7 reasons why we need ‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ on television

| TV Editor

This Monday marked the premiere of former “Daily Show” correspondent Samantha Bee’s new late-night program, “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.” Here’s to women taking over the late-night sausage fest! Here are seven reasons why you should join me in watching “Full Frontal” Monday nights at 9:30 on TBS:

No interviews with guests

“Full Frontal” follows in the footsteps of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (Oliver is also a “Daily Show” alum) by scrapping the interview portion of the show. No interviews mean no boring or uncomfortable interactions with odd celebrities in which it becomes painfully apparent that every story has been scripted and planned in a pre-interview. This change also means more time is spent on politics and news instead of promoting celebrities’ upcoming projects. We have plenty of those talk shows and need more shows committed to current events.

Once a week means better production

While only airing on Mondays means we won’t always have the newest information, the once-a-week format of “Full Frontal” allows for well-produced pieces and more attention to detail. A prime example of this is the premiere’s segment on Jeb Bush’s New Hampshire campaign, which played like a sad documentary about Bush’s struggles, complete with a through-the-window shot of a bag of trash in his empty campaign office. With a full week to prepare for each show, everyone will have more time for well-researched and well-produced pre-taped segments.

She comes out swinging… and carrying a noose

Bee didn’t shy away from biting satire and skewering politicians on her first show. She called Hillary Clinton “Hermione Clinton” and made fun of Bernie Sanders’ finger wave in the last debate by suggesting he was trying to flag down a waiter. Naturally, though, she spent most of the time on the Republicans. Bee doesn’t shy away from loudly skewering the hypocritical and ridiculous candidates and came back from a clip holding a noose. Don’t use it, Sam! We need you!

Standing up keeps it moving

So many late-night hosts spend most of the night behind a desk, but Bee spent the entire program standing up and moving around the studio space. While it’s easier for her to stand the whole time due to the removal of an interview segment (it would be strange to see an interview happen while standing), the choice allows her to command the space like a stand-up comedian would. The show feels active and gives Bee control of the room.

“Us” finally includes me

In the boys’ club that is late-night television, there haven’t been many hosts that can use “us” and “we” to refer to women, but now Bee has broken through the glass ceiling to add a female voice to the late-night lineup. On this first episode, Bee uses her sharp wit and feminism to take down a Kansas senator’s attempt to impose a women’s dress code. Every time Bee said “we” or “us,” I felt my little feminist fist raise up a little higher. Representation matters, folks!

Reminder that there isn’t “female” comedy

Female comedians are constantly pushing back against the idea of “women in comedy” and the differences between female and male comedians. The cold open of “Full Frontal” confronts this stereotype by showing Bee being asked typical questions from journalists and critics. She smiles back until revealing the true secret of women: we are all witches. She takes this opening as an opportunity to recognize the supposed challenges of being a woman in comedy and then slaughters those notions throughout the next 30 minutes.

Everyone can recognize the genius of Samantha Bee

After serving as one of “The Daily Show’s” longest running correspondents, Bee is finally front and center on “Full Frontal.” She’s hilarious and here to satirize anything she can get her hands on, and she attacks hypocrisy head-on in a tightly packed 30-minute program. Bee is fierce, confident and in-charge. Her opening title sequence features the Peaches’ song “Boys Wanna Be Her,” and, after this first episode, it is evident that we all want to be Samantha Bee. I have found my new role model.

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