After Midnight question

[whewfan]

Are we considering After Midnight a game show? No prizes, no contestants, but three panelists. It certainly plays like a game show with the comedians having to buzz in to answer.

Taylor Tomlinson hosts, and for those who don't know, she is an almost 30 year old comedian that you can see tons of clips of online. She is very funny and very smart, without being vulgar.

The first part of the show looks at internet posts, and each panelist has to come up with a joke line regarding that post. There's also some mini games, if you will.

There's one where an obscure object that you can buy online is shown, and each panelist has to describe what they think it is.
Another game is called "Smash or Not Smash", a pointless game where you have to choose which is "more cool"... very subjective if you ask me.

Also there's Urban Dictionary, where each panelist has to try to define the word and use it in a sentence, but the twist is the one Taylor thinks is the "most wrong" wins the points.

They also show real Tik Tok clips of people trying to make something to eat that frankly, nobody in their right mind SHOULD eat, and each comedian has to give a title to the dish being made.

I think it's decent... an obvious "Whose Line" vibe.

What do you think?

[TLEberle]

Matt:

I watched At Midnight. I found it funny.

You have a tendency to over-explain rounds and rules rather than telling us what you think. For someone who claims to be a comedian did you find it humorous?

[Kevin Prather]

You can call it a game show or a talk show or an avocado. It's up to you. You don't need everyone to agree.

[BrandonFG]

It's based on the Comedy Central show @midnight from 10 years ago. I consider it a comedy game show similar to something like Masquerade Party or a British show. We've discussed both this and @midnight several times, so yes I think it counts.

[Matt Ottinger]

I had someone online explain to me that it had more in common with Comics Unleashed than it did with Whose Line Is It Anyway.  I wish that person had been a friend, so that I could have unfriended her.

[SamJ93]

I would argue that it sits alongside Whose Line...? and Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! in the admittedly narrow category of "comedy shows that use game show tropes."

[MSTieScott]

I had someone online explain to me that it had more in common with Comics Unleashed than it did with Whose Line Is It Anyway.  I wish that person had been a friend, so that I could have unfriended her.

That's fair, but in that person's defense, in the brief "contestant interview" segment of After Midnight's first episode, Taylor's questions came straight out of Byron Allen's Big Book of Blatant Setups.

[trainman]

I note that it is a bit less off-the-cuff than "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (Although it's supposed to come across as spontaneously improvised, most if not all of the material is prewritten by the comedians in conjunction with the show's writers.)

[whewfan]

Matt:

I watched At Midnight. I found it funny.

You have a tendency to over-explain rounds and rules rather than telling us what you think. For someone who claims to be a comedian did you find it humorous?

I could certainly elaborate more on my opinion. I just wanted to first get some feedback on whether most consider this show a game show. So, here we go...

I adore Taylor Tomlinson. I think she's a funny lady. I think she carries the show well, but with her acting as a host, I hope over time she adds in more of her own takes on what's being presented, because otherwise she would just be playing straightman to three comics.

I think all the segments are funny except for Smash or Don't Smash. I just found it pointless because it was very subjective, and honestly I didn't really understand exactly what criteria they were using to compare the two items.

Based on what I saw, it seemed Whitney Cummings at times went a little too blue, even for a late late night network TV show. A couple times Taylor skipped over Whitney for a response, or her response was edited out. Taylor at one point quips "Do you WANT to be on this show?"

I am somewhat familiar with Whitney Cummings but I hadn't heard of the other comics that were on that night. I checked listings for other comics to be on that show, and I hadn't heard of them either. So, if anything this show gives new comics a chance for exposure.

I am under the assumption that these comics did not see any of this material before. I'm not saying it's not possible to be spontaneous and have the funny line, but who would know if they hadn't studied up and had quips ready.

I do know that the cast of Whose Line didn't exactly make up everything on the spot... they have years of experience and draw upon material they used before.

I think After Midnight works very well, and I want it to succeed. I just think most will DVR the show because few will bother to stay up that late just to watch.

[BrandonFG]

Keep in mind it’s the first episode and they gotta find their rhythm. Don’t overthink this.

[BrandonFG]

Are we considering After Midnight a game show?

Just wanted to add that Taylor referred to it as a game show twice in the first 10 minutes. So yes. I think it's a game show.

[inturnaround]

So not to spoil the illusion of spontaneity, but it's a panel show in the guise of a game show. All the comedians have writers assigned to them during the record and they know (most of) the material beforehand. In the show's initial run, some comedians used their assigned writers more than others, especially since over time, they added not just comedians, but also actors who weren't necessarily used to generating their own material and even if they were used to it, they may not be as fast as the show demands. So they make notes and go from there.

When I saw a taping of @midnight during the Hardwick years at Sunset Gower, the breaks saw a lot of conferring with the writers going over the upcoming segment. I have no reason to believe anything has changed.

If you want a show that is similar in the UK, I'd point you to something like Mock the Week which I believe Trevor Noah is creating an American version of for Amazon. The comedians know the prompts and deliver jokes based on them. So while it looks like a bit of inspired improv, it's not. It's preplanned...like the celebrities giving their bluff answers on Hollywood Squares years ago.