TVNZ 2 Rejigs Thursdays With New Trump-Bashing Gig

TVNZ 2’s wall-to-wall reality fare on Thursday nights is soon to be leavened by a new “spiky satire” show starring a Bristolian comedian who toured here in July.

The Russell Howard Hour will air 9.30 Thursdays from October 19, a month after its UK debut — which may be too big a gap for this topical gig to deliver on its promise of a “fresh take on the week’s biggest headlines and stories” when Last Week Tonight With John Oliver screens here within days of the US.

For instance, last week Howard addressed the Las Vegas mass shooting. Reports Chortle:

He said that ‘thoughts and prayers’ were not enough to help the victims and said the President failed to call murderer Stephen Paddock a terrorist because he was white.

Howard also mocked Trump’s previous comments that terrorist atrocities such as the Paris attacks would not have happened had some of the victims been armed.

The Daily Telegraph dubbed the latest Daily Show pretender a “sideways look at the news”:

Howard’s surprisingly large fanbase might have tuned in expecting his usual brand of wide-eyed wit and observational whimsy. Instead, what they got was something altogether more politicised and hard-hitting …

Overall, it was a treat to find Howard showing so much bite. With an all-female cast and confrontational material, he was clearly setting out his stall to be edgier than his good-natured reputation.

Howard told the Mirror: “There are loads of topics in it which I am really ­interested in trying to make funny and exciting because they are things I give a f*** about. This is the only TV show I could make at the minute.”

I couldn’t make a frothy show, like getting people from Love Island to eat meringues off each other’s nipples or playing swingball with Little Mix. Because it feels like every one of us is fascinated with the world at the moment so I want to do a show that reflects the woe and wonder of existence.

Trade paper Broadcast reports The Russell Howard Hour “started well …. with a strong, young-skewing audience” for Sky 1, where it was commissioned for a 14-week run.

Meanwhile, appearing this week on Prime’s politicised Late Show With Stephen Colbert are:

• Jackie Chan, Tig Notaro, Bob Schieffer and Trombone Shorty sits in with Jon Batiste and Stay Human (11.20 tonight)
• Tracee Ellis Ross, Luke Evans and a musical performance by Jade Bird (12.55am Thursday)
• Andrew Garfield, Tracy Ullman and a musical performance by Wolf Parade (10.35 Thursday)
• Bill Murray, Claire Foy and a musical performance by Murray with Jan Vogler and Friends (10.30 Friday)
• Conan O’Brien and magician Derek DelGaudio (10.30 Monday).