USA TODAY International Edition
Who’s producing the best TV in quarantine?
Some are great with family antics and low tech; others, not so much
Nothing is normal right now, not even TV.
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed life across the globe, and Hollywood has not escaped. While most live- action production of film and TV has shut down, several late- night and daytime talk shows, “Saturday Night Live” and “American ldol” are among those making a go at taping remotely, often from performers’ homes.
NBC’s “The Voice” will join in starting Monday, “America’s Got Talent” later this summer; and Nickelodeon’s “Kids’ Choice Awards” will go on remotely Saturday.
With the help of Zoom, iPhone cameras and sheer willpower, TV is getting made. But those laggy, low- resolution episodes don’t resemble the sleek series Americans are used to watching.
So, does remotely- shot TV work? And who does it best?
On the whole, this new low- tech style of production is good enough, although the quality veers wildly depending on the show, and the people trying to make themselves pop off the screen from their home office.
Some, like John Oliver on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” have never relied on bells and whistles. The British comedian has long resembled a satirical newsman and his informative monologue doesn’t really suffer without a laughing audience or a backdrop. His appeal is in his words, and the writing on the series is as sharp as ever.
Jimmy Fallon is positively thriving in the new environment. At times during his tenure on NBC’s “Tonight Show” he’s fallen into a rut creatively and lacked the boyish energy that made him a powerhouse. But sequestered in his playground of a house with his wife and kids, Fallon has been filled with verve, turning every adorable antic of his daughters into comedy, and leaning into the chaotic elements he is trying to string together into a show.
No one appreciates the absurdity of this historic moment more than Wen
dy Williams, who is continuing her daytime talk show in a manner that is best described as “pleasantly bizarre” ( even Oliver noticed it in a recent segment). Constantly eating on screen, wearing sweats and veering off on odd tangents, Williams is her usual quirky self but even more unfiltered ( and if you are a regular viewer, you might find that hard to believe).
Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, James Corden, Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee and Kelly Clarkson are all putting solid efforts into their series, although nearly every one of their celebrity guests could benefit from a tutorial on staging their Zoom video calls ( hint: put the laptop on a stack of books, no one looks good from a low angle). Less successful in the talk arena are Ellen DeGeneres and the women of “The View,” who seem as flat and unremarkable as your last video conference call. DeGeneres is phoning it in, literally, and the glitchy delays on “The View” make the hosts’ constant bickering and depressing subject matter more grating than usual.
“Idol” is wading into remote TV with less arguing and more serenading. The reality series resumed its competition Sunday with its top 20 performers singing their hearts out from locations around the country. “Idol,” especially in its post- Simon Cowell ABC era, has been less about finding superstars and more about platitudes and pleasant performances, and it feels almost tailormade for inspiration at a difficult time.
Seeing the homes, families and pets of the contestants has always been a heartwarming part of “Idol,” and this year it’s just happening in a slightly different way. The performers don’t risk criticism for their rough- around- theedges at- home performances because judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry never offer negative feedback anyway ( if only Perry had not detracted from the first remote episode by spending it entirely in a giant hand- sanitizer costume).
“SNL” has done two episodes not exactly live, or even from New York, with its cast separated.
The first was bumpy, even with the help of coronavirus survivor and America’s Dad Tom Hanks. By the second, the producers discovered how important editing, graphics and music are to making this work. Last weekend’s entire episode, minus Brad Pitt as Dr. Anthony Fauci and a performance by Miley Cyrus, consisted of the kind of sketches that usually populate the series’ final 10 minutes: Weird, experimental and performer- driven.
Each cast member had their own digital short, and the best were from those who understand the value of low tech, internet- style humor that doesn’t rely on an audience. Kyle Mooney found a non- coronavirus sketch about not remembering a random guy’s name at a party, and Mooney played every character. Less successful were Colin Jost and Michael Che sticking to their usual Weekend Update shtick: the lack of an audience for their typical political and quirky news items exposed the flaws in their style.
And as the weeks many of us spend social distancing drag on, producing new and relevant entertainment becomes more important. Sure, we can binge- watch “Friday Night Lights” again, but old TV is just a reminder of a distant- seeming pre- coronavirus life. Seeing our own fear, confusion, sadness and frustration reflected back now, by the TV shows we love, is cathartic. In normal times, Williams gleefully eating a pickle on TV would be mildly horrifying, but in the coronavirus era, it’s somehow comforting. The world is just that weird right now.