Streaming colossus Netflix made waves when they announced that they were getting into the talk show game and would be selecting former E! star and noted Trump irritant Chelsea Handler to lead the charge. Handler wasn’t shy in giving her critique of the talk show landscape of the time labeling the scene as “not interesting” and said that peers like Stephen Colbert were merely doing what’s been done before. We’re a healthy stretch removed from the premiere of Chelsea and its promised newness which has apparently led to the decision to retool the Chelsea format for season 2.
Variety reports that the new season of Chelsea, which was dogged by weak viewership and less-than-kind reviews out the gate, will shift into a weekly format. In its previous incarnation, Chelsea had three weekly half-hour episodes a week. The new format offers up the more concentrated dose of a one-hour episode a week every Friday. Presumably, the emphasis on discussing issues will stick around in the new distribution model.
A rocky start didn’t help Chelsea (it only took three weeks for the showrunner to split), but going with a retool to weekly could be a big help. Growing pains aren’t unusual for talk shows. Seth Meyers needed a desk to truly find his groove, Stephen Colbert’s been hitting a sweet spot thanks (is that the word?) to Trump and Trevor Noah seems to be hitting his stride too. Hiccups are sometimes just part of the process and for a company new to this side of things, struggles aren’t a death sentence. Who knows? Chelsea could bounce back beautifully in this current climate. Or it could stink. It’s almost as if it’s up to the folks making it, we suppose.
Chelsea returns on April 14.
(Via Variety)
