Audiences Don’t Want ‘Chelsea’ To Turn Into Samantha Bee: Why Handler Needs To Rethink Her Move Towards Political Comedy

The political comedy landscape is a crowded one, and it seems as though Chelsea Handler wants a piece of it. Unfortunately for Handler and Netflix, it’s not really working.

After a rocky start, a much different version of Chelsea premiered on April 14. Instead of Season 1’s three days a week format, Season 2 is now a weekly show, clocking in anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour as opposed to Season 1’s roughly half-hour run time. Also gone is the show’s late night release schedule. Whereas new episodes of Season 1 premiered at midnight PT, Season 2 airs new episodes Fridays at noon PT. This new season has always become a bit more structured, beginning and and ending many of its episodes so far with more traditional desk prices. In short, Chelsea is still figuring itself out in Season 2, but the wandering format of the series and the irreverent tone of its host make for an odd fit in the world of political comedy.

It makes sense why Handler would want to focus more on politics in her second season. Several times on her show and in her interviews, the comedian has expressed that she wants to use her platform to do something good. Also, in 2017, it seems impossible to escape politics. But despite Handler’s good intention and dedication, the fact remains that Chelsea is a bad platform for a late night political comedy show.

The success of series like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is largely connected to their timeliness. All of these shows have been set up so that they can quickly respond to each day’s ever-changing political climate. During a time when health care reform can go from decidedly dead one day to on Senate’s doorstep the next, that rapid-fire pace is crucial. With Season 2, Chelsea doesn’t have that turnaround time, nor has it found a workaround like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has. John Oliver’s show excels at remaining relevant by using its half hour to deep dive into one largely ignored political topic. At it’s current state, Chelsea doesn’t seem to be keeping timeliness in mind. When it comes to political coverage, it’s a weekly talk show that’s trying to quip on a nightly level. Often by the time Handler’s segment has aired, many of her late night peers, several bloggers, and countless Twitter users have already made the same jokes she has.

It’s also worth taking into account Chelsea’s approach to politics compared to her late night peers. Tonally, Handler’s political segments seem closer to The Late Show or The Daily Show than any other late night show. Her takes are solidly funny, but shallow, lacking the investigative bite of Meyers’, Oliver’s, or Bee’s shows. It’s an approach to politics that certainly works for Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah, two hosts with established shows and audiences who are loyal to them and know what to expect. Handler may be an established host and a beloved personality, but Chelsea as a show certainly does not seem to have enough of a hold in today’s TV climate for Handler to comment on outdated news while adding little to the conversation.

Keeping Chelsea’s weaknesses in mind, it helps to look at another recent addition to late night that’s dominating — Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. The TBS show has become such a late night force to be reckoned with it’s honestly shocking that it premiered a little over a year ago. When Full Frontal first aired, it came out kicking, letting its host be as brutal, angry, and unapologetic as she likes while inserting Bee’s many rants with a dose of biting light journalism. Bee’s show works partially because it’s so willing to push boundaries, but largely because it belongs to Bee. There’s rarely a sense that Bee’s impassioned and quippy rants are an act. That’s her, and screaming about injustice is a form that fits her. Likewise, another freshman series that’s been gaining critical attention, Viceland’s Desus & Mero, works for those reasons. These shows are harsh and funny, but more than that they fit their host’s style of comedy and political commentary. Chelsea doesn’t do that. Handler has always branded herself as a sort of cool girl, someone you can drink vodka with and who doesn’t take anything too seriously. That level of indifference doesn’t pair well with a system of political commentary that’s already stacked against her.

All this being said, Handler and Chelsea do have one strength no one is talking about — the interviews. Whereas even the best late night interviews still feel a touch too promotional and safe, Handler excels at bringing out the real personalities of her guests. Often Chelsea’s interviews feel like you’re eavesdropping on a personal conversation, which can be a lot of fun to watch. This skill is shown off in full force during Handler’s dinner party episodes, which often feature uncomfortable and largely uncut conversations about racism, sexism, and politics with big name stars and activists. During these moments, Chelsea shines, and you can see why Netflix would be so eager to hitch its first talk show to Handler. The series also does have its funny moments. In particular Season 2’s “Women Who Are Strong Are Good” starts with a sketch about Trump’s fake theme park that’s really good. The Trumpland commercial works, describing a log ride that’s been made with trees cut from National Parks to a golden shower waterpark. 

That’s why it’s such a shame that no one seems to be talking about Chelsea. There’s a place for both Chelsea and Handler on Netflix. There’s a talk show format that would better fit Handler’s personality and comedic style, something that would highlight her strengths rather than show off her weaknesses, like Full Frontal‘s impassioned rants do for Bee or Last Week Tonight‘s deep dives do for Oliver. However, I don’t know what that show looks like, and it seems neither does Netflix.

Stream Chelsea on Netflix