EXCLUSIVE: Fox Eyes Wanda Sykes For Saturday Late Night

Network looking at fall or January launch for 11 p.m. weekly show

By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/31/2009 2:54:25 PM MT

Fox is planning on launching a new Saturday late night show featuring Wanda Sykes, according to sources with knowledge of the network's plans.

The show is said to be more in the mold of Bill Maher's HBO show than a typical talk show. It will air Saturdays at 11 and will be an hour long.

The network is considering launching the show either this fall or in January, when the network has historically launched many projects so as to capitalize on the promotional power of the American Idol audience.

While the network is not bringing back time period occupant MadTV, the future of Spike Feresten's show is also said to be up in the air. Feresten's show has aired after MadTV at midnight, though it did get a recent trial run at 11.

Fox is limiting its late night presence to Saturday nights, but network execs have said they would like to re-launch a weeknight late night show if the right talent was found. They have also said they like the strategy of cultivating new late night shows on Saturdays.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/191000-EXCLUSIVE_Fox_Eyes_Wanda_Sykes_For_Saturday_Late_Night.php

after the first showing, expect to see this

Breaking news: Wanda Sykes late night show has been canceled>

Sorry but nothing can match saturday night live.

SNL is lame. The only thing that's been worthy of being on that show of late is Tina Fey's Sarah Palin skits.

true it is lame but its an established show and the big dog to beat at that time.

I think SNL is funny as hell. It was bad for a while but I think they have a lot of funny people on now.

will it be in HD ? :rolleyes:

Sykes is someone I think is funny in small doses.She was only vaguely amusing in her sort-of-cameo appearances on early seasons of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (as Cheryl's best friend). And that was on HBO where there was no problem with her doing her stand-up so-called comedy.

Personally, I don't find her overtly black/ghetto way of talking and general mannerisms and humor to be all that humorous, at least not to me. Yes, of course I know who and what she is, and I'm plenty open minded.

I'm not against blacks (I find others, e.g. Aisha Tyler, to be MUCH funnier and entertaining, through their intelligence and their wit). And I'm not against lesbians (I tape/watch Rachel Maddow every day and had previously listened to her for years on AAR). I just like comedy in my comedians, and I have tired of Wanda's heavy-handed approach. Didn't she used to have a show of her own on Comedy Central?


Betting this show is more in the vein of Chelsea Handler.Can't see it. Chelsea Handler (who's show I tape/watch every night) is genuinely amusing, and I really enjoy her type of sarcasm and humor. I also love her spontaneity and realism when interviewing guests. She's a real person, and I really like this show.

But Wanda is a different kind of person.

On FOX? Hmmm...

She was also a semi-regular for one season on HBO's 'Inside the NFL'. She did a little comedy piece at the end of most of that season's shows. The studio hosts seemed to think she was hi-larious. Of course, they were being paid to think so. ;) Ditto with Louis Black the following season. All I kept thinking was... They cut some of the NFL Films game highlights for this? One of the reasons why I shed no tears when the program moved to Showtime. (not that they've been much better...)

yeah, I don't think this will last long. She can be kind of funny I guess, but I would never even make a minimal effort to see any part of this show. She wasn't bad in Pooty-Tang. I'm going to sine your pitty on the runny kine!