Comedian Samantha Bee recently debuted her promising new late night talk show, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which airs on Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. on TBS. Bee looks to make a name for herself by not shying away from the fact that she is currently the only woman host in late night television, going head to head against “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Primarily known for her role on “The Daily Show,” which she recently departed after she was denied Jon Stewart’s former position, Bee has garnered a reputation for her unfiltered and feminist viewpoints, along with her overly satirical and sarcastic sense of humor.
These elements are prevalent in the premier of “Full Frontal.” In an attempt to stand apart from Fallon and Colbert, Bee constantly pokes fun at the fact that both the political and late night world are dominated by men, going as far as to make the tagline of the show “Watch or you’re sexist.” Bee brings in new creativity by stating that her show won’t feature guests who appear only to promote their own work. Rather, she will focus on her popular field report segment — pre-taped footage of her crew venturing into the real world. The show also contains one of the most diverse writing rooms in late night history, with 50 percent of the staff being female and 30 percent non-white. Bee’s team knows how to write for her derisive and often humorously angry personality.
Bee is able to deliver the laughs that she promised in her promotions. The first episode takes a largely political interest, poking fun at the debates held in New Hampshire regarding the presidential election, along with various tabloid articles directed at Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, made complete with plenty of pop culture references. Bee also features what she calls “Elected Paperweight of the Month,” during which she relentlessly ridicules an already elected politician’s poor decisions.
In a recent interview for “Full Frontal,” Bee stated that the show is still a work in progress. “At the moment,” she said, “we’re just trying to make an episode that exists. But while we’re here, we might as well try to do something.” Accepting the fact that the format of the show may change, Bee has crafted a unique comedy she hopes will attract viewers. “Full Frontal” should have no trouble gaining an audience as it offers a fresh and amusing take on late night comedy.
