By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, May 16, 2016
In last week's second episode of the new Netflix late-night talk show "Chelsea," comic Chelsea Handler did a mock TED talk describing how her show will be available three times a week, released all over the world simultaneously.
“For the first time in time,” she intoned on a stage, in classic TED talk fashion, “all time around the world is the same time.”
Indeed, the concept of watching traditional “late-night talk shows” late at night is now optional at best. Sure, some folks still consume them in real time, but plenty more do so on delay or in snippets off YouTube and Facebook.
Handler is simply the most extreme example now that she is on the ultimate “on-demand” platform of Netflix, having moved from her E! late-night talk show “Chelsea Lately.”
The talk show choices years ago were more along the lines of a Chick-fil-A in the past — variations of chicken. Now with Handler rejoining the scene, it’s more like a Golden Corral, a buffet of seemingly endless choices. If you wanted to watch all defined late-night talk shows every week, it would be a full-time job, consuming nearly 40 hours of your life.
Here’s a quick summary of your buffet options:
Jimmy Fallon ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. weekdays): He's your most mainstream option, the least offensive, most joyous everyman in the bunch. From Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell doing a lip sync battle to his "History of Rap" medleys with Justin Timberlake, he has mastered the art of viral video creation.
Jimmy Kimmel ("Jimmy Kimmel Live!," ABC, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. weekdays): Around since 2003 on ABC, Kimmel has established himself as the more obnoxious older brother to Fallon. His bits often have more bite, such as celebrity mean tweets and parents sending in prank videos on the subject "I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy."
Stephen Colbert ("The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," CBS, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. weekdays): Moving from his archly fake conservative talk show character on Comedy Central to CBS last fall has been an adjustment. He's still trying to find his way. CBS recently gave him a new producer to help him refine his "genuine" self.
James Corden ("The Late Late Show With James Corden," CBS, 12:35 a.m.-1:35 a.m. weekdays): Like a showoff puppy dog, he is so eager to please, he comes across as borderline annoying. But he — like Fallon — has a knack for viral videos, especially his "Carpool Karaoke" with acts such as Adele (103 million views on YouTube) and Justin Bieber (75 million).
Seth Meyers ("Late Night With Seth Meyers," NBC, 12:35 a.m.-1:35 a.m. weekdays): He brings his "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update sensibility to the show without an overload of gimmicks.
Conan O'Brien ("Conan," TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight Mondays-Thursdays): He's the most familiar face in late night, the (relative) elder statesman going back 23 years, mostly on NBC. The congenially awkward host often jokes about being invisible on TBS, and a recent Rolling Stone article about late-night hosts even omitted him. But his recent overseas specials to places like Cuba and South Korea highlight his impressive improv skills.
Trevor Noah ("The Daily Show," Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays): The South African native has been widely panned by critics for his toothless delivery on what was once Jon Stewart's trademark satirical show. At best, he comes off as pleasant, which is great for an Uber driver but not a talk show host meant to challenge political mores.
Larry Wilmore ("The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore," Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight Mondays-Thursdays): He is not a natural performer but has warmed up to his role, using the lens of race to hit hardest, and didn't hold back as keynote during the Washington Correspondents' Dinner last month.
Bill Maher ("Real Time With Bill Maher," HBO, 10-11 p.m. Fridays): Often forgotten in the din of late-night options, this edgy stand-up comic has been on air as long as O'Brien and continues to bring sharp commentary to the scene, recently urging Donald Trump to "stop whining like a little (rhymes with witch)."
John Oliver ("Last Week Tonight With John Oliver," HBO, 11-11:30 p.m. Sundays): The "Daily Show" vet brings bemused outrage to topics ranging from government surveillance to abortion in long-form segments impossible to do on programs requiring commercial breaks.
Samantha Bee ("Full Frontal With Samantha Bee," TBS, 10:30-11 p.m. Mondays): Arriving in February, the former "Daily Show" correspondent brings much-needed venom to the political satire world from a woman's perspective, recently hitting Georgia state Sen. Renee Unterman hard over rape kits and crisis pregnancy centers.
Handler (“Chelsea,” Netflix, 3:01 a.m. EST Wednesdays-Fridays): She has dropped the sidekick and pop culture gossip from her E! show in favor of a mishmash of jokes, videos and celebrity interviews that feels more evergreen than her rivals.
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