The Bottom Line
Pros
- Slick and sophisticated for a basic cable talk show.
- Lopez is comfortable in the talk show environment, which makes the show easy to digest.
- Plenty of room to grow and adapt.
Cons
- Skits and sketches need work. Too corny to be funny; not corny enough to be camp.
- Overly focused on how it’s different than other talk shows when it's not, essentially, different.
Description
- One-hour program
- Airs Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. on TBS
- Debuted in November 2009
- Features celebrity guests and musical acts, along with a monologue and comedy skits.
Guide Review - 'Lopez Tonight' Fun, But Nothing New
In his new talk show, Lopez Tonight, comedian George Lopez delivers on one promise and reneges on another on his way to giving audiences a show they've pretty much seen before.
Before his show launched in early November, Lopez promised a show with an "outdoor, street-party atmosphere." Certainly his sprawling set on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., feels airy and open - almost like a sports stadium - with power lines and towering set pieces. Promise delivered.
But as for "changing the face of late night," Lopez's show falls flat. Wait, don't get me wrong, here. The show is good. It's just - well, not different. It's a traditional talk show, with a monologue, comedy pieces, celebrity guests and musical acts.
In fact, for all the jabs Lopez has thrown at Jay Leno in recent years (boiled down, he's got a beef with his talk show competitor), Lopez Tonight is a lot like The Jay Leno Show. Even down to eschewing the desk and getting guests more actively involved with the show.
What Lopez has, though, is a bit of the gift. His monologues are funny - or at least his delivery is solid. He has a good rapport with guests. His band rocks out.
For all his promise of giving us a show that's new and different, George Lopez delivers a show that's flashy and familiar.
And that's not bad.
