Seth Meyers has a radical new way to do breaking news on his show

By Joe Berkowitz

May 18, 2018

What: A robot-tongue-in-cheek attempt to keep with the news on a late-night talk show.

 

Who: Seth Meyers

Why we care: Late-night TV has been going to extremes trying to keep up with the constant barrage of chaos that defines the Trump era. Since these shows tape in the afternoon, it’s difficult to cram in late breaking news. Stephen Colbert has had to rely on his improv chops lately to respond to ear-whispered dispatches during his tapings. Seth Meyers, however, debuted a new alternative solution during his Thursday night show.

“It’s been a truly crazy 48 hours,” Meyers says. “In fact, I’m just gonna sit here with my mouth open so they can digitally add in all the breaking news that will happen after we tape this show tonight but before it airs.”

The host then dramatically lowers his jaw while a robot voice announces actual Trump news from the day, along with some mildly implausible scenarios the writers made up just in case. It’s a jokey solution that perfectly articulates a persistent, impossible-to-solve problem of being a TV host in these strange times.

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