, Deadline’s new weekly look at the business of jokes after dark. Each week, it will focus on the biggest topics in the world of late-night, the people who make these shows tick and the moments that go viral. Drop me a line at pwhite@deadline.com with any tips or suggestions. The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Late Show, Late Night and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The CBS show returned to the studio on August 11, having previously spent months filming in Corden’s garage. “That [segment] felt like the turning point for the COVID show in that it suddenly felt like we were back in our stride. This week has felt like we’ve got our show back,” The Late Late Show exec producer Ben Winston tells Deadline.
Showrunner Gavin Purcell laughs that he felt like a guinea pig being the first late-night show back. “We just wanted people to be able to get back to work. It was a little about trying to find some semblance of normalcy,” he tells Deadline. “It felt like it was time. I started to feel, and, I think this is the case for almost all production, [viewers] were starting to get sick of people at home.
“We built sets again, we’re using carpenters again, we’re using set designers again. It’s important that we’re using all of our crews, using their skills again and being creative. It’s not just about keeping everyone employed, it’s also about keeping everyone involved and stimulated,” he says. “It’s really different and it takes a lot longer.
No one cares about Colbert, Corden, Fallon, Kimmel, or Meyers. I honestly believe no one would notice if their shows just broadcast a traffic cam or a giraffe cam or anything else. Last time Late night TV was funny was Carson on Tonight and Not Ready for Prime Time gang on SNL.
It would be nice if they hire a BIPOC to host a late night show.....amerikkka
FallonTonight should have won. My new fav. Weaning myself off colbertlateshow