So, election night is upon us, and if you’re like me, the burning question isn’t just who’s winning, but who’s actually going to be on TV making jokes about who’s winning. Turns out, not many. While cable news preps for wall-to-wall coverage (complete with interactive maps and enough pundits to fill a small stadium), the late-night landscape is looking surprisingly…empty.
Despite Stephen Colbert’s penchant for live shows during conventions and debates, CBS’ The Late Show has opted mostly for preemption. Apparently, even Colbert can’t compete with the raw, unscripted drama of actual election returns. Viewers in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones will be pre-empted whilst those on the West Coast will experience the thrill of…a repeat performance. At least there’s an interview with vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and John Oliver on Monday.
Over at Comedy Central, however, The Daily Show is bravely venturing into live territory. Jon Stewart and his correspondents will be holding down a one-hour special, aptly titled The Daily Show Presents a Live Election Night Special With Jon Stewart: Indecision 2024: Nothing We Can Do About It Now. The sprawling simulcast will reach across multiple networks, including MTV, Paramount Network, TV Land, CMT, Pop, and Logo – truly, something for everyone.
As for the other broadcast networks, it’s a clean sweep of preemptions. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night With Seth Meyers are all taking the night off, ceding the stage to news coverage. Even John Oliver, usually a reliable source of election week snark, won’t be offering his Last Week Tonight insights on Tuesday, though his regular episode will air on Sunday.
So there you have it. If you’re looking for election night laughs, you might be better off refreshing FiveThirtyEight than channel surfing.
