Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
What better way to prepare for the fast-approaching weekend than by indulging in the some of the Internet’s most well-done web content? Take advantage of your lunch break and treat yourself to Afternoon Delight, Decider’s carefully curated picks of the best short-form content available on the world wide web. This week we’re spotlighting The Earliest Show, a late night talk show from Funny Or Die masquerading as a morning show.
Starring Ben Schwartz (perhaps best known as the absurdly funny Jean Ralphio from Parks & Recreation) and Lauren Lapkus (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Jurassic World) as hosts Josh Bath and Samantha Newman, The Earliest Show takes place at 3am, when most people are ending their day. Schwartz brings back his hilarious singing talents that were frequently on display during his performance as Jean Ralphio, and the duo banters off one another and tortures their producer, Mark.
This zany talk show does everything a morning show should – on-air proposals, work out sessions, cooking segments, guest interviews, and more – but it’s targeted towards insomniacs, graveyard shift workers, and people who are probably just ending a long evening of partying. The episodes feature a variety of celebrity guests – the first is basketball star Reggie Miller, who helps talk Josh through his anxieties as he informs the audience that he’s going to propose to his girlfriend live on the show. Inevitably, Josh’s proposal plan goes awry, and his girlfriend leaves him, putting an uncomfortable damper on the end of the first episode.
With a series of amazing guests ahead including Jake Johnson, Reggie Watts, Thomas Middleditch, Jane Levy, Pedro Pascal, and more, the show also dives into the lives of Josh and Sam (the depiction of Josh’s unraveling post-botched proposal is a highlight). Equipped with uproarious dance moves, a frequently off-topic Twitter Q&A segment, and a tendency to go off-script, The Earliest Show is only like your other favorite morning talk shows on the surface – underneath it all, Schwartz and Lapkus deliver a delightfully absurd web series that should be at the top of your list.
Check out the third episode, featuring New Girl star Jake Johnson, above, and be sure to visit Funny Or Die for more of The Earliest Show – episodes premiere every Tuesday through December 6!
Jade Budowski is an indecisive sometimes-writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.
