Comedy Central‘s The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore got unceremoniously axed this week and we’re devastated. With Larry’s departure, the late-night time slot just isn’t going to be the same. It’s great that @midnight will be moving to a more accessible time — even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense given the title — but The Nightly Show was something special.
Here we look at the top reasons why we’re going to deeply miss Larry and his rag-tag band of contributors.
Larry Is a Self-Confessed ‘Blerd’
Larry Wilmore describes himself as a “blerd,” or black nerd, and when a nerd of any variety is loud and proud about their nerdish tendencies, we’re in love. Not only is he down with all the political happenings and to-dos around the country, but he’s also a mega Star Wars, sci-fi, and fantasy fan.
Diverse Voices
Not only was Larry one of the few black late-night hosts on TV, but the show also paved the way for a variety of diverse voices. This clearly deliberate choice to allow equality across a range of perspectives made the show what it was. Many of The Nightly Show contributors had the opportunity to discuss topics that spoke to them in a way no other show has the guts to do. And it wasn’t just his contributors who came from diverse backgrounds either; they also invited guests with unique viewpoints to appear on the show.
The Recurring Segments
Some of the funniest moments from The Nightly Show were their recurring segments. Grace Para’s “Nightly, Nightly” bits were always fun, as she would turn serious news into a gossip-style piece.
Mike Yard was another who stood out with his recurring segments. One of his best moments were from his crazy conspiracy theories. From his underground bunker, he makes incredible leaps of logic to highlight a point. However deep down the rabbit hole he might go, it was always entertaining seeing how he’d connect the dots. Another favorite was “Pardon the Integration” where he and Rory Albanese would debate controversial subjects and then the two would swap sides and argue the other side.
Franchesca Ramsey was also great at bringing feminist issues to the fore with her “Hash it Out” segments.
Outspoken in All the Right Ways
Larry’s controversial comment at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner aside, he and The Nightly Show gang were never ones to shy away from tough topics. Openly calling out racial and gender injustice, their outspoken, unapologetic views were some of the most important conversations on TV.
While Last Week Tonight and Full Frontal both pick up the slack in the political comedy arena, you can’t replace The Nightly Show‘s unique perspective. In a time of political turmoil and unrest, this is when we need a show like this even more. With The Daily Show‘s dip in ratings, the late-night space now has a giant black hole, so to speak.
Larry Always Keeps It ‘a Hunnid’
As per the above point, not only are Larry Wilmore and the show’s contributors known for being outspoken, they also keep it 100. They’re never afraid to share their views and be true to their beliefs, and that’s what made the show worthwhile.