From October 2013 through August 2017, back when Comedy Central actually aired new content, the Colbert Report (hallowed be its name) was followed by @midnight. Now that Colbert has recorded more Late Show episodes than Colbert Report episodes, he has brought @midnight to CBS with twice the running time, re-branded as @fter midnight.

I am already on record as a fan of @midnight, and I am excited it is returning. But I have 2 problems:

1. it airs opposite my favorite late-night talk show, Late Night with Seth Meyers; and
2. its one-hour length is too much of a good thing.

I can solve for (1) by use of my DVR to watch it at a more convenient time. (Sorry, CBS, but Seth comes first.) Problem (2) is a bigger issue.

The original @midnight was a thirty-minute show, which allowed for a tighter edit with only the best jokes and a faster pace. After just a week of episodes, it seems clear that despite new host Taylor Tomlinson's quick wit, the hour-long format is going to have to include a lot of weaker material. That's going to be a problem for maintaining my interest, and if you can't keep a serial late-night watcher like me interested, you've got trouble in your timeslot.

I hope they get this fixed. I liked @midnight for the duration of its run, and I'd like to enjoy @fter midnight for at least as long.

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I'm going to go on record as a huge fan of Chris Hardwick's latest venture on Comedy Central: @midnight. I've never been nuts about Chris Hardwick — the poor boy tries too hard — but he works for me as the host who thinks everything his panel says is funny.

Technically a game show, @midnight is from the old school, where the show is more important than the game. Each episode lives or dies by its panel of comedians. If the guests aren't in the right mood (i.e. David Spade's appearance), it can be a bit of a chore to get through a half hour. Fortunately, Hardwick and Exec Producer (one of many) Thomas Lennon have good connections and the chemistry between their comedian friends is usually good. When the chemistry is good, the show is hysterical.

I was already watching Stewart and Colbert during the elven o'clock hour, so I've had no problem adding @midnight to my regular schedule. I don't like changing my schedule, so here's hoping @midnight is successful for some time to come.

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