Last Thursday, CBS aired the final episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." This Thursday, the first-ever late-night show produced by the show's creators premiered on YouTube. It's an almost too-obvious glimpse into what the future of this media format might look like.
«"Our tagline is, 'The evolution of the late-night talk show is here,'" Ben Glieb, host of "Good Night with Ben Glieb," told TheWrap.
For the 47-year-old comedian, this isn't just a slogan. The first episode of "Good Night" featured several traditional elements of the late-night show format: a guest band (led by Keith Harris of the Black Eyed Peas), an opening monologue by Gleib, a celebrity interview (filmmaker and podcaster Kevin Smith), two pre-recorded interviews with passersby, and a roundtable discussion with two of Gleib's guests (comedians Zainab Johnson and Brent Pella).
But between these time-tested moments were elements one might expect only in the YouTube era. Instead of a spacious, chilly studio, Gleib films his show in a converted part of his home. While a few live viewers watched the show on Thursday, a projector to Gleib's side projected a wall of people who had purchased tickets online and watched the premiere live before it was posted to YouTube on Friday. Smith's interview didn't last the typical seven to ten minutes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" or "Late Night with Seth Meyers"; instead, it lasted half an hour, more like a podcast episode than a TV show. Later, writer Max Lugavere joined Smith for an even longer conversation with Gleib. And when the episode ended, Gleib moved his makeshift studio to another part of the house—a move straight out of the live-streaming arsenal that allowed his audience a behind-the-scenes look at both his evening show and the after-party.
«"We're trying to honor the format's history while also taking it to a whole new level. Everything will be uncensored, and there will be a lot of swearing," Gleib said.
«"Good Night" didn't just pop up out of nowhere. The showrunner and executive producer of this late-night series is Stewart Bailey, a late-night show veteran known for "The Daily Show," "Last Call with Carson Daly," and the short-lived but culture-changing "The Jon Stewart Show." Nikki Glaser and Scott Galloway are also supporting the series and are slated to appear in future episodes.
«"Working on [the song 'Good Night'], I feel a freedom I haven't felt in a long time," Bailey told TheWrap. "There's no one to attach ourselves to or bridges to burn because we're starting from scratch.".
For Bailey, the song "Good Night" is a reminder of why he was initially drawn to the late-night show. A stalwart of the comedy scene, Bailey worked with Gleib for years and long admired both his humor and his ability to improvise with the audience on the fly. They also share a deep love for the same late-night star.
«"We were both inspired by the early '80s Letterman. That's how I got into the late-night shows," Bailey said. "I didn't even understand a lot of the jokes, but I loved the tone and the irony.".
So when Gleib contacted Bailey about fulfilling his longtime dream of hosting a late-night show, he jumped at the chance. "It's not that I'm going back. I'm just going back to the freedom of rolling up my sleeves and hosting a show," Bailey said.
«"Historically, getting a job on a late-night show was impossible unless you were offered one, but things changed. YouTube became the most powerful entertainment platform on the planet, and I realized I could just make my dream come true," Gleib said. "I'd been developing and building this project in my head for five years.".
There's another important reason Gleib and Bailey were drawn to YouTube. Because the team is creating their show from scratch, they don't have to submit to any network executives or corporate demands that can put intense pressure on talent and stifle creativity.
«"For the first time, we'll offer real value to viewers on our evening show by inviting—along with celebrities—guests who can truly change their lives: thought leaders, innovators, experts," Gleib said, noting that since the show will be broadcast on YouTube, viewers will have an easier time than ever discovering his guests' work. "Plus, I'm much more excited about creating comedy that reaches across the globe, without having to ask Chris Hemsworth for the fifteenth time if [Thor's] hammer is still heavy.".
«"When you're creating a YouTube show, you're essentially writing it because you believe in it, not because you think it'll be a hit with viewers or a ratings hit," Bailey said. "We don't need to entertain millions. I'd love to achieve that with Ben, and I think it's possible for us, but that pressure can be paralyzing. So trying to create something from scratch offers a certain freedom that reminds you of what you loved about it in the first place.".
There's also a commitment to flexibility with "Good Night." As the audience and the team evolve, Gleib and Bailey expect the show to evolve. This level of adaptability is something popular late-night shows can't easily replicate.
«"I plan to make this show a living, ever-evolving document. I want it to change from week to week. We'll experiment with length, format, segment types, level of interactivity, camera angles, lighting—everything we can to add different twists to this recipe until it's perfect," Gleib said. "I think it'll be forever evolving.".
«"We have a philosophy that if something goes [technically] wrong, we accept it," Bailey said. "It's part of the spirit of the show, which is that if you have a diverse crew, it's going to look a bit sloppy at times.".
After the release of its first episode, "Good Night" is still in its infancy. But Gleib hopes his show will inspire "thousands of people" to take a chance and try their hand at creating their own independent series.
«"I look forward to the moment when David Letterman—one of my heroes and idols—or Stephen Colbert, or Jimmy Kimmel, or Arsenio Hall, or Jay Leno, or Conan O'Brien will be sitting in a chair next to me at my desk in my home studio and supporting what we do, paying homage to the format they so masterfully created," Gleib said. "I really hope I make them proud.".
New episodes of "Good Night with Ben Gleib" are released Fridays on YouTube.
The article "How YouTube's First Late Night Show Was Both an Ode to and an Evolution of the Media Format" originally appeared on TheWrap. .