Showtime at TCA: Desus and Mero Bring Diversity to Late Night

As with their Viceland series they canamp8217t even be sure what they will discuss on the day of tapingamp160 The current political climate can bring anything and these two remain open to whatever that may beamp160 Itamp8217s all spurofthemoment conversations amp160Unlike other shows they donamp8217t bother with publicistsamp8217 talking points amp160Sure theyamp8217ll let someone plug a new movie or show but potential guests should steer clear if they canamp8217t handle the spontaneity of it allamp8220It either goes really really really well or really really really badamp8221 Mero said of guestsamp8217 reactions amp160amp8220Either way they are going to go really really really wellamp8221 he added with a laughamp8220Once people realize we are not trying to throw them under the bus they are kind of friendlyamp8221 added Desus whose original name is Daniel BakerThe network had been looking for a latenight talker but one that was not cut from the same cloth as all the othersamp160 amp8220Frankly we were never that excited about putting another guy behind a deskamp8221 Gary Levine CoPresident with Jana Winograde of Entertainment at Showtimeamp160 amp8220But then came Desus ampamp Mero and suddenly we knew exactly what a Showtime lateamp8209night talk show could beamp160 These guys are authentic surprising funny hip and perceptive amp160They can talk politics with politicians they can talk ball with ballers they can swap stories with the stars but they are always singular always real and always funnyamp8221The two have the sort of banter and ease that comes with many years of friendship amp160They met at LaGuardia High School in the Bronx their hometownamp8220It was summer schoolamp8221 Desus noted amp160amp8220Not because we are dumb but because summer school has air conditioningamp8221amp160 Not every room in the school did they later clarifiedThe two are chill with reporters not always an easy task in front of 200plus people seated behind open laptops busily tapping away amp160Yet it took them no time at all to own the ballroom at the Langham Pasadena Hotel site of this yearamp8217s winter TCA tour as they explained how switching from a MondayThursday format on Viceland to a onceweekly show will allow them more time to finesse content amp160For the first time they have a writing staff and the writers are friends who get amp8220the Bodega Universeamp8221 Desus saidFor those who have never visited a bodega they are small independent shops in New York City with way more character than chain convenience stores often have cats prowling the aisles and sell patrons anything from milk to single cigarettes amp160They are often the hubs of their amp8216hoods crammed with snacks that have shelf lives longer than plutonium and dot areas that are often supermarket desertsOne critic asked if there are bodegas they avoid because amp8220you know youamp8217re going to get food poisoning the minute you walk through the dooramp8221amp8220I was raised eating street meat in New Yorkamp8221 Desus repliedamp160 amp8220I canamp8217t get food poisoning amp160I once ate a Chicken McNugget off the 6train platform amp160Iamp8217ll be okayamp8221amp8220My stomach is made out of Vibraniumamp8221 Mero addedamp160 amp8220Iamp8217ll be fine amp160I ate Newport cigarettes for a year straightamp8221Desus still lives in the Bronx but Mero whose birth name is Joel Martinez has four kids and moved to New Jersey amp160Still they are both pure Bronx in attitude and they both worked other jobs before finding successamp8220A couple years ago Desus was working on a magazine and I was working at a schoolamp8221 Mero recalledamp160 amp8220Elevenyearold children were telling me to fellate themamp8221The guys have no plans to change their outlook amp160Their dream guest for the new show is former President Barack Obama amp160Ideally they will interview all the hopefuls running for president in the next election amp160They would also love to chat with President Donald Trump though itamp8217s admittedly a long shotNoting that the onepercenters have been throwing around the term amp8220economic anxietyamp8221 Desus cracked amp8220we invented economic anxietyamp8221Then they let themselves be serious for a moment as they talked about how incredibly difficult it is to live in poverty amp160The reason these two resonate with people across the country is that although they are pure NYC theirs is the story of anyone who had nothing handed to themThey keep it light but tap into important issuesamp160 amp8220Basically we like to keep our ear to the streets and see what the people are talking aboutamp8221 Desus saidAfter their panel they spoke privately with a fellow proud Bronxer meamp160 My street cred was instantly established when I spoke of streets subway stops and schoolsamp160 When I mentioned my childhood address I received fist bumpsThe DampampM rundownamp160 They still eat bodega food amp160They still root for the Yankees amp160And they are lightningquick amp160Their success with their podcast now on episode 144 and their Viceland show has made them celebrities amp160People are surprised to see them walking around the old neighborhood and they39ve been asked where their security is amp160They laugh amp160They don39t need protectionamp8220We just did a fiveborough touramp8221 Desus said amp160It was their first time in the cityamp8217s most conservative borough Staten IslandThe two have a book coming out from Random House this year and plan to do additional voiceover performances after enjoying working on the AmericanJapanese aminated series Neo Yokio seen here on Netflix amp160They have also become friends with Yankeesamp8217 pitcher CC Sabathia which pretty much defines success for a couple of guys from the Bronx who still love bodegasTheir session capped a strong morning of TCA presentations by Showtime which included the first tour appearance by new copresidents Levine and Winograde important announcements Shameless has been renewed for a tenth season even though costar Emmy Rossum has left the showamp160longrunning hits Homeland and The Affair are about to begin their final seasons a preview of the upcoming limited series about Fox News founder Roger Ailes played under a mountain of utterly convincing makeup and many pounds of prosthetics by Russell Crowe and highly engaging sessions for Black Monday with Don Cheadle Andrew Rannells Regina Hall and Paul Scheer and City on a Hill with Kevin Bacon Aldis Hodge and Sarah ShahiEd Martin contributed to this reportClick on the social media tiles above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively those of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Showtime at TCA: Desus and Mero Bring Diversity to Late Night

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Jacqueline Cutler

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Showtime at TCA: Desus and Mero Bring Diversity to Late Night

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