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A few years before the late greatJames Earl Jonestook over as the voice of CNN ca.
These days, however, CNN is taking itself a bit less seriously at least on the weekends.
(First up: Robin Thede and libertarian pundit Matt Welch.)
(CNN is calling it a limited series.)
One big thing working in favor ofHIGNFYdoing well on Max is the shows cast, particularly Wood and Ruffin.
Tell me about how the deal forHave I Got News for Youcame together.
Ive seen it a ton now, but I hadnt watched it on the regular.
I dont know these people.[Laughs.]
It was everyone whos kind of in this space.
It was all the late-night people, the funny news podcasters, the people who had had late-night shows.
How do you see your job on the show?Our job is to … win.
Its a game show first, and Ive got to win no, Im just kidding.
We will go over every last news story during the show.
And each week youll be paired up with someone else from the comedy world, right?
Theres no way we wont.
But sometimes we might have people who are more on the news side.
We might even have news-makers themselves.
We could have politicians.
Were going to feel it out and see what we can handle.
I can definitely see, like, Pete Buttigieg on this show.Wouldnt that be so cool?
I would love that.
But yeah, I have no idea.
I dont even know whos going to be on this Friday.
We did one test show before, and we found out when we got there.
Is that when shows are going to tape?Yeah, its going to tape Friday and air Saturday.
So how will the CNN version differ from what you know of the U.K. edition?
It is overflowing with punch lines.
The goal is to give your fastest answer, and many times thats wrong or silly.
And because were all comedians, its very much like an improvised late-night show.
That is how it behaves.
Itll be different in that the segments are way tighter than your run-of-the-mill British panel show.
I think its very segment heavy and bit heavy, whereas other panel shows can get to yapping.
A little more meandering.Meandering.
I did a bit of a double take when I heard this format was coming to CNN.
I mean, news is in the title of both, so theres some logic.
But I wouldve thought an entertainment web link or streamer would have done this.
Were you surprised when you found out it was for CNN?No, this is really unique.
I would never have guessed that.
I mean, I guessGutfeld!was the beginning of it.
I think a lot of people saw that and were like,Oh, you could dothis…
But it is interesting to just admit it: News is hilarious.
It doesnt matter what channel its on.
So it was really cool of CNN to be like, You know what?
We can go ahead and let comedy seep all the way in which is pretty cool.
You mentioned that this is basically a game show, so do they figure out who wins?
Does Roy basically choose?Roy is deciding who gets points and he can be bought.
Before every show, Im going to give him $20.
Im going to attempt to win this shit.
It is on the whims of Roy.
Its how hes feeling.
So, yeah, Im going to bring him presents.
I want to win.
Where do you get your news from these days, by the way?
So when its actuallynewsand not just Mariah Carey saw a butterfly!
Isnt that a coincidence?, Ill watch one channel at 7 a.m. while Im taping another channel.
Ill watch NBC and Ill tape ABC and then Ill go back and Ill watch ABC.
And if I could tape CBS, I would go back and then watch that 20 minutes.
And Ive always been this way.
I have a news problem.
But we can get headlines now from your little phone will tell you.
My phone has the audacity to text me when news has happened, which is so bold.
Do you watch cable news, too?Im pretty MSNBC.
Im a little CNN.
Like, if something has happened, I will turn to CNN.
If I feel like watching the news, I will watch MSNBC.
And if its seven in the morning, Ill watch connection news.
Has your association with NBCU changed so that youre now a free agent?
I feel like any other boss wouldve been like, Absolutely not!
But I am doing so many projects at NBC, and this takes zero time and zero prep.
I dont have to write.
And Ido.So everyones just like, Yeah, theres no reason not to.
It was the most fun Ill probably ever have.
Live or die, it was exactly what I wanted.
Every minute of that shit was exactly the dream.
The fact that I got to do that still will make me catch my breath.
It was an absolute dream.
What will I take away from it?
This is a crazy thing to say and not at all what youre asking.
But being someones boss is really easy when you love all those people.
I dont know that was what I learned.
And yes, everything I say can be written on a rainbow, but I cant help that.
Your show had to fight for an audience with multiple hands tied behind its metaphorical back.
It launched during the pandemic, which meant no studio audience at first.
It was on Peacock when Peacock was tiny much smaller than it is today.
But its also the latest streaming talk show to not work.
I mean, shit, Id love to know.
You specifically go to streaming to get away from today.
You know what I mean?
I feel like the way we ingest entertainment is so severely in flux.
Im the only person I know who doesnt watch everything on Hulu.
A lot of people just have Hulu.
They have the live option and then they just can watch every channel from that.
Ive got my old-fashioned cable box.
You still have a DVR?Im DVR-ing stuff!
I was like,Oh my God, jeez.
I might as well be videotaping it.
Im not judging at all.
I still have one too.
If the internet goes out, were covered!Thank you.
Also, I feel like if you write TV, you’re free to have TV.
you’ve got the option to have it as a little treat.
SoThe Amber Ruffin Showis over, but youre still onLate Night.
Are you currently working on projects for NBCUniversal beyond Seths show?
But its bad luck to talk about that stuff.
And sinceThe Wizopened, Im working on a musical about Bigfoot.
Is theater going to be your next big era?
But now I can say, This is what I feel like doing.
I actually had no idea you were even in your mid-40s until I started prepping for this chat.
I guess Im socialized as a millennial.
I would say socially Im a millennial, but technically Im Gen X. Thats what I would say.
So it seems wrong to not ask you at least a couple of political questions.
I mean, what are you going to do?
She could never stop and we would laugh ourselves sick, but she is just choosing to be chill.
I mean, she is roasting him a little bit on socials, which is cute.
But I truly think that when does this come out?
After the debate, if thats why youre asking.Yes.
Itll be like a billion of those.
Thats what the debate is going to be.
Its going to be beautiful.
Im going to absolutely love it.
I also didnt realize this until today, but youre from Nebraska.
So is Harriss running mate, Tim Walz.
Anything about Nebraskans you think makes him suitable for the second-highest office in the land?
We all are, and thats what makes us so sturdy.
Can she even get to the mailbox to get her mail?
Let me just take her her mail.
So I do feel like he has a healthy helping of that.
