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From The Grio: Reports that 'The Wanda Sykes Show' will most likely not return to Fox for another season isn't exactly a newsflash. Debuting on November 7, 2009, the Saturday-only late-night show just had trouble gaining relevancy. When it comes to failing to master late-night television, even when it's a once-a-week deal, Sykes isn't alone. Black comedians just haven't thrived in this medium. A year earlier, D.L. Hughley failed miserably with his CNN weekly 'D.L. Hughley Breaks the News.' To be fair, getting laughs at CNN wasn't exactly a Las Vegas odds winner. Still, what is it about late-night television that spells disaster when a little color is added to the small- screen mix? Is it really the darker the show, the shorter the run? Find out @ The Grio
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By: mark on 5/19/2010 5:57PM
I think the left and our current administration needs to start referring to people as racist if they don't balance out their tv viewing w/more shpws such as Wanda and george and oprah. This obviously works bc look at how many more Democrats have been voted in in the last few mos. since we started that. We need to MAKE people watch what is in their best interests. Congress shhould pass a law.
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By: smittyt on 5/19/2010 9:21AM
Arsenia Hall was doing real good, until that night he had Farrakhan on his show and Farrakhan said that he didn't have any jewish friends, and Arsenia didn;t call him out on it, by saying why don't you have jewish friends, and the favorite line what's wrong with jews,so the master wasn't pleased that night.
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By: ooozzzzz on 5/19/2010 11:47AM
Why Can't Black Hosts Survive Late Night?.......because late night TV is dominated & ruled by the two powerhouse institutions: Late Night & The Tonight Show and not because of current host David Letterman & Jay Leno, but the fact that the fans of these shows are largly White, generational in nature and that fan base gets passed on from generation to generation.
So they don't have to really compete for younger fans because they have repeat customers; each generation has been raised up watching with mom & dad, it get passed on to them and Hollywood stars (no matter who they are) understand that in order to be revelant and get their faces out there (newcomer or veteran of all races and entertainmnt genre) you have to go on either the Tonight Show or Late Night to plug your current or upcoming project. That' a rite of passage.
All those other late night shows with White hosts after Letterman & Leno? They probably will be gone in five years.
That massive black hole that these two shows have created is extremely hard to get in-between and late night Black talk shows & hosts don't have Hollywood support, that generational (stick & stay) Black audience in order to carry over and you have to ethnically expand your audience and guests to be more receptive.
To me, "The Wanda Sykes Show" was not a late night talk show but more of a comedy show and Monique' on BET, will hold on for a while but after so many years, she will start to get repetitive with the same usual guests, same format, her same "it's all about me baby" ish, no variety in her delivery and Black folk will start complaining and get bored. And with BET, you know how they roll; that if she ever dips in the rating and starts affecting the bottom line, instead of standing by her and supporting her, they will drop her show and find something else and if Monique wants to venture into other things, then it's over.
Arsenio Hall had "it" and lost it. I beleieve that he still would be on TV today if not for the Farrakahn thing and it would be the "big three of late night".
When will we see another Black Show like that with a Black host that has the "it" factor? Don't know.
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By: ooozzzzz on 5/19/2010 11:52AM
Also I meant to say that a huge majority of Black folk (especially middle aged and older) watch "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night" so Black Talk shows would have to pull away those Black viewers. And because they do, they also have that generation to generation passed down the line thing going too for these two shows. No all young Black kids watch BET.
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By: dvine on 5/19/2010 12:14PM
could b because there ghetto.. i don't like the monique show.. i laughed more watching the george lopez show.. didn't care for the wanda sykes show either.. it was funny when snoop was on there though..
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By: the realness on 5/19/2010 4:53PM
Plain and simple...black late night show hosts do not last because they do not know how to expand their vision. They are too worried about getting cut because they are black instead of trying to bring in other viewers. They get stuck "keeping it real" and it goes completely wrong. And look whos being putting up as hosts. Can't they find a host that is not annoying? Monique...i wish they would inject the fat she lost into my ears so I wouldnt have to hear her. Wanda Sykes...she was only funny on pootie tang and chris rocks show. DL Hughley...the only time hes funny is when he is clowning on someone. Pretty much black hosts are screwed because if they don't "keep it real" then they are hated on by the black audience and if they broaden their audience they are selling out. Sorry but thats still the world we live in.
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By: romaro on 5/21/2010 9:57AM
i believe it is because they dont cater to a larger audience, simply, they try and cater to a black market. I am so sick of the black power stuff, if we would just be confident as a people and rise above these stereotypical but dang near truths about us we will be ok. I watch monique and the problem i see is like someone stated above, she over exaggerates (spell check)everyone and everything she has on her show. She doesnt go outside herself to talk about things other than the black agenda, i mean, we are not living in a black only world, that is the problem.
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