As a seasoned gamer of comedy and sketch shows, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Michael Che‘s latest venture. With over a decade under his belt at Saturday Night Live, he’s proven time and again that he can handle the pressure and the laughs. Now, he’s diving into uncharted waters with his new late-night show, Don’t Sleep with Michael Che.
Michael Che has been juggling two roles, moving between Saturday Night Live, where he recently marked a decade as the “Weekend Update” host, and Manhattan’s City Winery, where he is developing a new late-night program.
Michael Che’s working title is “Don’t Sleep with Michael Che“, a phrase he finds amusing. The rest of it, he admits, is still up in the air. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter that sometimes he needs to push himself to perform and experiment, especially since ideas often lose steam in his mind. “I have no idea where this will lead,” he said, “but who knows, perhaps NBC might air it late at night.
Based on Late Nighter’s account from his debut performance in late August, the atmosphere was quite exploratory – it felt more like John Mulaney’s “Everybody Loves LA” than “The Tonight Show.” The standout moments from the initial test show included an impromptu Dating Game-style panel with a few audience members and interspersed fake advertisements by Che. However, there were still elements typical of late-night shows, such as his improvised desk and couch setup, along with the usual comedy segment followed by interviews with guests. The interviews, though, were less structured and more “freewheeling” compared to traditional late-night shows. (As per the City Winery website, ticket prices range from $30-$35, and cell phones are prohibited.)
Che has talked about the project with his superior and mentor Lorne Michaels, who oversees late-night shows for Seth Meyers (“Late Night”) and Jimmy Fallon (“The Tonight Show”). Although he’s considered presenting the concept to potential buyers, he seems content to continue refining it through audience testing at this point. “I believe comedy fans decide what they want to watch,” Che said, implying that he would prefer to perform it live initially, gather feedback, and discover the show’s identity in response. Eventually, he hopes to have a product to sell based on this process.
It remains uncertain whether this will turn out to be his plan for departing from SNL. For the time being, Che maintains his affection for the long-running sketch comedy series, acknowledging that there are instances when he finds himself so enamored with it that it makes him want to distance himself completely. In a recent interview with THR, when asked about his plans for the show’s upcoming 51st season, Che stated, “I prefer not to dwell on it because I believe it might dampen my spirits for the rest of the year. I just… I can’t say for sure.
For now, he’s delighting in his part-time job and is pleased that people appear to be appreciating it as well. “I’m enjoying myself,” he quipped, “it’s like any fresh relationship; you can’t rush into discussing long-term commitments.
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2024-10-02 16:55