Late-night television may not be ranked high on a Collegiette’s list of shows to watch, but there are some major changes happening to late night TV this month. While most of the hype surrounding late night involves Jimmy Fallon taking over Jay Leno’s spot on The Tonight Show (finally!), we shouldn’t forget about the new face of Late Night, Seth Meyers.
Meyers, previous head-writer on Saturday Night Live and anchor of “Weekend Update,” took over for Fallon on Monday, February 24 on NBC. Although similar to Fallon in many ways, both being SNL alums who previously manned the desk of “Weekend Update,” Meyers hopes to build on the format of past Late Night hosts but add a refreshing twist to distinguish himself from his predecessors.
Although it’s difficult to pin point the exact format of Late Night with Seth Meyers you should definitely consider tuning in for these 5 reasons…
1. Seth Meyers:
Well, duh! C’mon, he’s absolutely adorable.
But don’t forget he’s funny, too! Jimmy Fallon is praised for his musical impersonations and goofy personality, but Meyers brings a more intellectual sense of humor to the table. Meyers hopes to adopt a more personal interview style, aiming to bring the best out of his guests and detach himself from the almost–unwatchable desk-chat segments of most Late Night hosts, which include mostly routine, impersonal set-up questions.
2. New Guests:
Although Meyers does not have an A-list debut line-up like Fallon, he does have a killer first week planned out with guests like Amy Poehler, Kanye West and Vice President Joe Biden all making an appearance.
His first week lineup may not demonstrate it, but Meyers hopes to distinguish himself from Fallon’s typical guest type – which included a lot of celebrity guests, like musicians and actors. Meyers’ guests will most likely be more low-profile people, like authors and politicians, offering a relief from a continuous stream of A-list celebrity guests.
3. Fred Armisen as Band Leader:
Yes, I did say Fred Armisen. And yes, I am just as shocked as you are. You may know him from SNL or Portlandia, but Fred also dabbles a bit in the music world. A brave – and perhaps brilliant – choice, Meyers demonstrates he is not afraid to take some risks on his show. Meyers and Armisen share similar taste in music, specifically punk rock, which will most likely make for a unique musical supplement to the show.
But in all seriousness, Armisen’s pretty good. Check out this video of his drum battle with Questlove on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
4. More Sketches:
Yes, please! Drawing from his background on SNL, Meyers hopes to incorporate a lot more sketches into his show, even having members of the staff play recurring roles. This would be a new addition to the Late Night format, but an interesting one at that. This decision will help Meyers channel his previous SNL success, which resulted in the creation of many loveable – and memorable – characters like “city correspondent” Stefon, played by Bill Hader.
Rumor has it Stefon may even appear as a guest! Which is excellent considering the duo seems to have some chemistry.
5. Politics, Sports and Current Events:
Because who doesn’t love discussing controversial topics?
Meyers will be tackling subjects Late Night with Jimmy Fallon does not usually concentrate on. Fallon’s thing was singing, incorporating musical antics into his show, which usually resulted in an entertaining viral video or two. Meyers, however, hopes to bring a more journalistic feel to his show, which is only natural given his previous “Weekend Update” experience.
Meyers has a few significant changes in store for his turn on Late Night, but he promises he won’t try to push too many boundaries. The show will still kick off with an opening monologue, he’ll sit at a desk and chat with celebrity guests. However, the transformations that do occur are most definitely worth a watch.
Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.