Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
TV Junkie Interview: Chris Franjola of E!'s 'Chelsea Lately' & 'After Lately'
Chris Franjola is a familiar face to anyone who has watched E!'s "Chelsea Lately" (Monday-Friday @ 11pm) as he has been on the roundtable panel in dozens and dozens of episodes and has been a writer on the series for hundreds more. As we discuss in the video above, "Chelsea Lately" is a very fast paced show: after her short opening monologue, Chelsea Handler goes to a roundtable of 3 comedian panelists and between the 4 of them, they split up 10-14 minutes in a discussion whose sole purpose is to elicit as many jokes possible during that period of time. In a best-case scenario, each person at the table gets 3 minutes of time.
On the surface, roundtable time on "Chelsea Lately" seems very competitive but if you watch closely, the panelists definitely give each other space, help each other along with setups, and make themselves available as targets for jokes from fellow panelists and Handler. If it seems like a panelist isn't getting their jokes in, Handler will often say "I want to hear from ______ on this (topic)" thus providing an egalitarian space for comedians that hasn't been seen in a long time. Comedy Central's "Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn" is possibly the closest identifiable predecessor to the roundtable on "Chelsea Lately" but "Tough Crowd" often degenerated into a testosterone-driven shouting match thus highlighting its heavily male-weighted lineup even more. These are different shows, I understand, and it's the differences that count.
One of the best things that has come about from "Chelsea Lately" is the standup comedy connection. Cast-members like Franjola and guest panelists are all standup comics and those more closely associated with the show participate in the "Comedians of Chelsea Lately" tours or they will frequently team up in comedy club appearances across the country. This May, Handler will be embarking on a new nationwide tour, "The Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me," and will feature at least three regulars on her show: Heather McDonald, Josh Wolf, and Brad Wollack.
Support for LAist comes from
Franjola himself is a comedic force to be reckoned with, with over 20 years of standup experience to his credit, he relishes his time on the show, and the new spinoff "After Lately" which just aired its third episode this last Sunday at 11pm on E! I expressed some frustration in dealing with some readers who have criticized "After Lately" for being scripted - which is the entire point of the show, it's a mockumentary-style sitcom about what happens behind the scenes of "Chelsea Lately." Franjola did tell us, however, that the events in "After Lately" have happened in some form or another in the offices of the show and were used as the basis for bits in the episodes. I guess that when you have that many comedians packed into a space, funny things are bound to happen. If anything, Franjola is completely appreciative of being able to work so closely with his friends, "who are all incredibly talented, working comedians," on these two very successful shows.
Another great angle to the "Chelsea Handler"/"After Lately" arrangement is that guests on "Chelsea Lately" can be written into the sitcom if they are game for it - Franjola has been more than pleasantly surprised at the support they've received from guests and who has been game to do some ridiculous "After Lately" shenanigans. Evidently there will be guest appearances by some major Hollywood icons in upcoming episodes of "After Lately" as Franjola hinted in the above interview.
Despite having all this fun with the E! shows, Franjola very much loves doing standup. His live show is very entertaining, as he engages in plenty of crowd-work and as well as hilarious personal anecdotes and stories. I don't want to spoil any of his bits but it's great to get so much more of him than the condensed snippets you see on "Chelsea Lately." The night I interviewed Chris, I watched his two sets back-to-back and because the crowds were so different, the shows were completely different experiences. He is an energetic comic, reminding us a bit of a young Robert Morse, constantly moving, head up, engaging the entire crowd, making sure everyone is on board: "You, sir! How old are you?" "Are you with him, ma'am?" "OK great, we're having a good time!" And we did.
---
You get more info on Chris Franjola on Twitter @ChrisFranjola and on his Facebook fan page.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts. -
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
-
Hexavalent chromium is the same carcinogen Erin Brockovich warned about in the 1990s, but researchers say more study is needed on the potential health effects of nanoparticles detected earlier this year. Experts will answer questions at a webinar this evening.
-
The budget gap has led to a tuition hike, along with spending cuts and fewer course offerings. At the same time, generative AI already has transformed higher ed — including post-grad job prospects.
-
The construction work is part of a $143.7 million plan to rehabilitate pavement between Van Nuys and Westwood along the Sepulveda Pass.
Best of LAist