It’s been brutal leading up to the 2016 Presidential Election, what with scandals at every turn, viscous name calling, and news coverage that sounds straight from The Onion, if not a horror movie. It has created an environment of great anxiety, animosity, and sadness among our fellow Americans. But with every tragic twist and turn the Trump vs. Clinton trail has lead us, there has always been a group of heroes to help lift our spirits and give us hope. And by that I mean the Late Night heroes of Comedy!
You know who I’m talking about - Colbert, Bee, Noah, Meyers, McKinnon, so on and so forth. For every tear we shed for the state our country, they were the ones who helped turn our pain into laughter, if not just for a moment, while in our pajamas half-way through a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. And as the dreaded day of November 8th approaches, here is your guide to every late night election special and comedy coverage to get through this troubling time.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live’s 42nd Season is one of the most watched in years - mostly due to their hilarious political debate sketches starring SNL cast member Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, and guest star Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump. The series will be airing The 2016 SNL Election Special on November 7th, the eve of Election Day, at 10:00pm on NBC - which will include a compilation of all the political satire and “Weekend Update” election coverage bits from this season, as well as a select few from last. Who knows - maybe one of the candidates will make a special appearance on the show, or we could see the return of Larry David as Bernie Sanders! It’ll be a night of nasty woman and bad hombre jokes to remember.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Though Noah has had a rocky start succeeding the not-late-but-great Jon Stewart, the past few weeks of election coverage on the comedy news show have been nothing but excellent - highlighting the Halloween special that aired this week, surrounding an entire episode on what a post-apocalyptic America would look like if Trump does become president. Spooky! The Daily Show will have a one-hour live election special on November 8th at 11:00pm, where Noah will breakdown the post-election results with the rest of his hilarious news team.
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee may be new to the late-night line up, but she sure doesn’t act like it. In a world usually run by white males, Bee has proven herself to be a fierce competitor - what with her snarky wit, confidence, and epic takedown segments. Her piece on the theory that Donald Trump can’t read is definitely worth watching! You can catch Samantha’s pre-election episode on Monday November 7th at 10:30pm on TBS, and then watch her take on the traumatic aftermath Wednesday November 9th, also at 10:30pm.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Oh, Stephen. What would politics be without you? As you may know, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is no stranger to going live, having covered the Democratic and Republican conventions, as well as the presidential and vice presidential debates in real-time. You can get more live Colbert in the days before and after the election on November 7th and 9th at 11:35pm on CBS. Not enough Stephen? No problem! There will be a November 8th Election Day live one-hour special called “Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going to Clean Up This Sh*t?” on Showtime at 11:00pm. The special will be filmed at the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC where The Late Show is shot, where Colbert can give an un-filtered take on the election results as they roll in. To quote Stephen, “It’ll be all the political comedy you love from my CBS show, with all the swearing and nudity you love from Showtime”.
Late Night with Seth Meyers
While Seth hasn't announced any plans for an election special or live showing, it’s hard to talk about the presidential race without the Late Night host. Though it was a tricky transition from SNL to his new hosting gig, Meyers found his footing behind a familiar desk with a show that feels right at home with “Weekend Update” styled segments. In particular, Seth’s “A Closer Look” has become a smash hit among viewers. Using satire and intense fact checking, the segment has become a reliable, hard-hitting, and hilarious staple on the show. Seth isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, unlike other late-night series such as The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon that try to appeal to all sides of the political spectrum. After Trump banned The Washington Post from having press credentials to his campaign rallies, the Late Show reacted by banning Trump from ever coming on their show in the name of freedom of the press. Check out Late Night with Seth Meyers weeknights at 12:35am on NBC!
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