, man, not immensely god-like funny.

I liked the first episode of "The Nightly Show", haven't watched the other two yet. I like Wilmore and the format of the show, not sure if it'll be one I watch every night like The Daily Show.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Right, seen the second episode. Good thing: They don't switch between topics. But somehow, after half an hour, you don't quite feel like this added anything. Willmore's great, but the show didn't educate in any way. Cosby's most likely a rapist, people tend to not believe women crying rape. Nothing new there. And that's a shame, because what makes The Daily Show, Real Time and Last Week Tonight (as well as the late Colbert Report) great is the way these show use humor to keep your attention while educating you on a topic otherwise presented in a rather dull and/or superficial way.

Again, it might be because the panel is almost exclusively entertainers. With a topic like this, there could have been ways to educate. Get a lawyer to explain why there's a statute of limitation on a crime such as rape, get a psychologist or a rape crisis worker to talk about the effects these crimes have on their victims, get a sociologist to talk about the way society reacts to celebrities being accused of crime.

Granted, Real Time doesn't always have on-topic experts on its panel, but they have mostly journalists, politicians and public officials.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think the essence of the show almost needs a full hour. The time for the single segment they get for the actual panel isn't enough to get the conversation going. The first segment dedicated to Wilmore's monologue, which has been good, and the third segment to the more-or-less pointless "100% Game." The discussion segment isn't long enough for a real discussion to occur or gain traction. Show should probably be an hour long to allow for more of a discussion to occur or the third segment simply just be more of that discussion rather than the 100% game.

 

[Mr Light]

In the near future I think I might just watch the first segment only...

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I've enjoyed the show a great deal so far.

I like that they've made an effort to keep very different formats between TDS, TCR, and TNS, which, as mentioned, has a little bit of a Real Time panel element to it, along with Byron Allen's late night panel show with four comedians shooting the breeze.

I think Wilmore is likeable and funny as a host, and willing to go places a lot of people wouldn't. Which is why I enjoy the "Keep it 100" segment so much. It's hilarious watching people peer pressured into being brutally honest on camera, and occasionally even winds up giving some good insights in the process.

Colbert is a tough act to follow, so I like that Wilmore is not even trying to, but instead going his own way. I'm also glad he seems to not be comfortable with the sycophant-ish "Larry, Larry, Larry!" cries from the audience that dominated the opening of Colbert's show (it made sense with Colbert's persona though), and hopefully that won't be as crazy and lengthy in the future.

 

[shivkala]

I tuned in to the first episode of The Colbert Report and didn't find it to my liking. Years later, I started watching again and realized that it was, in fact, a great show.

I'm not making that mistake with The Nightly Show. I liked the Cosby episode better than the first one. I haven't seen last night's episode yet.

I can't decide whether or not "Keepin' it 100" is great or will quickly become annoying. I feel it should be a recurring segment, used sparingly, instead of a nightly thing. Both Stewart and Colbert have/had some great segments that benefited from not being over-done.

 

[Trekker4747]

I've enjoyed the show a great deal so far.

I like that they've made an effort to keep very different formats between TDS, TCR, and TNS, which, as mentioned, has a little bit of a Real Time panel element to it, along with Byron Allen's late night panel show with four comedians shooting the breeze.

I think Wilmore is likeable and funny as a host, and willing to go places a lot of people wouldn't. Which is why I enjoy the "Keep it 100" segment so much. It's hilarious watching people peer pressured into being brutally honest on camera, and occasionally even winds up giving some good insights in the process.

Colbert is a tough act to follow, so I like that Wilmore is not even trying to, but instead going his own way. I'm also glad he seems to not be comfortable with the sycophant-ish "Larry, Larry, Larry!" cries from the audience that dominated the opening of Colbert's show (it made sense with Colbert's persona though), and hopefully that won't be as crazy and lengthy in the future.

Yeah, I like your take on the "Keep it 100" thing but, at the same time, I'd like to see more time devoted to the talk with the panel over the day's issue.

I've argued for a long time that The Daily Show may benefit from an hour-long format, but I can understand the arguments against that. But here, it seems like TNS needs it much more in order to get much more of a discussion going with the panelists. Like I said above, it seems like the conversation just gets going as they have to cut for the final commercial break.

I liked Wilmore's segments on TDS and have liked him so far as the host here with a good opening monologue and all, I also like his humility -as you pointed out- when greeting his audience. Good as he is, I don't think he's earned the name-chanting yet.

But, honestly, I never really thought Colbert deserved it either and was part of the problems I had with TCR, it was just a bit too full of itself. (And not in the ironic, self-aware, way the show was intended to be.) I mean, if Jon Stewart after all of this time hasn't earned his name chanted at the start of his show, why has Wilmore earned it? Especially since he's not "playing a character" here like Colbert was and is more playing it straight (or "Real", if you prefer) like Jon does.

I may stick with the show for now but only in a "keep one episode at a time on the DVR" sort of way. If I miss an episode, meh.

I am interested to see how Colbert does when he debuts his Late Show in the fall, mostly because I'm interesting to see Colbert do it by "playing it straight" rather than as a character like he did on TCR and when he was a correspondent on TDS.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I think the TDS, TCR, and TNS staff prefer the snappier half hour format and not having to fill an hour's (well, 42 minute's) worth of material on a daily basis, which would end up with a lot of filler and probably a drop in quality. They could just have the panel last longer, but then the Real Time comparisons would probably become more obvious.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

@Trekker4747

I can't imagine trying to watch every episode of a show that airs 168 a year anyway. I loved Colbert and I didn't care if I missed an episode.

I agree Wilmore is immediately natural in the role. And I like 'Keep it 100.' Name chanting is just part of the territory. You don't earn it, you script it when your show calls for it.

My issue with the panels is, if they always last two full segments the show won't have the variety of Stewart or Colbert. Early on they have the benefit of being new. There is a huge untapped list of interesting relevant topics they have not already covered. A month or so later, this won't be the case. They'll either need to reach more or repeat themselves. And what if they get a weak panel? Can a weak panel keep a redundant topic interesting in a format that isn't given to joke telling and riffing? And what happens when it's no longer novel to see a guy pelted with tea bags for not admitting to racist thoughts?

If this show is going to run four times a week for years, it needs to prove it can adapt, the same way Colbert stopped using the on notice board when it got redundant.

I think Colbert has the perfect skill set for the Late Show. He's quick as a whip interacting with guests and knows how to draw them out while also keeping the chat entertaining. I'm only worried the writing will be lame. David Letterman was edgy before he got the Late Show. Colbert will do great, but the jokes probably won't be funny to people such as us.

 

[Trekker4747]

I can't imagine trying to watch every episode of a show that airs 168 a year anyway. I loved Colbert and I didn't care if I missed an episode.

I dunno, I watch every episode of The Daily Show.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Really liking this show. Wilmore has being doing a great job, IMO, almost playing the part of the anti-Colbert. He's super-chill but can be over the top at the right moments and I do enjoy the "Keepin' it 100".

It's a minor and subtle thing, but I really enjoy the back-set animations. While clearly designed to be not at all that noticeable, and in contrast with Colbert's explosively gaudy red, white & blue patriotic motif of sensory overload, the main upside-down map in the background seems designed to resonate against some kind of established subconscious grain. So, too, are the three other smaller globes located above the main map, all rotating on axes that in no way match reality. Again, I think they're designed to possibly make us subconsciously uncomfortable with established norms - and likely to surreptitiously affect the studio audience who can clearly see them, as opposed to a TV audience where they're almost always clipped off-camera. Very refreshing, imaginative and clever, IMO. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Every other time I've seen an upside down map it's been in the context of somebody saying "We put our hemisphere on top because we consider it more important".