TCA: Samantha Bee: ‘It Makes Complete Sense’ Dearth of Females in Late Night Is ‘Part of Conversation’ About TBS Show

Complete Coverage: TCA Winter Press Tour

Former Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee, who is preparing to debut her late night TBS show Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Feb. 8, said at the TCA winter press tour Thursday that “it makes complete sense to me” that the dearth of women in latenight would be “part of the conversation” about her show.

“There just hasn’t been a wealth of women in late night,” she said after previewing a clip of a field piece about the “faster side of slow” health care for women veterans.

In the clip, she says the VA is “one place you can’t find a woman’s vagina online” and the problem of a missing foot was really that “your problem was your missing penis.”

Viewers should expect to see more bits like this—Bee says she likes doing field pieces and women’s issues are an area of passion for her. But she and executive producer Jo Miller, who joined her on the TCA panel, emphasized women’s pieces and field pieces will not be the sole focus. Also, they do not plan to have guests as part of the format.

“Women’s issues are extremely important to me, but not the only thing,” Bee said.

Added Miller, “It’s not a show about women’s stuff but includes women’s stuff like the clip.”

Bee and Miller say they're also interested in pieces that reveal the comedy in the absurdness of injustice. Bee traveled to Jordan recently for a piece on "cultural orientation" for refugees. And the rise of Islamaphobia during the election cycle is a big area of interest to Bee, she says.

In the prelaunch stage, Bee and Miller say they’ve been doing pieces on social media feeds. Miller says they just did a piece on “Oregon freedom fighters who have taken over a bird sanctuary” from the point of view of the animals, Miller says.

Bee says they’re looking to take things not getting enough attention and “stab them with the hot poker” of comedy.