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DevilGrad's avatar

Two quick thoughts: First, it's clear that the writers room for "Hacks" adores Jean Smart and the entire Seventies generation of pioneering women in comedy. Deborah Vance is a really difficult character (and they don't sand down the edges), but you understand *why* she is the way she is to have succeeded in a boys' club, and that's no small achievement.

Second, when someone tells you that "Richard Pryor couldn't work today," it's a good sign that you're talking to someone who is full of shit. Pryor wouldn't do the same show today, but his show was never about saying the N-word. It was about taking on the white power structure and making it funny. And the last five years have created an . . . ummmm . . . target rich environment.

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BeerNye's avatar

The format of these late-night shows is definitely dated, and so the most enjoyable ones, to me, take that format and make it as absurd as possible. Conan was a master at it, and some of those bits are still pure gold.

Craig Ferguson's show was also incredible. If it's possible, it's more unhinged than Conan's show. For those that didn't watch it- there are a ton of clips from it on youtube.

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