As you may have heard, all the late night comedy shows are returning to the air: Bill Maher this Friday, John Oliver on Sunday and Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon and Meyers on Monday. Seth Meyers won't be having any guests that night. He's doing a one-hour catch-up "A Closer Look," and I have high expectations for it.
At the moment, Mr. Oliver and Mr. Meyers are my favorites followed closely by Mr. Colbert. My TiVo is set to snare their shows but I figure anything that might interest me on Kimmel's or Fallon's shows will be easily catchable on YouTube. Over the last year or so, I've found that the occasional smart observations from Mr. Maher aren't worth sitting through the many things that seem to be said just to prove he's unafraid to say things that might be unpopular…and I feel like that's the reason he's saying them.
The Daily Show will return on October 16 with more of its on-air auditioning guest hosts. I would guess that Hasan Minhaj is no longer as high as he once was on the list of those who might get the job permanently. Mr. Minhaj, who I liked the few times I saw him perform stand-up, has been accused and has more or less confessed to telling stories from his life that were exaggerated to the point of being…well, if not lies then the next-closest thing.
True, most comedians do exaggerate or simplify true tales to make them shorter or clearer or more pointed or, most often, funnier. I think most audiences understand that but there's a line one can cross and Minhaj seems to have crossed it too far too many times. To his credit, he's confessed to his "crime" but that doesn't give him back all or even enough of his credibility.
Someone will probably write in to ask why, if SAG-AFTRA is still on strike — and it is — the hosts can appear on television again. It has to do with how the role of talk show host falls outside the category of what the current strike is against. I'd explain it in greater detail but that's about all I know. Actors, however, are not supposed to be promoting product from the companies they're striking so the guest lists may be…uh, interesting.