Late Night Talk Shows suspended

So the late night talk shows been suspended due to the coronavirus. At first, they were going to do them but without audiences. From what I understand, some of the hosts were freaked out about that. Stephen Colbert, who I like, was awful.  Vamping with flop sweat. 

Personally, I think it would have been a good thing for them to do. Talk show hosts use the studio audience as a crutch. They play to them, and not to me.

No audience means that Fallon and Colbert and Corden, etc. will have to look into the camera and address the viewer one on one. That’s a good skill to have. Because your job is really to be a communicator.

God forbid you can’t do a monologue. What about sharing a story or just talking to your viewers? To me, the only talk show hosts who connect directly with the audience (even with a studio audience) are John Oliver, and the undisputed master, Oprah. Carson, on occasion as well.

But talk show hosts these days tend to take on “personas” – exaggerations of themselves. They’re playing “characters.” So when they’re forced to be real they have a tough time.

And now they’ve dodged the bullet. Their shows have been suspended and they won’t have to suffer through that trial of trying to be interesting and entertaining without hoots and hollers from the crowd. Honestly, I don’t think they can.

from By Ken Levine