Thanksgiving 2020: Five things late night TV fans should be thankful for
By Matt Moore
In honor of Thanksgiving, we look at what late night TV fans should be thankful for in 2020
Happy Thanksgiving! The holiday may not look or sound the same this year but the spirit of the day should be just as strong. Of course, everyone wants to be with friends and family today but for many, that’s not possible. But Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for what we have, not necessarily what we want.
Here at Last Night On, that means expressing gratitude for what we have in late night television. Is it the most important thing in the world? No, not by a long shot. But for millions of people, late night TV is part of their daily lives and can offer comfort in trying times.
2020 was certainly unlike anything else we’ve seen. The novel coronavirus pandemic upended everything and likely has changed life for good. Then came the presidential election and subsequent fallout, adding more to the list of things we’ve never quite seen before.
So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of five things that late night TV fans should be thankful for in 2020. Be sure to let us know your picks in the comment section!
Late night TV Thanksgiving list: Zoom
Everyone probably has a love/hate relationship with Zoom in 2020. It has been a tremendous help in connecting families separated during the quarantine. But it has also created some annoying habits among coworkers and not everyone is as comfortable on video.
In the world of late night TV, Zoom has been an essential part of keeping the show going. When shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live! decided to broadcast from home, filming on iPhones and conducting interviews via Zoom were key.
Zoom not only let interviews remain a part of late night TV, but it was an asset for both the hosts and the viewers at home. Fans were given a unique look into the lives of their favorite stars and celebrities. The conversations with hosts seemed more personal and that translated to a more engaged audience.
And as evident in the clip above in which Conan O’Brien walked Lizzy Caplan through a haircut via Zoom, late night hosts found a way to make it funny. The video call became the source for countless monologue jokes and late night bits that fans surely appreciated.