Other TV shows I’ve watched lately
This is the talk/late show edition of this list. These are some shows that I haven’t necessarily seen full episodes of, but I’ve seen lots of clips from. The previous iteration of this list is here.
The Amber Ruffin Show
Amber Ruffin, who also works on Late Night with Seth Meyers, gives her unique perspective on the week’s events. Not only is she screamingly funny, but she is also a black woman. Is it important to get that perspective? Once you watch some of her segments you will realize that yes, it is. For example, in her segment “How did we get here?” she explains the history behind some current situation, and it often has to do with racism.
She does a combination of funny and serious that’s similar to John Oliver. Her sidekick, Tarik Davis, is also funny and charming. They do some sketches and songs that are glorious, occasionally bringing in other people to assist — sometimes pretending that they just wandered in off the street.
The Drew Barrymore Show
Drew Barrymore was a child actor (E.T.) who famously had a period of difficult years and then became a terrific adult actor (50 First Dates) and director (Whip It). She is also very genuine, and this gives her talk show a unique feel as you can tell that she cares about talking with each of her guests — whether they’re in her studio or not. She revealed in her first episode some new technology — where it seemed as though Cameron Diaz was there with her but really she was somewhere else in front of a green screen.
She talks to many of her costars from movies such as Lucy Liu, Hugh Grant, Chris O’Donnell, and Andie MacDowell. She also chats with such fascinating people as Steven Spielberg, Paris Hilton, and her ex-husband Tom Green. I’ve mostly watched interview segments, although she also has other segments where she talks about the news, plays games, and generally has a good time. Her dogs often accompany her on the set.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy Kimmel was the sidekick on the excellent game show Win Ben Stein’s Money. On his late show, he often shows how stupid average people passing by the studio on the street are by asking them very simple questions. My sense of humour might not match Kimmel’s exactly, but he is a funny guy. He was certainly on board with making fun of 45, as he so richly deserved.
I typically only watch his monologue, but have watched other segments. As with other late night hosts, he gets to interview fascinating people. Once in a while he will mention his feud with Matt Damon, but I’m fairly sure this is a ruse. He’s also not afraid to get in a real feud with people he doesn’t like. Guillermo Rodriguez, Kimmel’s sidekick, used to be a security guard, and is always game for whatever inanities Kimmel has in mind.
The Late Late Show with James Corden
You really get the sense that James Corden cares about the people in the band and the writers and producers who have formed the only audience he has in the studio during the pandemic. I’ve previously mentioned his glorious segment “Carpool Karaoke.” He also occasionally does a bit with an actor who’s had a long career, and they relive a bunch of their hits — like Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and Arnold Schwartzenegger.
The bandleader Reggie Watts is pretty funny, and he will have a bizarre answer for any question Corden asks him. Corden interviews his guests at the same time, which is nice for a change. He sometimes asks his audience a specific question from the current show in a segment he calls “Were you paying attention?”
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers used to be on Saturday Night Live, and transitioned very successfully to his own talk show. He does a monologue, which can be very funny. In “A Closer Look” he does an in-depth look at current US politics. These days, he’s inevitably demonstrating how inconceivably terrible the Republican party is. Another regular segment, which is always funny, is “Amber Says What.” Amber Ruffin (see above) is one of the writers on the show and she gives her reaction to the news by saying “what” with a different inflection for each item.
Meyers seems to have a great relationship with his writers and camera people. Sometimes he’ll have “One of My Writers Explains a Joke” if a joke doesn’t go over well and needs to be explained. In “What Does Karen Know?” Seth finds out if millennial writer Karen Chee knows about things us old folks know. I will occasionally watch his interviews, as he of course interviews lots of interesting people.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Like Corden, Jimmy Fallon used to be on Saturday Night Live. He’s good at doing a monologue, and his sidekick Steve Higgins is hilarious. In “Thank You Notes” Fallon pretends to write this thank you notes for the week — they can be very funny. “Tonight Show Hashtags” is a funny bit contributed to by people at home.
Fallon is also a great singer, and often sings with his guests. He also likes to do silly things with his guests, whenever they’re game for it — like beer pong or box of lies. With guests of a musical nature, he’ll play a game of musical impressions or lip sync battle. He will play Pictionary or Password with guests, and bring on another surprise guest or two to fill out the team.