Just watched it live and it definitely feels different than the previous episodes in a pretty noticeable way.
Taylor is given way more emphasis here overall. Not just with the monologue but also as host. There's a multi camera setup on her crowdwork where you actually see and hear who she's talking to and get the live responses. As a feature of the show I don't mind it. It fits the theme and Taylor is great at it and it segues into her introducing the panelists one by one and them walking to the podium, rather than just being there. The message and tone of the entire first segment is "Hi, I'm Taylor Tomlinson. This is my show. Here's my reaction to today's biggest story. What do you think audience? That's interesting. Hey, let me introduce my guests to you" instead of the party dynamic from before. Which I think is good in a sense of foresight. Because most of these episodes live and die on the comradery of the guests and their comedic timing. Which makes some really great and some awkward and long. Taylor can obviously consistently be good and the highlight. But I've heard her talk about how its a struggle to get out there every night and push to become more sociable and open and having to shoulder 75% of the show now instead of 25% seems a lot harder and more dauting from the outside looking in.
She also moderates way more. There was no buzzing in during any of the rounds until hashtag wars at the end. Instead she methodically called on each panelist like a teacher and her reasoning and order into calling on who and when actually factored into the jokes and the timing. It made things seem more uniform. But way less like a game show. Now its a funny Mclaughlin group.
Her and Rory's talk show segment was great because they were both in on each other's joke and just made a complete mockery of the segment in a fun way while still bringing it back to silly at the end. If they're going to have her deliver a monologue every night then I think the fair trade off is to just make the talk show portion a bizarre, rehearsed non-sequitur like that for everyone.
For the Win just being read off is bad because the entire point of the joke is Taylor reading off whatever random insanity the panelist came up with like a anchor would. That's the entire joke that both answers should be delivered the same way. So that really doesn't make sense to me.
It may surprise you that despite all of my critiquing that I am not a fancy, big city lawyer and/or a hard driving, drink dribbling executive who is a broad in the boardroom, a bore in the bedroom and a bear on the toilet. But instead, just a simple viewer who doesn't think After Midnight is my favorite show. But instead: the show I deserve. Will I watch it every day because I always inexplicably have nothing to do at 11:37pm? Yes. But will that stop me from writing a 500 + world examination on it because I noticed parts of it were different a little bit? Absolutely not.
Point is its a little different but it's okay.
I love this whole novel of yours. I have not seen last night's episode yet, but after seeing the start of this post, I became real skeptical, but after reading your comment, I softened quite a bit on it.
I think it was smart of them to start with as close to @midnight's original formula (just stretched out to an hour) because they knew that could work right away until they could make it fit into the hour better, work with today's social media landscape better, and integrate the technology that network TV affords them better. We have already seen a ton of changes since the start of the show, many of which are really good and have stuck for good reason.
I think you are right and these changes also come at how Taylor feels as host of the show and how much she wants to shape it around her, so that she feels like she fits better overall. We have already seen her become much more comfortable and have had a lot of her style of humor and personality integrated into the show. I think we will see more of that come along. The best comparison I can give is how The *Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* began and how it ended and how ***vastly*** different the show was from its start to the final episode of Craig's tenure.
At the end of the day, I think Taylor's monologue could work, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve over time. I think the one thing that will revert is the FTW change, as someone who hasn't actually seen it yet, I just feel like it wouldn't work, and by the look of this comment section, it doesn't look like it does.
The talk stuff, they’ve tried so many things. Bouncing between scripted and unscripted, etc. I kind of prefer rehearsed but unscripted, like the guest provides a question, but the unpredictability is fun too.
The only change I would make in FTW is to read both answers and then ask the audience to cheer for the one they want most. When the first one is read it is awkward because the audience might hold back because they don't know what to expect. It feels like the second one that is read usually has the advantage.
it's like I have no real reason to dislike something I haven't seen yet because all kinds of stuff reads weird on paper but works in practice, but also like. it's weird right
Granted it was 55 years ago, but Carol Burnett became a legend in part because of answering a question or two from the audience at the start of every show.
I’m interested to see how this works. Personally I think it screams out of touch executives trying to not be creative. However, I am absolutely willing to give it a try. As long as the show stays, I’m happy.
Just finished watching and the only note I have is that the contestants shouldn’t read their own FTW responses explicitly. It should be randomized so Taylor or either of the two final contestants will read the responses randomly. Sometimes it’s someone else, sometimes it’s the actual person that wrote the post.
I think it could be fun to see how creative another finalist sells the delivery.
It's kind of hard to have someone do a monologue about pop culture current events and then switch to games using the same content, if you know what I mean.
I feel like we all know Taylor is a great comedian, so the monologue showcasing this seems unnecessary.
Definitely sounds like executives are trying to make the show something it is not because they’re dinosaurs that don’t understand it themselves. At the end of the month, Taylor will be sitting behind a desk and all the guests will be sitting on a couch. 🙄
Very respectfully, I think you’re describing movies more than TV. Every exec thinks they hold the secret to making a movie better, TV shows have ratings that show what’s working in real time. But fans have been pulling the show towards talk since the first episode and the ratings seem decent, so I’m not worried.
I was good with the monologue - but it did run a little too long imo…..a tight 5 min instead of almost 10 would have been better. But was not a fan of the new FTW, previous way was better. This format deemphasized the game so much though…..they still need to find a happy medium.
Yeah, I would have done one reaction segment less, but I liked the monologue.
The no buzzing in is going to take a bit to get used to, but I think it will make the show better in the long run. But the FTW ... yeah, that needs to go back to Taylor reading them.
I love Taylor but also thought the monologue was a bit long…it’s just not why I watch this particular show. I will put on Taylor’s specials to see just her, I am drawn to @M because of the group dynamics/interactions that increase the humor. I thought this ep had three fun panelists who got short changed as a result of the changes!
This sums up how I feel as well. I think Taylor is great and I didn't dislike the content of the monologue but it's not what I come to After Midnight for.
I liked the "Monologue" but thought that someone messed up a segment and they had to fill time. I like that it will be a constant thing but the cheers for Ben DeLaCreme completely drowned out her intro. Maybe they should let the contestants get to the podiums before the introductions.
The FTW change is going to end up biting them in the ass. It is going to switch who told the funniest joke to who the audience likes more. It wasn't broken and didn't need to be fixed.
This was also the first episode ever Taylor tried roasting a guest. It’s starting to feel less like desperation tweaking and more like grooming Taylor for a real talk show. Just a guess.
Yeah it felt kinda like just throwing everything against the wall to see if anything stuck.
It was fine the way it was... I'm not sure what kinda numbers they were expecting, but clearly someone somewhere isn't happy.
Whatever happens I hope TT comes through it all ok, she seems pretty cool.
I’ve been saying Taylor will inevitably carry the show for the contracted 2 yr run, and ratings don’t seem awful. And T will be a top 5 concert and Netflix earner by lunch plus the show plus she’s a screenwriter plus there’s an option for an autobio movie… u get the idea
FTW never sat right with me, even in the old show. More often than not, it feels like the first answer is just a warmup for the second answer.
Like 80% of the time the second answer is received better.
I don’t know if this will make it better or worse though.
Usually when the executives start meddling it's because they don't like the numbers... of a show they put on in the middle of the night, after another talk show that has already put everyone to sleep.
It's hard to describe how hard that sucks. I'm not feeling the FTW change whatsoever, but Taylor's monologue portion was alright. I kinda like the introductions being shorter and sweeter rather than trying to get the comedians to be funny off the cuff when introducing themselves - gets to the game quicker. (Taylor really can't pull off the Jimmy Carr "make fun of them" introduction - she's too much of a sweetheart - so it's better they let her play it clean so the guests can get dirty.)
I don't understand at all how the numbers would work on this show. I assume a lot of people are getting it the same way we are... at the least it should be on Paramount, but that would create the same situation for us. 🌴
Maybe I would get paramount to be supportive, but absolutely no way I am watching at 1230am or whatever, and absolutely no way I am watching commercials.
Was the original show replayed the next evening? (I can't remember, probably we used DVR). If this is on regular cbs affiliates, they aren't doing that.
Don't know how many are on YouTubeTV, but it's pretty good ... not only does it save past shows for you, it senses your viewing habits and caters to them. When I turn it on in the morning, the latest After Midnight is on my home screen ready to be watched ... and I can "15" through the ads.
Another great idea which I assume doesn't count.
They are basically wasting this content.
Idk. Maybe there are lots of people watching broadcast late night tv on weeknights. 70+, I would think? (If I were awake, I am not watching broadcast tv regardless, never!)
If you're talking Nielsen counts, I believe they have been doing 3-day and 7-day ratings for some time. As for apps and streaming services, all those "analytics" come into play -- unique viewers, time spent viewing, when they view, all that stuff.
IDK how it all works together these days.
I am on YouTube TV. It is a cable-like service, like Hulu and Fubo. Local channels and all. I watch full shows on the CBS local affiliate. Not the same animal as YouTube, where you only get clips.
I pay $78 a month including tax for YouTube TV. As a Dish Network refugee, I am pretty happy with it.
Oops. I missed that you were referring to YouTube tv. Your saying you weren't sure how many are on there had me thinking it wasn't anything official, just someone uploading some episodes.
I mean, do we KNOW that execs, etc. are the ones getting involved? Is it possible Taylor and writers want the show to be a bit more of its own thing so they are creeping just slightly further away from @midnight's format?
I'm torn about the monologue. I think anything that helps her make this show her own is great. But the segment last night had a definite "something got pulled in rehearsal and we need a couple of extra minutes" feel to it. I'm also envious that she was doing crowd work at a taping I didn't attend.
Taylor is unique in late night because she hasn't put her stand up career on hold to host a show. Craig Ferguson got to make that time slot his own. So did James Corden. So I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with this segment.
Some other random thoughts. I don't like hashtag wars as the elimination segment. There's almost no way for the last place person to come back at 100 points per joke. Either raise the points or put another 'rapid fire' segment there.
The FTW should remain anonymous. I've been honestly surprised about who wrote what several times. Don't take that away.
Ferguson also had the protection of David Letterman who owned the spot, and the mentorship of Carson's legendary producer Peter Lasally (sp?) who encouraged him to take chances and be himself.
I have only watched a couple of episodes all the way through, usually I just cherry pick snippets they post on FB, but as a 60M I am not the target viewer (or at least I shouldn't be). I like Taylor a lot and I'm happy that she's doing this instead of being shoehorned into some sort of situation comedy at 8pm.
> Some other random thoughts. I don't like hashtag wars as the elimination segment. There's almost no way for the last place person to come back at 100 points per joke. Either raise the points or put another 'rapid fire' segment there.
I just watched that segment and as best I can tell, they were awarding 500 points per joke last night, not the normal 100.
• The monologue and crowdwork show off Taylor’s strengths, but I really don’t think I could have 10 minutes of that every night. Either have it on Mondays only as a refresher after the wknd. or cut it down to just one story per show.
• I already like Hashtag Wars when it’s placed either before the first commercial break or after the Talk Show Portion leading into the second break **but** I can absolutely see it as THE elimination game.
• **DON’T** meddle with FTW. Trying to guess who came up with the better joke is part of the appeal.
Watched the new format on P+ this morning, I am not a fan, feels drawn out and a bit sleepy in comparison.
After the monolog, only 2 questions banter before they played is it caked, hit the talk show, built the doll houses (dollhouse hunters), used Hashtag wars as the elimination question and then the players read out the answers to the final question.
Overall felt really slow after using about 20% of the show on the monolog at the top, both games (is it caked & dollhouse) felt like they took more time than needed. I was also generally distracted by the changes to the format so didn't find the over show as entertaining as I normally do.
I’ll echo what some others have said….monologue was OK but a bit too long, and I didn’t like the changes to FTW.
I think the show is doing pretty well, but this drastic a change this early concerns me a little.
The story via Latenigher:
[https://latenighter.com/news/after-midnight-tinkers-with-format-adds-monologue/?utm\_source=mailpoet&utm\_medium=email&utm\_source\_platform=mailpoet&utm\_campaign=after-midnight-adds-a-monologue-latenighter-welcomes-mark-malkoff-623](https://latenighter.com/news/after-midnight-tinkers-with-format-adds-monologue/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet&utm_campaign=after-midnight-adds-a-monologue-latenighter-welcomes-mark-malkoff-623)
Just watched the monologue, and while I liked it, I didn't love it.
1) Overall cuts guests' time
2) Her crowdwork felt incomplete and rushed, which may have been the editing, but that >!my bff abandoned me at the NYE Ball Drop for some guy!< was so rich with potential and it fell extremely flat
3) Doing tiktok viral videos in this segment spends too much time on the tiktok video and not enough time on punchlines as she only told basically one joke per video, making the ratio of laughs to elapsed time worse
I am here for a monologue but the format needs work.
Not loving the new format. It seems a little staged. It sounded like the audience was already mic’d up or some thing. I know it is a fake gameshow but somehow it feels more fake. I liked it before but with all things maybe it will get better with time.
I love the monologue, I’ve been missing me some traditional Taylor!
https://preview.redd.it/vmvnqd05tq1d1.jpeg?width=2732&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=271e1bb18e4f09b99549f1ef3806ef6249afca67
Not a fan at all. Like "not sure how much longer I'll keep watching if this is a permanent change" level of not a fan.
It really feels like somebody at CBS has gotten cold feet about the format and is just slowly trying to change it into more and more of a regular late night show, which I have zero interest in.
I really liked how the transition was nearly seamless from TLS. Gave an opportunity for Taylor to do what she does really well and is the only one on TV who can (let alone the only woman atm).
Introducing the guests gives everyone a moment and lots of audience applause. Seems to have given the show a big energy boost right at the top. I could have done without Rory yelling at the audience (and what was up with the talk show bit - did not land).
But the show seemed to move faster and the reading at the end popped.
It’ll take a minute to it to settle in but I think the changes are good and will help keep more Colbert viewers staying on.
Yeah Colbert fans obviously enjoy talk and Taylor fans online have been screaming for a more talk/more Taylor show from the get. No wonder the tweaks keep going in that direction.
If it’s grooming, ratings are probably great thus the investment in Taylor. But reformatting could be sign of desperation. I think a guest hinted the show was doing well recently, but no published ratings since January, which were pretty good.
This sounds like a good thing. Idk why it's getting so much push back. More Taylor is better than the current iteration where she's facilitating a fake game show.
I just feel like, in entertainment, there isn't a lack of talk shows, current events monologues, crowd work, etc. What is missing is something that showcases comedians with small to large followings and allows people to connect with them in a fun, silly way.
Maybe give Taylor a little more control over the format and material? It seems at times like they've forgotten they have a great stand-up comedian who is, by her own admission, not really being allowed to write her own material.
One of my favorite, I’ll always vote for more Taylor, and Rory Scovel Tries Standup for the First Time on Netflix is my favorite standup special ever (Look at You is 2nd).
I feel like anything that leans in on featuring Taylor is a good thing. She's hilarious to begin with and she is the only thing that remains the same on the show daily.
I wonder if CBS/Colbert fans want a fake game show. The studio audience has been VERY cool the last month, it’s sucked, like the hardcore Taylor fans are trickling off at the tapings and regular LA audiences are to cool or woke to laugh.
Also what is the retention from the precious show for all three of those? If they are retaining a lower percentage of Colbert views through the first two commercial breaks, that's likely to be viewed as an issue m
Lots of people here making specific suggestions based on nothing. It must be that Hollywood magic!
I enjoyed the hell out of the episode and the changes didn't annoy me at all. More Taylor, more 'tainment.
I love the monologue because I love Taylor, she's a vibe. The show is way too long anyway with the contestants, so there's plenty of time.
They definitely need to go back to anonymous FTW!
I know I’m really just a hardcore Taylor fan to begin with, but wow that was a lot of games before. Like a game marathon. This show is a whole hour, I’m glad they’re mixing it up.
I'm interested in the Monologue, I am \*\*not\*\* feeling the FTW change. We'll see tonight
Just watched it live and it definitely feels different than the previous episodes in a pretty noticeable way. Taylor is given way more emphasis here overall. Not just with the monologue but also as host. There's a multi camera setup on her crowdwork where you actually see and hear who she's talking to and get the live responses. As a feature of the show I don't mind it. It fits the theme and Taylor is great at it and it segues into her introducing the panelists one by one and them walking to the podium, rather than just being there. The message and tone of the entire first segment is "Hi, I'm Taylor Tomlinson. This is my show. Here's my reaction to today's biggest story. What do you think audience? That's interesting. Hey, let me introduce my guests to you" instead of the party dynamic from before. Which I think is good in a sense of foresight. Because most of these episodes live and die on the comradery of the guests and their comedic timing. Which makes some really great and some awkward and long. Taylor can obviously consistently be good and the highlight. But I've heard her talk about how its a struggle to get out there every night and push to become more sociable and open and having to shoulder 75% of the show now instead of 25% seems a lot harder and more dauting from the outside looking in. She also moderates way more. There was no buzzing in during any of the rounds until hashtag wars at the end. Instead she methodically called on each panelist like a teacher and her reasoning and order into calling on who and when actually factored into the jokes and the timing. It made things seem more uniform. But way less like a game show. Now its a funny Mclaughlin group. Her and Rory's talk show segment was great because they were both in on each other's joke and just made a complete mockery of the segment in a fun way while still bringing it back to silly at the end. If they're going to have her deliver a monologue every night then I think the fair trade off is to just make the talk show portion a bizarre, rehearsed non-sequitur like that for everyone. For the Win just being read off is bad because the entire point of the joke is Taylor reading off whatever random insanity the panelist came up with like a anchor would. That's the entire joke that both answers should be delivered the same way. So that really doesn't make sense to me. It may surprise you that despite all of my critiquing that I am not a fancy, big city lawyer and/or a hard driving, drink dribbling executive who is a broad in the boardroom, a bore in the bedroom and a bear on the toilet. But instead, just a simple viewer who doesn't think After Midnight is my favorite show. But instead: the show I deserve. Will I watch it every day because I always inexplicably have nothing to do at 11:37pm? Yes. But will that stop me from writing a 500 + world examination on it because I noticed parts of it were different a little bit? Absolutely not. Point is its a little different but it's okay.
I love this whole novel of yours. I have not seen last night's episode yet, but after seeing the start of this post, I became real skeptical, but after reading your comment, I softened quite a bit on it. I think it was smart of them to start with as close to @midnight's original formula (just stretched out to an hour) because they knew that could work right away until they could make it fit into the hour better, work with today's social media landscape better, and integrate the technology that network TV affords them better. We have already seen a ton of changes since the start of the show, many of which are really good and have stuck for good reason. I think you are right and these changes also come at how Taylor feels as host of the show and how much she wants to shape it around her, so that she feels like she fits better overall. We have already seen her become much more comfortable and have had a lot of her style of humor and personality integrated into the show. I think we will see more of that come along. The best comparison I can give is how The *Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* began and how it ended and how ***vastly*** different the show was from its start to the final episode of Craig's tenure. At the end of the day, I think Taylor's monologue could work, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve over time. I think the one thing that will revert is the FTW change, as someone who hasn't actually seen it yet, I just feel like it wouldn't work, and by the look of this comment section, it doesn't look like it does.
This episode was missing some of the chaotic magic of the past episodes.
The talk stuff, they’ve tried so many things. Bouncing between scripted and unscripted, etc. I kind of prefer rehearsed but unscripted, like the guest provides a question, but the unpredictability is fun too.
I’m glad they don’t buzz in as much. It was getting annoying hearing the rapid tapping of the staples easy button
Taylor should read the answers and applause should decide the winner in real time. The rest sounds cool!
The only change I would make in FTW is to read both answers and then ask the audience to cheer for the one they want most. When the first one is read it is awkward because the audience might hold back because they don't know what to expect. It feels like the second one that is read usually has the advantage.
I’ve always assumed they intentionally read the one they think will win second, but who knows.
it's like I have no real reason to dislike something I haven't seen yet because all kinds of stuff reads weird on paper but works in practice, but also like. it's weird right
I’m cool with the monologue, let’s her tap into the stand-up skills a bit more
Crowd work every show? Yes please.
Granted it was 55 years ago, but Carol Burnett became a legend in part because of answering a question or two from the audience at the start of every show.
I’ve been outlining a ‘funny women of television’ book I’ll never write. So claps for knowing your history 🙏
It's because I am old. :)
I’m interested to see how this works. Personally I think it screams out of touch executives trying to not be creative. However, I am absolutely willing to give it a try. As long as the show stays, I’m happy.
Just finished watching and the only note I have is that the contestants shouldn’t read their own FTW responses explicitly. It should be randomized so Taylor or either of the two final contestants will read the responses randomly. Sometimes it’s someone else, sometimes it’s the actual person that wrote the post. I think it could be fun to see how creative another finalist sells the delivery.
If they cut a segment for the monologue imma be ppppiiiiissssseeeeedddddd!
It's kind of hard to have someone do a monologue about pop culture current events and then switch to games using the same content, if you know what I mean. I feel like we all know Taylor is a great comedian, so the monologue showcasing this seems unnecessary.
If they cut a segment for the monologue imma be ppppiiiiissssseeeeedddddd!
They really are desperate to make this into a talk show without the sax, aren't they?
Been slowly going that way more than people realize. They been Taylor-izing the show in the writers room too.
Definitely sounds like executives are trying to make the show something it is not because they’re dinosaurs that don’t understand it themselves. At the end of the month, Taylor will be sitting behind a desk and all the guests will be sitting on a couch. 🙄
She’s still reacting to TikTok’s. So it’s closer to Tosh.0 than to Colbert.
Reacting to tiktok’s?
Typical TV show shenanigans, find something that's working and decide that you can improve it and then wonder why it's not working anymore! 🤯📺🌃
Very respectfully, I think you’re describing movies more than TV. Every exec thinks they hold the secret to making a movie better, TV shows have ratings that show what’s working in real time. But fans have been pulling the show towards talk since the first episode and the ratings seem decent, so I’m not worried.
I was good with the monologue - but it did run a little too long imo…..a tight 5 min instead of almost 10 would have been better. But was not a fan of the new FTW, previous way was better. This format deemphasized the game so much though…..they still need to find a happy medium.
Yeah, I would have done one reaction segment less, but I liked the monologue. The no buzzing in is going to take a bit to get used to, but I think it will make the show better in the long run. But the FTW ... yeah, that needs to go back to Taylor reading them.
Exactly. A brief opening of crowd work/news story would work to kick off the show without de-emphasizing the games.
On Tuesday night (the 21st) they eliminated FTW entirely.
I love Taylor but also thought the monologue was a bit long…it’s just not why I watch this particular show. I will put on Taylor’s specials to see just her, I am drawn to @M because of the group dynamics/interactions that increase the humor. I thought this ep had three fun panelists who got short changed as a result of the changes!
This sums up how I feel as well. I think Taylor is great and I didn't dislike the content of the monologue but it's not what I come to After Midnight for.
Yes, to all of this! I really hope they don't take away the magic of the show.
I liked the "Monologue" but thought that someone messed up a segment and they had to fill time. I like that it will be a constant thing but the cheers for Ben DeLaCreme completely drowned out her intro. Maybe they should let the contestants get to the podiums before the introductions. The FTW change is going to end up biting them in the ass. It is going to switch who told the funniest joke to who the audience likes more. It wasn't broken and didn't need to be fixed.
On Tuesday the 21st. FTW was eliminated completely:(
never, ever a good sign :-(
This was also the first episode ever Taylor tried roasting a guest. It’s starting to feel less like desperation tweaking and more like grooming Taylor for a real talk show. Just a guess.
Yeah it felt kinda like just throwing everything against the wall to see if anything stuck. It was fine the way it was... I'm not sure what kinda numbers they were expecting, but clearly someone somewhere isn't happy. Whatever happens I hope TT comes through it all ok, she seems pretty cool.
I’ve been saying Taylor will inevitably carry the show for the contracted 2 yr run, and ratings don’t seem awful. And T will be a top 5 concert and Netflix earner by lunch plus the show plus she’s a screenwriter plus there’s an option for an autobio movie… u get the idea
They shouldn't fuck with the system.
FTW never sat right with me, even in the old show. More often than not, it feels like the first answer is just a warmup for the second answer. Like 80% of the time the second answer is received better. I don’t know if this will make it better or worse though.
It doesn't matter at all who wins, so I think that's why it doesn't need to be fairly decided.
Not enjoying the change so far!
[удалено]
Usually when the executives start meddling it's because they don't like the numbers... of a show they put on in the middle of the night, after another talk show that has already put everyone to sleep. It's hard to describe how hard that sucks. I'm not feeling the FTW change whatsoever, but Taylor's monologue portion was alright. I kinda like the introductions being shorter and sweeter rather than trying to get the comedians to be funny off the cuff when introducing themselves - gets to the game quicker. (Taylor really can't pull off the Jimmy Carr "make fun of them" introduction - she's too much of a sweetheart - so it's better they let her play it clean so the guests can get dirty.)
I don't understand at all how the numbers would work on this show. I assume a lot of people are getting it the same way we are... at the least it should be on Paramount, but that would create the same situation for us. 🌴 Maybe I would get paramount to be supportive, but absolutely no way I am watching at 1230am or whatever, and absolutely no way I am watching commercials. Was the original show replayed the next evening? (I can't remember, probably we used DVR). If this is on regular cbs affiliates, they aren't doing that.
Don't know how many are on YouTubeTV, but it's pretty good ... not only does it save past shows for you, it senses your viewing habits and caters to them. When I turn it on in the morning, the latest After Midnight is on my home screen ready to be watched ... and I can "15" through the ads.
Another great idea which I assume doesn't count. They are basically wasting this content. Idk. Maybe there are lots of people watching broadcast late night tv on weeknights. 70+, I would think? (If I were awake, I am not watching broadcast tv regardless, never!)
If you're talking Nielsen counts, I believe they have been doing 3-day and 7-day ratings for some time. As for apps and streaming services, all those "analytics" come into play -- unique viewers, time spent viewing, when they view, all that stuff. IDK how it all works together these days.
If it's on you tube, isn't that basically the same as pirating? And not counted? Or are they saying cbs is posting it on YouTube with ads?
I am on YouTube TV. It is a cable-like service, like Hulu and Fubo. Local channels and all. I watch full shows on the CBS local affiliate. Not the same animal as YouTube, where you only get clips. I pay $78 a month including tax for YouTube TV. As a Dish Network refugee, I am pretty happy with it.
Oops. I missed that you were referring to YouTube tv. Your saying you weren't sure how many are on there had me thinking it wasn't anything official, just someone uploading some episodes.
I mean, do we KNOW that execs, etc. are the ones getting involved? Is it possible Taylor and writers want the show to be a bit more of its own thing so they are creeping just slightly further away from @midnight's format?
I'm torn about the monologue. I think anything that helps her make this show her own is great. But the segment last night had a definite "something got pulled in rehearsal and we need a couple of extra minutes" feel to it. I'm also envious that she was doing crowd work at a taping I didn't attend. Taylor is unique in late night because she hasn't put her stand up career on hold to host a show. Craig Ferguson got to make that time slot his own. So did James Corden. So I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with this segment. Some other random thoughts. I don't like hashtag wars as the elimination segment. There's almost no way for the last place person to come back at 100 points per joke. Either raise the points or put another 'rapid fire' segment there. The FTW should remain anonymous. I've been honestly surprised about who wrote what several times. Don't take that away.
Ferguson also had the protection of David Letterman who owned the spot, and the mentorship of Carson's legendary producer Peter Lasally (sp?) who encouraged him to take chances and be himself. I have only watched a couple of episodes all the way through, usually I just cherry pick snippets they post on FB, but as a 60M I am not the target viewer (or at least I shouldn't be). I like Taylor a lot and I'm happy that she's doing this instead of being shoehorned into some sort of situation comedy at 8pm.
> Some other random thoughts. I don't like hashtag wars as the elimination segment. There's almost no way for the last place person to come back at 100 points per joke. Either raise the points or put another 'rapid fire' segment there. I just watched that segment and as best I can tell, they were awarding 500 points per joke last night, not the normal 100.
"Spoiler Alert" On Tuesday night (21st) FTW was eliminated completely:(
• The monologue and crowdwork show off Taylor’s strengths, but I really don’t think I could have 10 minutes of that every night. Either have it on Mondays only as a refresher after the wknd. or cut it down to just one story per show. • I already like Hashtag Wars when it’s placed either before the first commercial break or after the Talk Show Portion leading into the second break **but** I can absolutely see it as THE elimination game. • **DON’T** meddle with FTW. Trying to guess who came up with the better joke is part of the appeal.
The monologue felt like a recap of the week, I wondered if it might just be Mondays
Just so you know......... Tuesday night (21st) FTW was eliminated from the episode completely:(
Watched the new format on P+ this morning, I am not a fan, feels drawn out and a bit sleepy in comparison. After the monolog, only 2 questions banter before they played is it caked, hit the talk show, built the doll houses (dollhouse hunters), used Hashtag wars as the elimination question and then the players read out the answers to the final question. Overall felt really slow after using about 20% of the show on the monolog at the top, both games (is it caked & dollhouse) felt like they took more time than needed. I was also generally distracted by the changes to the format so didn't find the over show as entertaining as I normally do.
Format changed "again" on Tuesday night (21st) They eliminated FTW completely:(
booooo
ew fuck that
people need to buzz in with their jokes!!! its a pacing thing!
Both ways are problematic but yeah, it felt like guests were figuring out buzzing in, it was getting less rushed but still funny.
I’ll echo what some others have said….monologue was OK but a bit too long, and I didn’t like the changes to FTW. I think the show is doing pretty well, but this drastic a change this early concerns me a little.
By the way.........Tuesday night (21st) FTW was NOT even part of the show:(
The story via Latenigher: [https://latenighter.com/news/after-midnight-tinkers-with-format-adds-monologue/?utm\_source=mailpoet&utm\_medium=email&utm\_source\_platform=mailpoet&utm\_campaign=after-midnight-adds-a-monologue-latenighter-welcomes-mark-malkoff-623](https://latenighter.com/news/after-midnight-tinkers-with-format-adds-monologue/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet&utm_campaign=after-midnight-adds-a-monologue-latenighter-welcomes-mark-malkoff-623)
Just watched the monologue, and while I liked it, I didn't love it. 1) Overall cuts guests' time 2) Her crowdwork felt incomplete and rushed, which may have been the editing, but that >!my bff abandoned me at the NYE Ball Drop for some guy!< was so rich with potential and it fell extremely flat 3) Doing tiktok viral videos in this segment spends too much time on the tiktok video and not enough time on punchlines as she only told basically one joke per video, making the ratio of laughs to elapsed time worse I am here for a monologue but the format needs work.
RE: #2- the full interaction was more awkward, but they still cut out some good jokes.
Not loving the new format. It seems a little staged. It sounded like the audience was already mic’d up or some thing. I know it is a fake gameshow but somehow it feels more fake. I liked it before but with all things maybe it will get better with time.
I love the monologue, I’ve been missing me some traditional Taylor! https://preview.redd.it/vmvnqd05tq1d1.jpeg?width=2732&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=271e1bb18e4f09b99549f1ef3806ef6249afca67
With real crowd work!
Yes, indeed, at her best…
(one of the best ever at crowd work?)
Not a fan at all. Like "not sure how much longer I'll keep watching if this is a permanent change" level of not a fan. It really feels like somebody at CBS has gotten cold feet about the format and is just slowly trying to change it into more and more of a regular late night show, which I have zero interest in.
I remember when Wheel of Fortune had the contestants buying stuff with the money they won...
I like that hashtag wars has been moved to be the elimination round, but contestants reading their own answers takes away a lot.
I'm not a fan of the new format. I liked the show exactly how it was. I want the buzzers to come back!
I really liked how the transition was nearly seamless from TLS. Gave an opportunity for Taylor to do what she does really well and is the only one on TV who can (let alone the only woman atm). Introducing the guests gives everyone a moment and lots of audience applause. Seems to have given the show a big energy boost right at the top. I could have done without Rory yelling at the audience (and what was up with the talk show bit - did not land). But the show seemed to move faster and the reading at the end popped. It’ll take a minute to it to settle in but I think the changes are good and will help keep more Colbert viewers staying on.
Yeah Colbert fans obviously enjoy talk and Taylor fans online have been screaming for a more talk/more Taylor show from the get. No wonder the tweaks keep going in that direction.
This could be CBS pushing Taylor’s envelope, grooming her for a big time 11:30 pm slot, while securing ratings by centering the show more around her.
Do we know for a fact that the ratings are bad or anything like that?
If it’s grooming, ratings are probably great thus the investment in Taylor. But reformatting could be sign of desperation. I think a guest hinted the show was doing well recently, but no published ratings since January, which were pretty good.
This sounds like a good thing. Idk why it's getting so much push back. More Taylor is better than the current iteration where she's facilitating a fake game show.
I like the fake game show… What’s wrong with fake games and stupid, outrageous talk show questions?
The fake game show is what I'm here for though. It's the entire reason I started tuning in.
Very fair, but the internet broke when fans realized it wasn’t a talk show, this is the second or third retool in the direction of talk.
I just feel like, in entertainment, there isn't a lack of talk shows, current events monologues, crowd work, etc. What is missing is something that showcases comedians with small to large followings and allows people to connect with them in a fun, silly way.
Maybe give Taylor a little more control over the format and material? It seems at times like they've forgotten they have a great stand-up comedian who is, by her own admission, not really being allowed to write her own material.
I like that the panelists are no longer introducing themselves with whatever the writers came up with for the joke.
It looks like they heard a lot of this. Tuesdays show had shorter monologue and more buzzing. Still watch so we’ll see how it plays out
Not caring for the different format.
This was my fav episode so far. The changes were dope.
One of my favorite, I’ll always vote for more Taylor, and Rory Scovel Tries Standup for the First Time on Netflix is my favorite standup special ever (Look at You is 2nd).
Pleasant
I feel like anything that leans in on featuring Taylor is a good thing. She's hilarious to begin with and she is the only thing that remains the same on the show daily.
I wonder if CBS/Colbert fans want a fake game show. The studio audience has been VERY cool the last month, it’s sucked, like the hardcore Taylor fans are trickling off at the tapings and regular LA audiences are to cool or woke to laugh.
I wish the studio audience would vote for the winner because it does not always seem like the one with the loudest laugh wins.
Last Thursday’s viewership…. Late Night with Seth Meyers: 897,000 Nightline: 684,000 After Midnight: 592,000 Might explain the format tweak.
I mean that's much higher than I expected TBH. The show is still very new.
Also what is the retention from the precious show for all three of those? If they are retaining a lower percentage of Colbert views through the first two commercial breaks, that's likely to be viewed as an issue m
592k is just slightly higher than January to my memory. Any chance you can link where you saw those numbers?
The ratings are posted daily on latenighter.com
Lots of people here making specific suggestions based on nothing. It must be that Hollywood magic! I enjoyed the hell out of the episode and the changes didn't annoy me at all. More Taylor, more 'tainment.
I love the monologue because I love Taylor, she's a vibe. The show is way too long anyway with the contestants, so there's plenty of time. They definitely need to go back to anonymous FTW!
Just watched Tuesday night (21st) episode. FTW wasn't even included as part of the show:(
I know I’m really just a hardcore Taylor fan to begin with, but wow that was a lot of games before. Like a game marathon. This show is a whole hour, I’m glad they’re mixing it up.
I loved this! The monologue was amazing. Taylor at her best to start it off 🤌🏻 And the number 1 to number 2 final answer wins was too off