John Mulaney’s Raw New Show Proves Late Night TV Can Be Real & Hilarious

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When John Mulaney came out with Everybody’s in L.A. in May 2024, I wrote about why the former Saturday Night Live writer’s Netflix original series was a game-changer for late night TV. And now that the continuation/follow-up/whatever you want to call it – Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney – is out, I am once again here to preach the gospel to anyone with a Netflix subscription. And while we’re only one episode into the 12-week run, the suit-wearing stand-up comedian is once again blowing me away with his spin on the tried-and-true format.

As a passionate movie-goer, I find myself consistently drawn to the candidness of John Mulaney – a man who fearlessly lays bare his personal experiences, from battling sobriety to standing by Olivia Munn during her cancer struggle, and embracing fatherhood of two. Remarkably, when it comes to tackling the trickier aspects of life, he remains open, sincere, and side-splittingly funny. Frankly, this kind of unfiltered honesty is a breath of fresh air.

Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney Started With Cancer And Sobriety Jokes, And They Weren’t Tasteless

A lot has happened in the comedian’s life between his first and second late night TV show runs, and he started off the premiere episode of Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney by tackling two of the biggest stories surrounding him: sobriety and cancer. And though Mulaney was quick to joke about Olivia Munn’s breast cancer treatment making “her, at times, so dumb,” he said it such a loving, caring, and hilarious way that it never felt cheap, crude, or tasteless.

At one point, he talked about Munn having “cancer brain, not brain cancer,” and how the various treatments she’s undergone during her challenging, multi-year fight have made her a bit ditzy at times. At another part in his opening monologue (with clipboard in hand), Mulaney addressed his previous drug issues by describing the show as a “live jazz-like unpredictable talk show” and that he couldn’t do cocaine or adderall anymore, so he’s making it the world’s problem. Will the show get his heart rate up to the level where he feels alive? “We shall see,” as he put it.

Hell, The Main Theme Of The First Episode Was ‘Lending People Money’

As was the case with Everybody’s in L.A., Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney will have a different theme for each episode. But unlike the first go-around with its more Los Angeles-centric topics, the first episode in his new show was about someone everyone loves talking about: lending people money.

I love how, instead of starting off with something that doesn’t make everyone cringe, Mulaney came out swinging to make us feel as uncomfortable as humanly possible. But this doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny, because watching folk singer Joan Baez, and best Batman actor Michael Keaton answer strangers’ calls about lending or borrowing money from friends and family was honestly one of the funniest experiences I’ve had on the 2025 TV schedule so far.

I Think The Cute, Fluffier Humor Of Other Late Night Shows Is Great, But This Is Honestly So Refreshing

Don’t get me wrong, I totally see why shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert typically have lighter and fluffier segments on their respective shows. People don’t want to be getting all worked up and excitable right before bed, and so games, celebrity interviews, and happy-go-lucky moments involving the best talk show hosts go a long way. But let me tell you, Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney is so refreshing with its more personal and uncomfortable touches.

I mean, where else are you going to see a focus group featuring different people playing Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman, Richard Kind talk about loaning people money, or Saymo the robot making things awkward? That all happened in the first episode, by the way.

If the final 11 episodes of Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney match the boldness and intimacy of their opening episode, it promises to be an incredible journey!

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2025-03-17 17:13