@Midnight - General Discussion

[zxy556575]

3 hours ago, trow125 said:

I guess now that Doug Benson is getting his own show at midnight, @Midnight is going to be permanently in the 11:30 slot. Hopefully that means Doug will be a less-frequent presence on @M.

Gawd. Let me guess -- some kind of stoner show.

I hope that doesn't mean Chris will feel obliged to say "welcome to @midnight at 11:30" every episode.

Edited January 4, 2017 by lordonia

[trow125]

Doug Benson's show is called "The High Court." It's set to premiere next month.

[attica]

If I could spend 2017 listening to Ron Funches giggle every day, it might not be the seared hellscape that I currently fear.

[iMonrey]

The sad thing is, Doug Benson actually says some funny stuff from time to time. I used to listen to his material on Comedy Radio and thought he was pretty funny. It's just that - and I hate to say it - his visage sort of repulses me. He just looks like he has smoked way too much weed. That's really not cool. It's no cooler than someone who drinks way too much. It'll take a toll on you. 

Thumbs up on Ron Funches' haircut.

[ABay]

With Doug, I wonder if it's the weed or the Doritos addiction that is often associated with it. Or so I've been told.

Edited January 5, 2017 by ABay
do not drink and post

[trow125]

My husband and I happened to watch Wednesday and Thursday's shows one right after the other, and were commenting on Chris's clean-shaven appearance on Wed. and his facial hair on Thurs. Then I happened to notice that Chris was co-hosting "Live with Kelly" (taped in N.Y.) three days this week. I'm guessing that they taped all of this week's shows well in advance, to give Chris the opportunity to do the "Live" gig and promote his OTHER game show, "The Wall." That would also explain why there weren't really any topical segments.

[possibilities]

I like Chris, but his hair always looks like it's trying too hard.

Also, I hate every single "guest" act third (fourth?) wheel they've had on, and I don't understand how they manage to always get someone obnoxious and annoying and unfunny.

Maybe I'm just getting ready to ditch the show. I dunno.

[ottoDbusdriver]

5 hours ago, trow125 said:

My husband and I happened to watch Wednesday and Thursday's shows one right after the other, and were commenting on Chris's clean-shaven appearance on Wed. and his facial hair on Thurs. Then I happened to notice that Chris was co-hosting "Live with Kelly" (taped in N.Y.) three days this week. I'm guessing that they taped all of this week's shows well in advance, to give Chris the opportunity to do the "Live" gig and promote his OTHER game show, "The Wall." That would also explain why there weren't really any topical segments.

And that's going to be a problem going forward -- part of the appeal of @Midnight is that it is extremely topical.  I don't want them to make jokes about social media topics that were trending a week ago.  And with CH doing all this other stuff, @Midnight will get left behind.  He might as well start looking for a replacement now, someone who can commit to it's schedule.

I was bugged by the fact that they regularly seemed to tape Thursday's show back to back against the Wed. show on a regular basis, meaning that Thursday always missed stuff that happened that day. But taping whole weeks in advance just plain sucks.

[ganesh]

I thought the Price Is Right was a good idea, but it kind of dragged. 

[zxy556575]

1 hour ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

... part of the appeal of @Midnight is that it is extremely topical. I don't want them to make jokes about social media topics that were trending a week ago.

I'm coming from a point of being a little burned out on the show, but if the producers have been adding the (mostly unfunny) special skits and themes because they're concerned about being repetitive and one-note, I wouldn't mind if they changed to a weekly show. Or, you know, stopped being a show. 500 episodes was a pretty good run.

[trow125]

I think the show's going to stay where it is for a while, because Comedy Central obviously has no idea what else to do with the 11:30 time slot. Larry Wilmore's show didn't work out (ratings-wise, anyway), and I can't imagine Doug Benson's stoner Judge Judy act is going to be a big mainstream success.

I suspect Chris will find a way to do the show no matter what else he has going on, kind of the way Joel McHale stuck with "The Soup" throughout the run of "Community" and his film roles (until E! finally pulled the plug).

[attica]

4 hours ago, trow125 said:

I can't imagine Doug Benson's stoner Judge Judy act is going to be a big mainstream success.

I dunno; how many years has Tosh been sucking up airtime? (Yes, I intend that double entendre.)

[trow125]

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if an cable or satellite TV channel aimed specifically at stoners launched in the not too distant future. Maybe they'll poach "Doug Benson's High Court," and buy the rights to all the Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar movies. (I actually think Doug Benson is often pretty funny on "@Midnight," it's just that he is on there WAY too often for my tastes.)

[PatternRec]

On 1/7/2017 at 9:13 PM, trow125 said:

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if an cable or satellite TV channel aimed specifically at stoners launched in the not too distant future. 

The Taco Bell channel

[attica]

The Life in Pieces panel was a good one. Good jokes written for them, well delivered. 

[iMonrey]

Yes, this was definitely the best show they've done in months. I love all the actors who were on the panel. I watch Life In Pieces and it's a mediocre show with a stellar cast. Unfortunately they are all better than the show they are on. Betsy Brandt is never going to get another Breaking Bad, Dan Bakkedahl has a much better role on Veep and Thomas Sadoski has come down pretty far from HBO's "The Newsroom." But they were all hilarious here (probably because, as attica noted, their jokes were most likely written for them.) Good grief, that Angela Lansbury video was a real thing? {shudder.}

I watched part of "The Wall" last night, and let me just say . . .  Chris shouldn't quit his day job (or, night job?) for that show. It sucks.

Edited January 10, 2017 by iMonrey

[attica]

In a completely irrelevant aside, whenever I see an ad for LIP, the soundtrack in my head immediately clicks over to the Robert Palmer song "Life in Detail."  I know, I know, "Pieces" is not the same as "Detail." Tell that to my neurons.

[ABay]

Very good show but 1. Tommy was robbed--he had the best lines and delivery. 2. I've dislike Bakkedahl since The Daily Show and 3. Angela Lansbury can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. 

[iMonrey]

I never get tired of watching Flula. His facial expressions after giving an answer are like a puppy dog's who has just fetched the ball and thinks it's done something incredibly amazing.

[ABay]

Thank god for Flula, and Katie, because I've never seen a podium @moniker more apt than ifysnotfunny.

[ABay]

Neo Yatzi might be the best pun I've heard so far this year.

[attica]

I'm still giggling at the twitter submission "Every day I'm mugglin'".

[Dewey Decimate]

Why do we continue to be tortured by these soul-deadening, utterly unfunny walk-on "characters"? With how much I have to hear about CH's mother and now wife, I do wonder if these "actors" are all second cousins of his trying to break into the biz.

Ah, nm - if they were relatives, we'd already have heard about it fifteen times over. Only good thing is it gives me more to FF through.

[zxy556575]

I watched only long enough to notice that Chris looked cute in his sweater and glasses. Begone forever, loosely knotted skinny tie!

[attica]

Holy crap: the twitter submission "Shkreli Putty" (#Ruinatoy) is the best joke of the week. Nobody even close.

[trow125]

Thursday's episode was just a black hole of unfunniness. The only amusing thing was Chris's text from his wife asking him what pegging was. (I believe Dan Savage actually coined that term.)

[PatternRec]

The part where they bring on someone to do a bit is always unfunny. Now where's my "angry troll" emote.... 

[zxy556575]

1 hour ago, PatternRec said:

The part where they bring on someone to do a bit is always unfunny.

Unfunny and SO LONG! It's uncomfortable filler that takes the spotlight away from the panelists.

The show should have viewers participate in some of the live challenges in real time, submitting answers during the commercial break. Viewers are often just as funny in hashtag wars as the guests.

[xander874]

Quote

The show should have viewers participate in some of the live challenges in real time, submitting answers during the commercial break. 

I think Chris mentioned a week of live shows coming up so maybe they will add that. I usually enjoy the winning viewer hashtag each night, so I wouldn't mind more of those.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Viewers are often just as funny in hashtag wars as the guests.

Sometimes funnier. I only watched the Jeff Ross panel up until the first commercial break then switched channels. They all sucked.

I do, however, approve of Chris's glasses and slightly less furry face. Maybe something useful will come out of that God-awful show The Wall after all.

Edited January 27, 2017 by iMonrey

[ganesh]

I like when Rich Eisen is on because he and Hardwick is just an uncommon friendship.

[Dewey Decimate]

On 1/27/2017 at 6:26 AM, PatternRec said:

The part where they bring on someone to do a bit is always unfunny. Now where's my "angry troll" emote.... 

 

On 1/27/2017 at 7:43 AM, Lord Donia said:

Unfunny and SO LONG! It's uncomfortable filler that takes the spotlight away from the panelists.

The show should have viewers participate in some of the live challenges in real time, submitting answers during the commercial break. Viewers are often just as funny in hashtag wars as the guests.

Agreed, although I have to say the "Millenial" twerp's appearance in the most recent ep was absolutely hilarious. Not, of course, because of his painfully unfunny lines, but the panel's relentless harassment of him. "Hey, when is this guy leaving?" "when his parents come to pick him up" and "I feel like he should be wearing question marks on his suit and shouting at me" were some of my favorites. I don't know how these dinguses get on the show (are they actually actors? CH's cousins? writers who should stay off camera?), but I don't mind it as much if the panel roasts them to death. Thursday's group was especially great.

[attica]

"Nice to know there's somebody to take Chris's hand-me-down suits!"  Hehehe.

[ganesh]

I think they said that the kid had a popular youtube channel. 

[ABay]

He looked familiar to me but I can't place him. Definitely not from YouTube, though, because I don't subscribe to anything there.

Edited January 29, 2017 by ABay

[Iseut]

Hubby and I laughed til we cried at Sasso's "Full-blown eggs." Short, sweet, totally offensive, and hilarious.

[ganesh]

I know this is pedantic, but Hardwick was wrong about Doctor Who and the regenerations. With Ten regenerating twice, and the War Doctor, Eleven was actually the last regeneration, and he got a brand new set of regens on Trenzalore from the Time Lords. That was the whole point of 'Trenzalore' recurring. Eleven then regenerated into Twelve (Peter Capaldi). So the issue has been resolved for a few years now.  

I mean, I only watch the episodes once through and I knew that. 

Edited February 4, 2017 by ganesh

[PatternRec]

On 2/3/2017 at 11:11 PM, ganesh said:

I know this is pedantic, but Hardwick was wrong about Doctor Who and the regenerations. With Ten regenerating twice, and the War Doctor, Eleven was actually the last regeneration, and he got a brand new set of regens on Trenzalore from the Time Lords. That was the whole point of 'Trenzalore' recurring. Eleven then regenerated into Twelve (Peter Capaldi). So the issue has been resolved for a few years now.  

I mean, I only watch the episodes once through and I knew that. 

I don't doubt Chris's genuine love for Doctor Who and geek culture, but I can't imagine he has the time to watch stuff like he did when he was younger. 

[ganesh]

That wasn't that long ago though. And the regens is a primary plot point. It's not really deep dive level knowledge. 

[PatternRec]

On 2/5/2017 at 9:55 AM, ganesh said:

That wasn't that long ago though. And the regens is a primary plot point. It's not really deep dive level knowledge. 

Well someone fucked up and Chris didn't notice, whatever the reason. 

[ganesh]

I just like knocking him down a peg once and a while. He's not nearly the king of all geek culture that he presents himself as. It's not like I'm a rabid Who fan either.

[PatternRec]

49 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I just like knocking him down a peg once and a while. He's not nearly the king of all geek culture that he presents himself as. It's not like I'm a rabid Who fan either.

Well we're on the same page there. My point about him not having the time to watch like he did before was meant to point out that his "embracing" of the Doctor Who knowledge is disingenuous at this point in his life. 

[biakbiak]

Passionate nerdy fans often misspeak particularly in a one sentence not meant to discuss the actual show bit just a nerdy explanation for non fans that was designed to be cut off.

[ganesh]

Again, my point was that this isn't esoteric knowledge. The Doctor got a new set of regens 2 years ago. There's no reason to even bring it up since it's not an issue. And I've only seen the episodes once and I know that. 

[attica]

I liked Alan Tudyk's impression of Funches. "Oh, no, not in my house!" (My first exposure to AT was his turn as the tripping-balls brother in law in the brit version of Death at a Funeral.)

Last night's panel was pretty good. I am unfamiliar with all of them, but their jokes were all really well-written. And well-delivered. "The Walkabout Dead" is pretty solid, imo.

[ganesh]

And then he beat Funches!

[attica]

You know, seeing that Bam-on-vacay footage made me wanna go there, wait at the end of Branson's driveway in a trenchcoat, and hoist a boombox playing Peter Gabriel over my head. 

[iMonrey]

I was waiting for someone to make a joke about whether or not Obama would be let back into the U.S., since he's a Muslim and all.

Paul Feig has certainly come a long way since he played Mr. Poole in the first season of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He definitely had the best lines of the night, with calling Grandpa Munster "Mr. Bannon," and saying Melania Trump is waiting for Liam Neeson to come rescue her. LOL. 

Edited February 9, 2017 by iMonrey

[ABay]

Last  night was really subpar. 

[possibilities]

I actually couldn't shake the feeling that Hardwick was seriously depressed and trying unsuccessfully to cover it. I hope I'm wrong.