Today's Entertainment

2 • September 15 - 21, 2019 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media L ate-night talk shows have been a staple of television programming for decades, but a new host is about to shake things up with a fresh take on the tried-and-true format. YouTube phenomenon Lilly Singh ("Fahrenheit 451," 2018) moves to TV as she hosts "A Little Late With Lil- ly Singh," premiering Monday, Sept. 16, on NBC. The new show features traditional late-night interviews, of course, but also pre-taped comedy sketches and segments featuring her signature brand of humor. Singh announced the show on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" back in March, and she was eager to share her ideas for the new late-night pro- gram. "I'm so excited because I truly get to create a show from scratch," Singh said. "I get to make it inclu- sive, I get to create comedy segments and interview peo- ple and really cre- ate something that I be- lieve in." She went on to explain that "A Lit- tle Late With Lilly Singh" will be a lit- tle like her YouTube channel, IISuper- womanII, which has nearly 15 million subscribers. Featuring a mix of come- dy segments, motivational messages and collaborations with some of her famous friends, her YouTube channel has taken the internet by storm, earn- ing her numerous accolades, includ- ing Streamy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and a People's Choice Award. She also has a vlog channel, created in 2011, where she chroni- cles her daily activities. In 2017, Forbes ranked Singh 10th on the magazine's list of the world's high- est-paid YouTubers and named her the top influencer in the entertain- ment category. For YouTube fans who may be concerned that she'll nix her beloved channel now that she's got a primo late-night gig, fear not. In a YouTube video announcing "A Little Late," Singh in- sisted: "I would not abandon my YouTube family." The internet may have made her a star, but Singh is also an accom- plished entertainer, having ap- peared on television and in movies, as well as in a number of music vid- eos. She released a visual music piece on YouTube called "Voices" in 2016 and appeared in the music vid- eo for Maroon 5's "Girls Like You." Her movie credits include "Dr. Cab- bie" (2014), "Ice Age: Collision Course" (2016) and "Bad Moms" (2016). She guest starred as herself in an episode of Disney Channel's "Bizaardvark." She became an author in 2017 when she released her book "How to be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life," which became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. With all of these accomplishments under her belt, it's safe to say that Singh is a modern-day Renaissance woman. What's even more amazing is that she's done all of this by the time she turned 30, and she'll contin- ue to break new ground in "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." When her new late-night show premieres, she'll be the first woman to host her own late- night TV show on one of America's "Big 4" networks: NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS. She's also the first openly bisex- ual woman of color to helm such a show in the U.S. "A Little Late's" format may be different than other late-night shows, but that could be a good thing. While a lot of late-night talk shows focus on current events and politics, Singh's show is expected to be more personal, mining her own experiences for comedy, similar to the YouTube content that made her a star. Not having to rely on the news of the day will allow the cast and crew to film all 96 episodes of the show's debut season this fall, an ambitious undertaking. Luckily, Singh no longer has to go it alone in making her com- edy segments and coming up with content. She'll have a whole roster of talented writers and behind-the- scenes talents working with her on the NBC show. "I'm thrilled to be collaborating with this all-star team of writers as we work to bring a new, authentic perspective to late night," Singh said in an official NBC news release an- nouncing the premiere. In addition to Singh, the core group of writers includes Sean O'Connor ("The Late Late Show With James Corden"), Marina Cockenberg ("The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"), Sergio Serna ("Alternatino With Arturo Castro"), Jen Burton ("Alternatino With Arturo Castro") and new comedy writers Mona Mira and Jonathan Giles. Industry pundits have already been praising the gen- der-balanced writing room. John Irwin, who has experience in live telecasts and comedy with such credits as "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and "MadTV," has signed on as an executive producer. Co-ex- ecutive producers include O'Connor, Casey Spira ("NBC's New Year's Eve"), Polly Auritt ("The Shannara Chronicles") and Sarah Weichel ("A Trip to Unicorn Island," 2016). Ryan Polito is set to direct "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." Singh and her cohorts are expect- ed to attract a fresh, digitally savvy audience to NBC's late night with her loyal fan base, and the network is giv- ing people who may not be familiar with Singh an opportunity to get to know her in "A Little Late With Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special," on Wednesday, Sept. 18, right after the season finale of "America's Got Tal- ent." In the special, Singh conducts interviews, participates in games and sketches and interacts with the audi- ence. New 'bawse' in town Lilly Singh takes over late night Cover Story this week Lilly Singh, host of "A Little Late With Lilly Singh" Conan A panel is celebrating the 90th anniversary of Popeye! Popeye should appeal to millennials since he's covered in tattoos and has a plant-based diet. President Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer has been cast in "Dancing with the Stars" — or, as the show is now called, "Dancing." A Mexican court ruled that people can use cocaine legally. Now Mexico is worried about us coming over there. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon A chef was going through customs at the airport in Los Angeles when he got caught with a bag full of piranhas. But they let him go when he was like, "Those are my emotional support piranhas." Scientists have built a six-foot, 10-inch robot that can hit perfect three-pointers. Unfortunately, rival scientists built a six-foot, 11-inch robot that can say, "Not in my house!" Two dentists in Virginia were caught giving free dental work to people who agreed to be their drug mules. Police got suspicious when they saw several meth heads who still had teeth. Budweiser is making beer with marijuana. There's actually a name for beer that's infused with weed: Nyquil. The Late Late Show with James Corden More than 50% of Americans have used swimming pools as an alternative to showering. I'm not American — don't look at me! This is on you guys. I'm not one of you! Swimming pools aren't for getting clean. A swimming pool has only two purposes: swimming and peeing. Nearly one-third of millennials say they don't have enough money to go on dates. It's a great excuse I wish I had in my teens. Late Laughs Downloadthe"VistBrainerd"App intheAppleorGooglePlayStores. Events,lodgingandthingstodo inthepalmofyourhand. VISITBRAINERD PlanningYour VisittoBrainerd JustGotEasier. TheOfficialDMOforBaxterandBrainerd,MN EntertainmentGuide_July_2x4.indd 1 6/26/2019 12:42:53PM Truth Lutheran Church 501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com An LCMC Congregation …Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship To help support BCA: Make a tax deductible donation: BrainerdCommunityAction.org and use the "Click Here to Donate" Button. Brainerd Community Action is looking forward to launching its very first COMMUNITY GIVE BACK GRANT! 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