Having been an avid fan of the Daily Show for many years, I always enjoyed Larry Wilmore's skits as a correspondent there. The trouble is, you can't just take the role of Senior Black Correspondent and expand it to fill a half hour spot, there needs to be a bit more balance in the way he presents his ideas. Going around saying things like "I voted for Obama because he's black, I didn't care about his policies or principles" might win a few laughs from the audience, but it certainly won't buy you much credibility.
Assuming that the object of the Nightly Show is to maintain the satirical news format of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report which it replaces, the writers need to seriously consider blending the racial element into the fabric of the show without being so in your face about it. That might appeal to some demographics, particularly considering there are really no other black late night hosts out there (that I know of), but I think the way he's going risks turning away a significant number of Colbert Report viewers who are now tuning in out of curiosity.
Full disclosure, I am white. I understand that for many people Colbert was almost exactly the thing that I am describing but just pointing the other way. The difference, in my mind at least, is that with Colbert that was a character that he plays, whereas with Wilmore it strikes me as being really him.
I really like the concept of contrasting the Daily Show with the Nightly Show and I think Larry Wilmore is the right guy for it, I just hope they can find their right balance fast enough to actually stay on the air for more than 1 season.
Assuming that the object of the Nightly Show is to maintain the satirical news format of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report which it replaces, the writers need to seriously consider blending the racial element into the fabric of the show without being so in your face about it. That might appeal to some demographics, particularly considering there are really no other black late night hosts out there (that I know of), but I think the way he's going risks turning away a significant number of Colbert Report viewers who are now tuning in out of curiosity.
Full disclosure, I am white. I understand that for many people Colbert was almost exactly the thing that I am describing but just pointing the other way. The difference, in my mind at least, is that with Colbert that was a character that he plays, whereas with Wilmore it strikes me as being really him.
I really like the concept of contrasting the Daily Show with the Nightly Show and I think Larry Wilmore is the right guy for it, I just hope they can find their right balance fast enough to actually stay on the air for more than 1 season.