Space Ghost Coast to Coast

     Space Ghost Coast to Coast works well as a snapshot in time. A comedy that started a genre, Space Ghost Coast to Coast relied on its editors and writers to craft an absurdist story in post. 

     After Ted Turner purchased the rights to the Hannah-Barbara collection he asked a young writer, Mike Lazzo, to make him a cartoon for adults. However, Lazzo could only use the materials provided to him, namely a collection of old cartoons. Lazzo took Space Ghost from the show Space Ghost and Dino Boy and repurposed almost all the animation to make Space Ghost host a talk show. 

Lazzo wanted a show "people would pause on" and Space Ghost was the absurd, sometimes anti-comedy, that he wanted. The interviews with real 90's celebrities were recorded and then taken completely out of context. The writers would craft the show completely in post, changing the questions and moving around answers until the interview barely made sense or made the celebrity look bad. All this surround edby a B plot of Space Ghost's employee's; former villains Brak, Zorack, and Moltar all actively despise Space Ghost. 

The show's influence is widespread. It's popularity was at the height of late night talk shows, with the Tonight show being past to either Letterman or Leno and Conan doing more alternative comedy on the Late show. Coast to Coast didn't really fit into traditional programming and thus paved the way for Cartoon Network's late night half Adult Swim. From there shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Harvey Birdman were born. Space Ghost is also a huge influence on The Eric Andre Show another surrealist late night show now on Adult Swim with live actors and comedians.

Lazzo himself has said he's done with Space Ghost Coast to Coast and is now an Executive VP at Adult Swim. But the show has lived on in the alternative comedy community for being such a creative idea that changed so much. Space Ghost was ahead of it's time in terms of content manipulation, especially for animation. While the show is not always clear and direct, it is always entertaining watching a giant generic superhero talk to celebrities who don't really know what's going on.

Will The Real Colbert Please Stand Up

This past Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert, formally of the "Colbert Report," made his Late Night debut on CBS. His shift from satirical news to late night was intriguing for many reasons. He's making the shift from cable to network Television and he's now got over an hour of content. But perhaps the most intriguing and publicized change for Colbert, is his character.

For the last nine years, Stephen Colbert essentially was playing a character, not being himself. When the program began in 2005 it was a perfect opportunity for Colbert to get into the public eye and display his star power. And for the nine years the show aired, his program along with Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" dominated the 11:00pm hour for Comedy Central. While Colbert's comedic intelligence and charisma shined throughout his time on the program, reports say playing the same character for nine years began to weigh down on him. Pretty much everything he said or did on the show had to go through a right wing filter to keep him in character. Essentially Colbert was performing one long sketch for nine years. 


As much as people loved the "Colbert Report," it's easy to see how he could grow tired with the limitations him and his crew faced in writing for one character. So now as he steps into his new show and the vacated seat of David Letterman, Stephen Colbert has a chance to show his real self, to speak uninhibited.

Colbert's first show was interesting, to say the least. You never really know what to expect on someones first episode, but the mystery felt greater going into this program. One of things I was trying to figure out early on was the structure/format. Most late night programs eventually find their rhythm and begin to roll out shows daily that are fairly similar, with some variation here and there. But in the first episode of Colbert, it was hard to figure out the set up they'll use going forward. Some moments just felt a little awkward or different. One instance of this being when they played the title sequence about ten minutes into the show after he had already done his monologue and dialogue with the crowd. Overall, the show had very little flow and most of his gimmicks or bits went longer then expected.

As odd as the first show felt, Colbert's enthusiasm and energy was on full display. He looked recharged, like someone who had been liberated, and his energy was infectious. As a whole, the program felt more like a variety show then anything else, something to put Colbert's skills on display. The structure was secondary to Colbert's new personality. The issue for Colbert going forward will not be in replacing Letterman, it'll be in replacing the old Colbert. Pretty much he's his own toughest act to follow. With that said this program promises to be something new and different because for the first time the world will get to see the real Colbert.

Late Night with Seth Meyers

As my all time favorite late night show host moves on to the bigger leagues, it is time for Seth Meyers to move up in his career. Seth is taking over the Late Night show on February 24th. I have always been a huge fan of Seth on SNL. My favorite part of the show would be the Weekend Update with Seth and Amy Poehler (when she was still on the show.) It will not be the same without him, however I could not be more thrilled for the launch in his career. Seth has a way of connecting with his audience and is an incredible writer. He is funny, but not too cocky. He has wrote some amazing sketches on SNL.  One of my all time favorites that he co-wrote was the opening with Tina Fey playing the role of Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler playing the role of Hilary Clinton. This was one of the best sketches on SNL of the presidential election back in 2008.

To start off the show, Amy Poehler will be Meyers' first guest. I think this is the best decision for the show. It will create tons of hype because it will be a reunion and a new beginning at the same time. The Late Night show is going to be different for sure, but it is time for a change. Seth deserves to move up in his career and to be the spotlight. As devastasting as it is that after 22 years, Jay Leno is retiring, it is time for a new face to shine in Late Night. I believe that Jimmy Fallon is the perfect choice to fill Leno's shoes and will continue the shows longtime success. With Seth Meyers going into the Late Night Show, I have complete faith that he will make us all proud. I can't wait to see what these two shows, Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have in store.