Showing posts with label Late Night. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Late Night. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Analog This: The Pete Holmes Show Is Quietly Reinventing Late Night

Image via PopWatch
Late night isn't what it used to be. Besides the fact that most people are just watching the highlights online, there's just way too many hosts and way too many shows to choose from.

During the 11 PM hour, I have to choose between Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O'Brien, who are all personal heroes of mine. Two weeks ago, Comedy Central kicked off "@Midnight," which proved to be a surprisingly smart and fun way to combine TV and social media into a game show format. There's a reason that Chris Hardwick now hosts everything ever.

Then one week later, "The Pete Holmes Show" premiered on TBS at the exact same time. After two or three episodes, I was sold. Granted, I was already a huge fan of Pete Holmes through both his standup and his podcast "You Made It Weird." Holmes' standup is endearingly goofy and consistently sharp in its observations. "You Made It Weird" focuses on a loose conversation that is funny and enlightening and often pushes the three hour mark. Holmes is both one of the most talented stand-ups working today, and host of a podcast that is often better than some of its more well-known contemporaries.