They are a no commitment entry point…It's not a criticism, it’s just true: I don’t need to be a nightly Kimmel viewer to watch/appreciate Zendaya reading mean tweets. While frequent viewers of Last Week Tonight might have a deeper reference of local news flops, nothing stops a new viewer from appreciating out of touch anchors trying to integrate a trendy internet term into their banter.** Celebrity-centric segments have the added benefit of said celebrity’s fan base. The common thread here: Viewers don’t need context beyond a general grasp of pop culture and a sense of humor. Think Letterman and Conan versus the individually consumable segments that made up a lot of pop culture content in the late 2010s (Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, Kimmel’s Celebrities Read Mean Tweets, any game on Jimmy Fallon).
I wasn’t the only one who noticed this, Jackals and “professional” critics ( also here ) alike noted that Seth’s show seemed better suited for dedicated nightly viewers than the types that usually make up the audience. Once I started explaining the importance of multiple feuds and bits, I realized just how much the show has evolved into the best form of itself since the pandemic.
