It was only a matter of time before Larry Wilmore’s “The Nightly Show” on Comedy Central got the axe.
Following that brutal appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner where Wilmore looked like a new comedian trying to get one laugh before he got the light, it seemed like it was just a countdown to Wilmore’s show being struck from the programming board.
Quite frankly I don’t know what Comedy Central was thinking giving Wilmore his own show in the first place. Yes, he’s smart and funny and a great writer, but that doesn’t convert to that on-camera gusto that is needed to develop, let alone compel and retain an audience. Especially an audience of 18-34 males. (Comedy Central’s main demographic).
Sure, Wilmore’s great. But he lacks pizazz and on-camera comes across as dull.
It seems like Comedy Central has been struggling to grab an audience in the variety talk show space since Jon Stewart took his exit.
According to Deadline Hollywood, now that Wilmore is gone, Comedy Central plans to fill the slot with @Midnight until they find a replacement.
That’s a Bad News–Great News Scenario
That’s great news, creatives! Think about it: what’s been missing since Jon Stewart left the Daily Show? The energy, the edge, the razor sharp and laser-quick wit and instincts of Stewart.
Sure Trevor Noah is funny and smart. But he doesn’t have that contemporary, modern high-five-me-at-bar type of gusto. Neither did Wilmore.
I think Comedy Central made a huge mistake allowing John Oliver and Samantha Bee to flee to HBO and TBS. Have you seen either of those shows? They have the edge and the energy that is totally missing at the Daily Show.
And I mean really? TBS? That’s like the ‘witness protection program’ of television; nobody knows they’re there!
Isn’t that right Conan?
If you haven’t seen these two shows, watch ’em. They’re filled with that attack-the-status-quo-energy that the Daily Show currently is missing since Stewart left. In my view the secret sauce comes from the contemporary and relatable analogies the hosts draw to the misgivings of the targets of their ridicule.
They’re not only entertaining us, they are informing us and increasing awareness.
That’s exactly the pattern that was used when Jon Stewart was at the helm.
I’ve got to tell you, that when stuff like this is happening in our industry, I get all charged up!
I mean sure, a show got canceled, but you gotta look at the bright side. The show wasn’t sustaining any numbers.
Where some people see failure, I see amazing opportunity!
I mean what a perfect time to self-produce a show that has that edge.
If I was new writer trying to break in, not only would I be writing and submitting packets every three to six months, I would be collaborating and self-producing a 5 min. edgy variety/talk show just like the Daily Show with the same type of enthusiasm and gusto that was ever-present at that show.
Why would you self-produce?
*Because with the technology we have today, it’s easy. You can download Wirecast (http://www.telestream.net/wirecast/) and produce a multi-cam show using your iPhones.
Want to do it cheaply get the FREE TRIAL of wirecast, then upgrade to eliminate the watermark for $9.99
Better yet, use Open Broadcast Software (http://obsproject.com/). It’s a little less user-friendly, but I’ve heard good things. One of the really good things I heard was that it is FREE! *
**(The asterisks indicate an update since the post was first published).**
The simpler, the better because you don’t want to get bogged down in the editing bay.
Better yet, rehearse a tight 5-minute, well written show and live stream it! Then develop an audience and a subscriber base, then you can create pressure on the the industry to the point where they have to take notice of you.
Think about it. If you develop a really strong following that’s watching you because you stream solid content on a daily or semi-daily basis, somebody in the industry will take notice.
You can put it up on Twitch.tv and build your fanbase. There are gamers on there right now with 30-thousand + subscribers. Subscribers who pay 5 bucks a month to be there.
Even if you have a rusty calculator in your head, it doesn’t take but a second to realize that that’s bank.
Who’s Gaming on That Platform?
Twitch.tv has over 100 million monthly users and they just added a comedy category on that platform. Can you say, “ground floor opportunity?”
Here’s the kicker… 75 percent of the users are male and 73 percent are ages 18-34; Hello? are you listening? That’s the exact demo Comedy Central is coveting!
That’s how you work outside the system to develop notoriety inside the system.
Besides, what an amazingly cool thing to do while you write and develop your Late Night TV packets for (in-system) submission.
You’re basically repurposing your writing, using it on your self-produced show while you’re still submitting it in your packet.
That’s just cool!
You want a quick show that’s well-written with cutting jokes and with a host that has a strong and dynamic identity; preferably with an edge of sarcasm or cynicism.
In other words, someone who’s not afraid to call ‘bullshit,’ and make it relatable and funny.
So if you don’t know how to write comedy in that fickle Late Night TV structure, then now’s the time to get those skills so you can begin to participate at a level that just 2 years ago was unheard of.
So get to work on your shows, creatives!
Comedy Central is dying to see it!
