The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lilly Singh takes over late night
Late-night talk shows have been a staple of television programming for decades, but a new host is about to shake things up with a fresh take on the tried-andtrue format.
YouTube phenomenon Lilly Singh (“Fahrenheit 451,” 2018) moves to TV as she hosts “A Little Late With Lilly Singh,” premiering Monday, Sept. 16, on NBC. The new show features traditional late-night interviews, of course, but also pre-taped comedy sketches and segments featuring her signature brand of humor. Singh announced the show on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” back in March, and she was eager to share her ideas for the new late-night program.
“I’m so excited because I truly get to create a show from scratch,” Singh said. “I get to make it inclusive, I get to create comedy segments and interview people and really create something that I believe in.”
She went on to explain that “A Little Late With Lilly Singh” will be a little like her YouTube channel, IISuperwomanII, which has nearly 15 million subscribers. Featuring a mix of comedy segments, motivational messages and collaborations with some of her famous friends, her YouTube channel has taken the internet by storm, earning her numerous accolades, including Streamy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and a People’s Choice Award. She also has a vlog channel, created in 2011, where she chronicles her daily activities. In 2017, Forbes ranked Singh 10th on the magazine’s list of the world’s highestpaid YouTubers and named her the top influencer in the entertainment category.
For YouTube fans who may be concerned that she’ll nix her beloved channel now that she’s got a primo late-night gig, fear not. In a YouTube video announcing “A Little Late,” Singh insisted: “I would not abandon my YouTube family.”
The internet may have made her a star, but Singh is also an accomplished entertainer, having appeared on television and in movies, as well as in a number of music videos. She released a visual music piece on YouTube called “Voices” in 2016 and appeared in the music video for Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You.” Her movie credits include “Dr. Cabbie” (2014), “Ice Age: Collision Course” (2016) and “Bad Moms” (2016). She guest starred as herself in an episode of Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark.” She became an author in 2017 when she released her book “How to be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life,” which became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. With all of these accomplishments under her belt, it’s safe to say that Singh is a modern-day Renaissance woman. What’s even more amazing is that she’s done all of this by the time she turned 30, and she’ll continue to break new ground in “A Little Late With Lilly Singh.” When her new latenight show premieres, she’ll be the first woman to host her own late-night TV show on one of America’s “Big 4” networks: NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS. She’s also the first openly bisexual woman of color to helm such a show in the U.S.
“A Little Late’s” format may be different than other late-night shows, but that could be a good thing. While a lot of late-night talk shows focus on current events and politics, Singh’s show is expected to be more personal, mining her own experiences for comedy, similar to the YouTube content that made her a star. Not having to rely on the news of the day will allow the cast and crew to film all 96 episodes of the show’s debut season this fall, an ambitious undertaking. Luckily, Singh no longer has to go it alone in making her comedy segments and coming up with content. She’ll have a whole roster of talented writers and behind-thescenes talents working with her on the NBC show.
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with this all-star team of writers as we work to bring a new, authentic perspective to late night,” Singh said in an official NBC news release announcing the premiere.
In addition to Singh, the core group of writers includes Sean O’Connor (“The Late Late Show With James Corden”), Marina Cockenberg (“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”), Sergio Serna (“Alternatino With Arturo Castro”), Jen Burton (“Alternatino With Arturo Castro”) and new comedy writers Mona Mira and Jonathan Giles. Industry pundits have already been praising the gender-balanced writing room.
John Irwin, who has experience in live telecasts and comedy with such credits as “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and “MadTV,” has signed on as an executive producer. Co-executive producers include O’Connor, Casey Spira (“NBC’s New Year’s Eve”), Polly Auritt (“The Shannara Chronicles”) and Sarah Weichel (“A Trip to Unicorn Island,” 2016). Ryan Polito is set to direct “A Little Late With Lilly Singh.” Singh and her cohorts are expected to attract a fresh, digitally savvy audience to NBC’s late night with her loyal fan base, and the network is giving people who may not be familiar with Singh an opportunity to get to know her in “A Little Late With Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special,” on Wednesday, Sept. 18, right after the season finale of “America’s Got Talent.” In the special, Singh conducts interviews, participates in games and sketches and interacts with the audience.
A true dynamo, Singh seems to have the Midas touch and has the potential to turn late-night television on its ear. Don’t miss the fun when “A Little Late With Lilly Singh” premieres Monday, Sept. 16, on NBC.