By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, January 8, 2016
In what has become a crowded and cluttered late-night talk show scene, Atlanta-based TBS is hoping former "Daily Show" correspondent Samantha Bee will bring the network a truly unique voice.
For several months, TBS promotions for "Full Frontal" have mocked the male-heavy genre and the fact she isn't a dude. The half-hour comedy program - shot in New York - debuts on TBS at 10:30 p.m. Monday, January 8, as a lead-in to "Conan."
Bee joked with the New York Times last month, as ambassador for her gender: “I think I get immunity from prosecution. I can murder someone!” (I requested an interview too late. My bad!)
She will attempt to avoid the "obvious" topics contemporaries such as Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah may attack. And she has a diverse writing room, split 50/50 men and women with two blacks and six whites.
Melissa Chambliss, vice president of marketing for TBS and TNT and an Atlanta native, said for months, the network has been working multiple platforms to build awareness of her show. Besides ads during the debates on sister station CNN and traditional billboard advertising, they inserted ads at movie theaters before the new "Star Wars" films and populated the YouTube page with video teasers.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"It's hard in today's new media landscape," Chambliss said. "That's what you have to do. The world is so cluttered, you have to start early and get out early."
As the longest running "Daily Show" correspondent from 2003 to 2015, Bee built up an impressive resume of bits using her dry, sarcastic wit, be it mocking John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin, the military's stance on women and loving on Fox News' "The Five" in a tour de force one-woman performance act.
As a native Long Islander, I found this field piece especially tickled my fancy:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive
Already, she has been populating her YouTube page with previews such as a teaser to a piece on the VA:
Chambliss understands that late night talk show viewership is often dwarfed by viewership of clips on YouTube. So when the show is on (10:30 p.m. by the way) doesn't matter as much as it used to in this on-demand world.
"It's less a time period, more of a genre," she said. "We have content with Sam and Conan together. It's fantastic. Very funny content. I think pairing them together makes complete sense."
Nowadays, "success" on TV is not just overnight ratings. It's social engagement. It's the hope that the clips might get folks to watch the show in a traditional manner as well.
"We'll save the most special content for the show itself," Chambliss said. "A lot of people consume these shows digitally and socially." And since her show is weekly, she will also include extra stuff on social platforms if something newsworthy happens.
TV PREVIEW
"Full Frontal With Samantha Bee," 10:30 p.m. Mondays, TBS, starting February 8
About the Author
