Ladies of the Night: Women and the Future of Late Night
California is known for its quakes, and today the television tectonic power shift sent tremors across the country. Conan released a statement regarding NBC's offer to move him to 12.05 a.m. in order to accomodate sliding Jay Leno back into his 11.30 p.m. digs.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/12/conan.obrien/index.html
That tastefully written release essentially stated to NBC: "Bitch, please!" And now, the suits and viewers wait while Leno tries to scrape the poo off his primetime loafers; writers scramble to come up with a monologue for both hosts without saying "Bitch, please!"; Jimmy Fallon works out his new bit about dog farting the 1812 Overture; and Conan hunkers down in his bunker of stolen office supplies and Triumph the Insult Dog stuffed animals to plot his next move.
The merits, likes/dislikes, or even comic proclivities of each player (Jay and Conan) aside, the recent reshuffling of NBC's nightime line-up throws new light on the terrain of late night in general: why it works, why it doesn't, why networks want it, and who gets to preside over that precious late night real estate. In answer to that last statement, for network television, the camera time belongs to men. Does this restructuring, as they say in the corporate realm, finally signal the beginning of the end of the tired old late night boys' club? Can I get some estrogen in here?
Another blogger on this site suggested that this was an opportunity ripe for possibilities, for the networks to make bold choices with content, format, and host. That blogger mentioned Ms. Winfrey as a potential candidate; sorry my friend, soccer moms are in bed by 7:00 p.m. But I couldn't agree more, and it does make you think.
Currently, Chelsea Handler resides over her own show, Chelsea Lately, on E! She dishes out celebrity and Hollywood vitriol with a panel of personalities as smoothly as the vermouth in her martinis. She also features guests and intersperses some of her programming with filmed sketches. Wanda Sykes, currently on Fox on Saturday nights with the Wanda Sykes Show, also has made forrays into the late night territory. Her show definitely feels a bit more work in progress in its style and approach, but funk band and Masterbating Bear aside, it offers up strongly written material and humorously thought-provoking commentary, delivered by Sykes who appears very condifent, at ease, and perfectly happy in her comedy skin. I would gladly watch Wanda tell it like it is at 10 p.m on NBC or CBS over Leno cluck and wander his way through material that makes him look like a kid out of comedy high school instead of the seasoned pro that he is.
I don't have an answer as to why women have not been able to break through the late night glass couch, or at least I don't have a good or satisfying answer, but the ridiculous antics of the corporate, network clowns tell me that women certainly couldn't do worse.
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Kerry Beyer
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Comments
NBC has been in this position before and last time it cost them major market shares for late night viewing don't expect a big change. My prediction is Conan will force the issue and they will drop Leno. Leno is the past and Conan is the future. Once NBC drops Leno they can concentrate on a better 10 PM lead in that will solve the problem with the local affiliates who are loosing ad revenue on their local news programs. Then the late night time slot will settle back into the fight between Late Show, The tonight Show and the Daily Show. All others are considered fringe or niche markets not mainstream. Network is about mass marketing not specialty shows.
Rated.
The question becomes: which female comediennes would make good late night hosts? The aforementioned Wanda Sykes was the obvious choice, but she already has her own show on late night and is still working out the kinks of that.
The "prime" spot at 11:30 is probably best filled by a late night veteran. Unfortunately there aren't any women who fit that definition right now. While I share your desire to see more women in late night, it would make more sense for a woman comedienne to cut her teeth on one of the later shows (a la Jimmy Fallon, and even Conan himself) that follow the 11:30 shows. There the expectations are lower and the "OMG a woman in late night!" factor is considerably less. She can grow her audience and then make the move to a more prime slot.
The question becomes: which female comediennes would make good late night hosts? The aforementioned Wanda Sykes was the obvious choice, but she already has her own show on late night and is still working out the kinks of that.
The "prime" spot at 11:30 is probably best filled by a late night veteran. Unfortunately there aren't any women who fit that definition right now. While I share your desire to see more women in late night, it would make more sense for a woman comedienne to cut her teeth on one of the later shows (a la Jimmy Fallon, and even Conan himself) that follow the 11:30 shows. There the expectations are lower and the "OMG a woman in late night!" factor is considerably less. She can grow her audience and then make the move to a more prime slot.