PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: BET'S THE RUNDOWN WITH ROBIN THEDE: ANATOMY OF A FEMALE-DRIVEN LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates "The Rundown with Robin Thede," the late-night politics/pop-culture talk show hosted by Robin Thede and focusing on issues of African-American life.
Host Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and welcomes Tracy McGraw (senior vice-president, Corporate Communications & Publicity, BET) to the stage. McGraw introduces the Jan. 18, 2018 episode, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 132210.)
After the screening, Roy Wood Jr. (correspondent, "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah") moderates the following panelists: writers Cody Wilkins, Ziwe Fumudoh, Alex English, Doug Abeles; head writer Lauren Ashley Smith; co-executive producers Jo Honig, Kristen Everman, Brittany Scott Smith; and creator/executive producer/host Robin Thede.
The panelists touch on such topics as: Thede's spontaneous pitch of the show idea after the cancellation of "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," on which she served as head writer; her surprise when it was quickly accepted; her role as the sole current black female late-night show host; her mentors, including Larry Wilmore, executive producer Chris Rock, and Samantha Bee; the writers' efforts to learn Thede's distinctive voice and represent "what's missing from late-night"; Thede's "stalking" of the social media-shy Abeles; the significance and many positive elements of the show's predominantly female production staff; praise for the graphics department and their challenging last-minute changes and updates; scrambling to rewrite the show's pilot after the November 2016 presidential election; creating an "even mix" of depressing political content and more lighthearted pop-culture stories; Thede's efforts to have a specific, nuanced take on political stories, rather than simple outrage at injustices; creating an "ode" to black culture without explaining references to white viewers, contrasted with Thede's role on "Nightly"; crafting very short sketches and segments that are heavy on both comedy and meaningful content; why Thede avoids portraying a "character" during interview segments; finding hopeful and comedic elements in complicated stories; the use of Thede's voiceover as a surrogate for the viewers' impassioned "response" to the stories; the use of music to augment the subjects explored; how artists are chosen for the "pop-up concert" segments, with inspiration from the musical guest segments on "Chappelle's Show"; Smith's groundbreaking role as the second black female head writer of a comedy show, after Thede herself; the show's "no-holds-barred" policies about criticizing black celebrities when appropriate; and the great enthusiasm of the show's live studio audience.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: Thede's interest in hiring and encouraging team members who have been "underestimated at other jobs"; her distress at the cancellation of "Nightly" after only one season; their hopes for a second-season renewal; how Thede built her career by making herself an "invaluable asset" capable of mimicking any comedian's style; creating a "Black-sonian" photo display on the show's set, highlighting many significant figures in African-American history; fond memories of the show's premiere night; dealing with sexism and maintaining one's authenticity; Thede's "pro-crying policy" on the set; Abeles' remarkable knowledge of black culture; and the show's many "Easter eggs," including joke headlines displayed in the background.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132196
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Roy Wood Jr. … Moderator
- Cody Wilkins … Panelist
- Ziwe Fumudoh … Panelist
- Alex English … Panelist
- Doug Abeles … Panelist
- Lauren Ashley Smith … Panelist
- Jo Honig … Panelist
- Kristen Everman … Panelist
- Brittany Scott Smith … Panelist
- Robin Thede … Panelist
- Tracy McGraw … Guest
- Samantha Bee
- Dave Chappelle
- Chris Rock
- Larry Wilmore