The summer is a confusing time for late night shows. With vacation time, shows are often off, then on, seemingly at random. When shows do air, there’s fewer dangerous animals on, and more affect-less athletes. And yet, some really funny things happen on late night during these lesser watched months. Jimmy Fallon nearly lost a hand, Conan rode into Comic-Con with a Mad Max war band. We got to see Colbert interview Eminem on Monroe, Michigan public access TV. Jon Stewart’s Daily Show month long “moment of zen” farewell continues, streaming every episode back-to-back, available globally. It wasn’t all bad.
Last week, Bill Hader and Amy Schumer were doing the rounds for Trainwreck, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were reunited with Jimmy, Emma Stone was on Conan, Meyers got a dose of Schumer and Jim Gaffigan, and Corden horsed around with Ian McKellen. Plus, John Oliver took America to task over food waste.
Conan
- After Conan’s amazing Comic-Con antics, this week is a return to normalcy.
- Conan reports that teens no longer like weed.
- Emma Stone on working with Woody Allen.
- Obviously Allen is a historically great director, but all this “muse” talk and gushing from Allen is a little weird. Allen, perhaps mistakenly, mis-attributes a quote to himself and his 1989 movie Crimes and Misdemeanors, as Stone recounts here. Most people attribute the quip about time and tragedy to TV personality, actor, and polymath Steve Allen in 1957.
- Boy George on a Culture Club reunion.
- Jack Black wants us to leave Kanye alone. “I do agree that he is an asshole.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Tina and Amy stop by to play “True Confessions”.
- Fallon’s finger saga.
- LeBron stops by, and accidentally says his kids want “iPads and iPods” before quickly adding “…and Samsung tablets”. LeBron is a major spokesperson for Samsung.
- Don’t leave your phone around Amy Schumer.
Late Night with Seth Meyers
- Seth talks Greece.
- Lindsey Graham talks to someone’s shoes (watch his eyes), also Seth Meyers.
- Amy Schumer’s a star! A lonely star, like The Doctor.
- “Oh you really are, like, sad!”
- Gaffigan on “Hot Pockets”.
- He does his own food stunts.
The Late Late Show with James Corden
- Sir Ian McKellen, promoting Mr. Holmes, goes all wizard. “I could’ve been that little boy, you see!”
- Oh Sir Ian!
- Chris Tucker on visiting Jackie Chan in China.
- Carpool Karaoke with Rod Stewart and A$AP Rocky.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- With his show’s debut still far away, Stephen Colbert is already doing a great job.
- Apocalypse Dow.
- Stephen sat down with Neil DeGrasse Tyson to talk proofs, planets, and Pluto.
- As usual, Stephen uses his Bible/Dante knowledge to good use. His wit is like a deli slicer. This show will be great.
- Lunch with Stephen!
- Only eat small sounding foods.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
- John Oliver takes America to task for food waste. Most food waste happens at the production/distribution level, but lots still happens in homes. The need for different standards governing what shapes/qualities of foods are acceptable needs to change, and so do personal attitudes toward food in the home.
- Really glad someone, John specifically, did something on that horrific Carl’s Junior/Hardee’s ad.