Late-night comics adjust to shows without an audience

NEW YORK » Due to the new coronavirus, latenight comedians — Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Pete Buttigieg — are taking to the stage without the affirmation of adoring audiences.

Wait a second. Pete Buttigieg?

The former presidential candidate filled in for Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday night on ABC. It was prearranged, since Kimmel was taping episodes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” but the timing was unfortunate. Each of the three shows decided only hours before taping on Thursday to go without an audience, save for handfuls of staff members.

“Everyone is spread apart at the CDC-recommended distance,” said Buttigieg, whose husband was sitting among the empty seats.

Buttigieg, a Democrat who sought the presidency, had the chief job qualification of a late-night host, circa 2020. He was more than willing to tell biting jokes about President Donald Trump.

“When you don’t have a real audience, you have to fake one,” he said. “Just like Trump’s inauguration.”

During his monologue, producers cut to film clips of enthusiastic audiences, from awards shows or the State of the Union address.

As an amateur, Buttigieg was more than willing to blame lame jokes on the writers. Colbert noted when a punchline got a response from his meager audience that he was paying most of them. Questlove of the Roots was the chief arbiter of Fallon’s jokes that landed or were fed to a paper shredder.

Going without an audience “might be a good thing,” said Colbert, who was out-of-breath after a brief run through the empty seats. “In my mind, all of my jokes are perfect. The only person that ever disagrees with me right now is the audience.”

They were not the only television shows to dispatch with audiences. On “The View,” a meager crew of staff members tried vainly on Thursday to replicate the noise that would normally come from a full crowd of tourists.

“You’re a great audience today,” Whoopi Goldberg said.

“All three of you,” Joy Behar tartly said.

Fallon took a serious turn to start his “Tonight” show monologue which, like Colbert’s, was performed seated behind his desk.

“Like you, I’m watching the news and I’m just as confused and freaked out as you are right now,” he said. “I know the (Trump) speech last night didn’t help. But I know that when we’re here for each other, we’re at our best, and I’m here for you.”

Both Fallon and Colbert brought on television doctors — Mehmet Oz and Sanjay Gupta — for sharp and informative segments, asking basic questions about the virus and preparedness that often go overlooked on news programs. Both doctors used hand sanitizer to instruct viewers on the thorough, most effective way to wash hands, reminding people not to forget their thumbs.