David Spade shows no signs of rust in late-night return

David Spade returned to late-night as guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

It’s hard to imagine rust is ever a concern for a comedian whose been working for as long as David Spade has been. But then again, hosting a late-night television show in an empty house during a pandemic isn’t a typical gig. Yet that’s exactly what Spade did last night as guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the veteran comic didn’t miss a beat.

A number of stand-up comedians have been brought in to the ABC show while Jimmy Kimmel enjoys his vacation. Whitney Cummings, Sebastian Maniscalco, Iliza Shlesinger, and George Lopez are among those we’ve seen so far. With comedy shows nearly impossible to do thanks to lockdowns, Kimmel has given these comics a chance to stay sharp and get in front of a (television) audience.

Monday night was Spade’s turn and it was a much different atmosphere than when he subbed for Kimmel back in 2017. Spade was without a studio audience yet his monologue still managed to get audible laughter from whoever was behind the camera.

Fans disappointed that Lights Out with David Spade ended earlier this year were eager to see Spade back on late-night television. The comedian delivered with his signature mix of self-deprecation and quick wit.

If you’ve been watching Jimmy Kimmel Live! this summer then you’ve noticed things are relatively quiet on the set. That has been the case across late-night while hosts were doing shows from home with the exception of applause or laughter from family members.

Things changed a bit during David Spade’s monologue. We haven’t exactly heard the kind of laughter that accompanied his monologue. But that’s understandable when jokes about looking like Edie Falco, filming from a Pottery Barn, and packing cocaine like a musket are landing.

David Spade is back hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! again tonight

A scan of Twitter and YouTube reveals what we expected: fans loved seeing David Spade back on television last night. His approach on Lights Out was much different than the rest of late-night and there is still a large part of the audience that wants that kind of comedy. Spade gave them another taste last night and will do the same tonight.

Spade joins a few other guest hosts like Anthony Anderson and Rob Lowe who were given a two-night stint as Jimmy Kimmel’s replacement. Tonight, he interviews actress Lauren Lapkus who he co-starred with in the Netflix comedy The Wrong Missy.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs tonight at 11:35 PM ET on ABC. Be sure to check back with Last Night On for all the highlights.

What did you think of David Spade’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.