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Brainerd Dispatch • July 26 - August 1, 2020 •20 By Rachel Jones TV Media B uzzing over airwaves largely dominated by men, Samantha Bee ("Sisters," 2015) does not mince words when it comes to her opinions or feisty retorts. The Bee is back again for more biting satire on Wednesday, July 29, when a new episode of "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" airs on TBS. Bee, a Canadian-American co- median, TV host, writer, producer and actor, spent over a decade on the Comedy Central juggernaut "The Daily Show" before transi- tioning into her own satirical news and current affairs TV show in 2016. But Bee is not one to sit be- hind a desk; she's known for her field reports, which are loaded with deadpan jokes. And it's not just a hit with com- edy fans — "Full Frontal" has been blowing away critics since Season 1, gaining a 100% approv- al rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a label as the show that filled the void left when Jon Stewart retired from "The Daily Show." Her seg- ment "Trump Conspiracy Theory" finished No. 1 on Vulture's "10 Most Important Late-Night TV Moments in 2016." Wired's Vir- ginia Heffernan ("CNN") even praised the show for its un- matched mercilessness as a voice for feminists. The Emmys gave "Full Frontal" an Out- standing Writing Award for its "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner" specials, plus a total of 17 nominations by the end of the show's fourth season. The show, which has also covered international stories and aired from China, Germany, Scot- land, Jordan, Iraq and Mexico, has received a total of 33 award nomi- nations from 2016 to the present. Bee has been sharing a studio with fellow "The Daily Show" alumnus John Oliver, who now hosts HBO's "Last Week Tonight," and like many other television shows, "Full Frontal" was zapped into a hiatus when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Fortunately for us, Bee bounced back quickly and returned by the end of March, filming from the middle of the woods just outside Bee's home. Her producer hus- band and lockdown roomie, Jason Jones ("The Detour," 2016), has acted as both cameraman and makeup artist to create these spe- cial episodes that Bee dubbed "Little Show in the Big Woods." Bee has shared hilarious tips like how to survive quarantine life by building fires, chopping fire- wood and always remembering to wash your "hams" — not a typo, she actually washes a ham with a bucket in the woods. While "Full Frontal" still looks spotless when it's filmed from a yard, executive producer Alison Camillo has shared that every day, tiny but time-consuming snags have to be unspooled as everyone tries to go to work while holed up in their houses. But it's game-on for everyone, and no one is about to backpedal on the show's suc- cess. They've even used anima- tions to squeeze as much normal- cy into the show as possible. Then again, conditions are far from ideal. In April, Bee revealed that they'd experienced a delay in filming because someone was cut- ting down a tree and chopping it up nearby. Plus, the series is run- ning on far less manpower than usual, which is bound to create challenges. The Bee crew is normally com- posed of up to 70 people. This has been cut down to five thanks to the pandemic (not including Jones, who films her from a smart- phone, and their kids, who watch the equipment). Meanwhile, the razor-sharp host also does her own styling (hair, makeup and wardrobe), and she's taken to uploading the foot- age to her staff, too, while keeping the kids off the in- ternet so she can make the most of the available band- width. These days, the team has totally mas- tered backyard filming and has dutifully tackled and overcome every challenge they've come up against. Ever in the moment, Bee and Jones have even developed a plan that they can implement if a storm disrupts filming. The series is all about timeliness, and taping in advance would take away from the impact the series has. As odd as filming a late-night TV show at home may seem, the couple have grown extremely comfortable with their new nor- mal. They were both correspon- dents on "The Daily Show" and have even co-starred in several movies. They also found success with "Detour," a scripted series that aired on TBS in 2015. It is probably safe to say that "Full Frontal's" roaring success comes down to Bee and Jones' excep- tional partnership. "Full Frontal" merchandise pro- ceeds partly go to a number of charitable organizations, such as the Karam Foundation, Planned Parenthood and Hispanic Federa- tion. The show also regularly sup- ports other groups and causes, which have included the 2017 Women's March, New Brunswick Today, Affordable Care Act, #MeToo and the NAACP. Tune in on Wednesday, July 29, when a new episode of "Full Fron- tal With Samantha Bee" airs on TBS. Into the woods A new 'Full Frontal With Samantha Bee' airs on TBS Feature Story this week Samantha Bee stars in "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee

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