User:Spinixster/test

Late Night with Seth Meyers is an American late-night talk show hosted by Seth Meyers, which premiered on February 24, 2014. Produced by Broadway Video, Universal Television and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions, the show is the fourth iteration of NBC's long-running Late Night franchise. The show is primarily filmed at Studio 8G, which is part of the NBC television studio complex at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and its house band is The 8G Band, led by Fred Armisen.

Meyers was named the new host of Late Night after former host Jimmy Fallon was named the new host of The Tonight Show on the same network in 2013. Having previously been a head writer on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) and anchor of its satirical news segment Weekend Update, Meyers initially planned for the show to maintain the traditional talk show format with the addition of recurring characters. However, since 2015, the show’s format has evolved, with the host opting to deliver monologues while seated behind a desk, as opposed to the traditional standing method. The show began leaning towards a more political standpoint as the 2016 United States elections' date approached, leading to the "A Closer Look" segments covering newsworthy topics becoming a staple of the show. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the show adopted a looser format featuring inside jokes and interactions with crew members, and the host began dressing more casually.

This part of the lede is not finished; don't look at it. The first year of Meyers's Late Night iteration received varied reviews, with critics commenting on its low-beat energy and the host's timid approach. The following years, particularly changes to the format, were more positively received, with some considering the show the successor to Jon Stewart's original tenure at The Daily Show. Late Night with Seth Meyers has been nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, including 3 for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.

Transition from Jimmy Fallon (2013–2014)
In April 2013, it was revealed that Jimmy Fallon would take over as host of The Tonight Show, a long-running late-night talk show on NBC, replacing Jay Leno. As Fallon was hosting Late Night, another long-running late-night talk show on the same network, it led to speculation about who would succeed him, with some pointing to sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) head writer and its satirical news segment Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers as a potential candidate. Although Meyers had no intention of pursuing a career as a late-night host at that time, he was contacted by producer Lorne Michaels after a New York Post article claimed he was a contender to replace Fallon, and the producer expressed support for him to host the show. On May 12, it was officially announced that Meyers would be leaving SNL to take over for Fallon, which happened in February of the following year.

To prepare for his debut, Meyers consulted with other hosts for advice and conducted test shows. Despite initially stating in late 2013 that Late Night would not have a house band, Meyers later reversed the decision and announced via Twitter the following year that the band would be led by fellow SNL alumni Fred Armisen. Meyers disclosed that while he was not looking to change the existing late-night talk show format, he would like to have recurring characters and address politics and current events on his show, much like Weekend Update. Hence, he hired multiple writers with backgrounds in improvisational comedy, such as John Lutz, Conner O'Malley, and Amber Ruffin. The host also wished to seek to book more low-profile and interesting figures for guests, as Fallon's Tonight Show was more prevalent.

The show debuted on February 24, 2014, with guests Amy Poehler, Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, and musical guest A Great Big World. Before the debut, several late-night hosts and personalities wished the host well on Twitter.

Format changes and shift to politics (2015–2020)
In August 2015, Meyers began doing his monologue sitting behind his desk with graphics to support his jokes instead of the traditional method of standing up. Meyers had considered the sit-down format since Late Nights debut, but he was reluctant to implement it in an effort to distinguish the show from his former position at Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update. He eventually made the change upon realizing that Weekend Updates format was his strong suit and would help set him apart from Fallon's Tonight Show monologue. The format was intended for a short test run before television's fall season, which Meyers described as "a time when we could experiment and try new things", but afterwards, the change became permanent. Melissa Martinelli of Slate felt that the change was welcoming and favorably compared the new format to Weekend Update, while Jesse David Fox of Vulture thought it resembled The Daily Shows. At the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in 2016, NBC announced its renewal of Meyers's contract to remain as host until February 2021.

Late Night gradually increased its focus on politics, especially as the 2016 United States elections' date approached. The show's "A Closer Look" segments covering newsworthy topics, which originally only aired roughly once per month, became more frequent. Meyers also interviewed more political figures, such as presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, and Bernie Sanders. While the Late Night franchise was not well known for its usage of topical humor, David Sims of The Atlantic commented that the host's pivot into longer political segments was clever given that the segments could easily circulate online.

The show also boosted its reporting on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. After Trump revoked The Washington Posts press credentials to cover his presidential campaign, Meyers mockingly announced in June 2016 that he would be banning Trump from Late Night for "as long as the Washington Post is banned". Trump responded by mocking the show, claiming that he "only like[s] doing shows with good ratings", although Tony Maglio of TheWrap amended that Late Nights ratings were decent for its time slot. James Warren, chief media writer for the Poynter Institute, criticized the block, suggesting that Meyers take freedom of speech into consideration. Nico Lang of Salon.com instead proposed that Meyers should confront Trump directly in an interview instead of banning him. The host reaffirmed his stance in the following days and lifted the ban in September after the Republican nominee did the same to reporters.

Following Trump's win in the 2016 United States presidential election, Late Night became known for its continued coverage of the president's administration. The show held interviews with high-profile individuals, such as Senior Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway and television personality Meghan McCain. The continuation of the "A Closer Look" segments led it to become the show's staple and amass a significant online following. The recurring segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell", featuring writers Amber Ruffin and Jenny Hagel, also received praise for highlighting diversity.

COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021)
In March 2020, Late Night announced that it would continue production without a studio audience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to a state of emergency being declared in New York on March 7, numerous shows, including Late Night, were reported to be suspending production starting March 16. Due to guests canceling their appearances on the preceding Thursday, the show did not air a new episode; instead, a pre-recorded "A Closer Look" was released online. The following Monday, the show began releasing "A Closer Look" segments filmed from Meyers's home on its YouTube channel. On March 30, Late Night began airing new episodes interlaced with previously broadcast content, which Meyers continues to host remotely.

The virtual shows initially took place in the upstairs hallway of the host's residence before moving to his neighbor's garage, which featured a bookcase, a day later. One of the books on the bookcase, an early copy of The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, interested many online viewers. This led Meyers to display the book upon moving the filming location to his attic in early April. The continued attention to The Thorn Birds started a gag that included multiplying copies or modifying the book's title. The bit paused in early June, when the book was replaced with novels by black authors in solidarity with the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd, before continuing around the end of the month. Other books have also appeared with The Thorn Birds, such as All the President's Men, A Clockwork Orange and White Teeth. According to professor Jennifer Burek Pierce of the University of Iowa, the use of books in the episodes transformed "from offbeat background décor to comedic content to social commentary", noting that the title changes reflected current events. She also compared viewers' interest in the book to the Colbert Bump phenomenon, which describes how subjects that were mentioned or appeared on The Colbert Report experienced an increase in popularity. Other inside jokes were created, such as ones about the closet and the attic's wasp infestation.

The show was later filmed at Meyers's in-laws' home, dubbed "The Captain's Quarters", during which a painting of a sea captain was featured. This led to another running gag where the painting (voiced by Will Forte) began talking and eventually became the host's sidekick. Other objects followed suit, such as a wooden duck, a metal mermaid, and a lobster claw, each with its own storyline. The bit received mixed responses, although Melanie McFarland of Salon.com believed that the bit was an allegory for the pandemic's madness.

Late Night went on hiatus on August 21 to prepare for its return to the studio, which happened on September 8 without a live audience. The show continued with a more relaxed format, similar to the one adopted during the at-home shows. It featured more of its crew members, including writers and cue card handler Wally Feresten, inside jokes, and improvised bits. Meyers also chose to maintain casual attire, believing that viewers would also be dressed informally when the show airs and that wearing suits did not fit him. The weekly digital-exclusive segment "Corrections" was introduced in March 2021, where the host responds to YouTube comments that point out mistakes made during the show. In February, NBC announced that it had renewed Meyers's contract as host of Late Night until 2025 and signed an overall deal with his production company, Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions. On September 22, Late Night participated in "Climate Night", an event created by television producer Steve Bodow to raise awareness about climate change.

The host has described the show during the pandemic as the most authentic rendition of it and considered it the reason why he felt the show became better. He also remarked that having no audience has allowed him to experiment with new forms of comedy.

Return of studio audiences (2021–present)
In October 2021, Late Night reintroduced studio audiences, making it one of the last late-night talk shows to do so.

Production was halted for one week, starting January 5, 2022, due to Meyers contracting COVID-19. The host filmed from home for the following week before returning to the studio. The show was briefly paused again in late July due to the same reason. Late Night received its first Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Variety Talk Series in August.

Production for many shows that employed members of the Writers Guild of America, including Late Night, was immediately halted when the guild went on strike on March 3, 2023. Prior to the strike, Meyers voiced his support for the writers on the "Corrections" segment, stating that their demands were "not unreasonable". It was reported that Meyers paid his out-of-work staff during the strike  and continued to do so with other late-night hosts via proceeds from the Strike Force Five limited podcast. The show resumed with a half-hour "A Closer Look" segment after the strike ended in early October. Late Night aired its 10th anniversary episode on February 27, 2024, with the same guests as its first episode. NBC renewed Meyers's contract to host the show until 2028 in May. Close sources indicated in June that by the end of Late Night eleventh season, the show would be overhauled, including the removal of the 8G Band playing live on the show.

this section is a bit short huh   oral history

Production
for the taping time:

maybe usable?

Studio and set design
Late Night with Seth Meyers is situated at Studio 8G, which is part of the NBC television studio complex at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The studio is located next to Studio 8H, which houses Saturday Night Live, and directly above Studio 6B, where The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is filmed.

Meyers tasked the design firm Ashe + Leandro with designing the set as well as the offstage areas. With a seating capacity of 183 people, the set's architecture was described as Art Deco; the designers stated that the goal was to make the set feel "comfortable but special". Due to the renovation of Studio 6B, the construction of the set was delayed. After the show's debut, changes were made to the host's desk due to the issue of his feet being visible. Subsequently, the rest of the set received a redesign by longtime SNL set designer Eugene Lee in September 2014. Items are displayed on Meyers's desk, such as National Football League-themed pencils, a coffee mug from one of NBC's affiliate stations, and a nesting doll of the Weekend Update character Stefon.

The 8G Band
edit at User:Spinixster/draft too

Named after the show's studio, The 8G Band is the house band for Late Night with Seth Meyers. Led by SNL alumni Fred Armisen, the band's initial lineup includes bassist Syd Butler, guitarist Seth Jabour, keyboardist Eli Janney and drummer Kimberly Thompson. Armisen also wrote the show's punk-inspired theme song.

reception

A Closer Look
Originally debuting in 2015 as a shorter segment with a format similar to The Daily Show, A Closer Look is often considered the signature segment of Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Journalist Richard Zoglin described the tone of Meyers's analyses as "laid-back".

uploaded online before air:

first segment date

Day Drinking
Rihanna

Other segments
idk?

amber

game of jones

now where do i put fred

Sketches
not a common thing, but could maybe be included?

Interviews
I should really consider splitting some of these to different pages.

drop some of these references maybe



Live episodes
live episodes info here

Audience viewership
The first episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers drew in 3.4 million viewers, with an average 1.4 rating among the key demographic of adults aged 18 to 49—the highest ratings for the franchise since 2005. Several months into its run, the show averaged 1.5 million viewers nightly, which was slightly down from Fallon's final average as host. It remained at the same average one year later, in July 2015.

more info needed here, don't be a dummy

youtube?

Debut year
On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Late Night with Seth Meyers holds an approval rating of 71% with an average rating of 6.8/10, based on 21 reviews. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 61 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Eric Deggans of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast praised the first episode and its edge over previous Late Night debuts, and some critics viewed Meyers as innocuous and composed as the host. Robert Blanco of USA Today remarked that the episode was "pretty much fault-free", and David Hinckley of the New York Daily News thought the host "got the 'talk' part down cold, almost like he'd been talking all his life". Robert Lloyd, a television critic for the Los Angeles Times, wrote that Meyers's background in improvisational comedy had already made him beyond competent for the job.

While some critics found the first episode of the show to be more quaint than other late-night talk shows,  comparing it to Fallon's first episode of The Tonight Show specifically,   others believed that the host was more committed to the traditional format. David Sims of The A.V. Club expressed concern over the format, especially with competition from other shows and the Internet. According to Ross Miller of The Verge, comparisons to other shows would be unavoidable, while Darren Frenich of Entertainment Weekly theorized that Meyers would be "proudly analog in late night’s digital era". Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly opined that Late Night felt more eurhythmic and realistic than "a nightly petri dish" for trending videos.

Miller thought that Meyers was too prudent in his debut, while Sims stated that the show needed "a little fearlessness". Hank Stuever of The Washington Post and Willa Paskins of Slate echoed this sentiment, adding that the premiere was dull and flimsy. Miller believed Meyers needed to "learn to loosen up" to appeal to the crowd, while Paskins suggested that the host needed to make a distinction from others. Margaret Lyons of Vulture attributed Meyers's inability to express himself in the debut episode to his recent departure from Weekend Update and suggested that he would need time to find his footing.

Seven months after Late Nights debut, Antonia Cereijido, an associate producer of NPR's Latino USA program, viewed Meyers's excessively affectionate demeanor as a weakness and expressed preference towards his more lively side. In his one-year anniversary review of Late Night, Mike Ryan from Uproxx suggested that the show felt constrained due to its overreliance on "safe" segments, despite its attempts at implementing more idiosyncratic humor. Ryan also noted that Meyers's lack of initial struggles, unlike former Late Night hosts, may have contributed to the show being held to a higher standard.

Post-debut years
journalism actually it's not journalism (this was in fact Reliable Sources transcript ) also see

Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times called Meyers "one of late night's most outspoken Trump adversaries".

COVID-19 pandemic or something idk
Mike Ryan of Uproxx described the no-audience episodes as "a Late Night finally firing on all cylinders".

another

Despite potentially alienating certain viewers with its comedy style during the at-home shows, Michael Louis Moser, a scientific associate at TU Dresden, commented that the show remained committed to delivering absurdist inside jokes that were relatable to its regular audience.

idk

Legacy
Oh my god it's a legacy section?! Or something, I haven't decided.

Podcast
A podcast accompanying the show, called the Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast, was launched on December 12, 2016.

summer fridays