Bee Drops Out of Tonight's 'HIGNFY' USA

[Mark Jeffries]

Former Warner Bros. Discovery employee Samantha Bee (when it was Time Warner) dropped out of taping tonight's episode of "Have I Got News for You" on CNN when told that the other guest panelist was Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), saying that in all good conscience she could not appear on a light-hearted program trading badinage with someone whose views are vastly different than hers:

https://latenighter.com/news/samantha-bee-cancels-have-i-got-news-for-you-gop-rep-tim-urchett/

Bee revealed this on the Daily Beast's podcast, which she hosts with her boss Joanna Coles (embedded in link). When Coles, a former Brit, pointed out that some of the most memorable moments on the UK version of "HIGNFY" have been guest panelists attacking each other across the table, aided and abetted by Ian Hislop and Paul Merton, Bee replied that the show was not the proper forum to debate Burchett.  No indication who her replacement is, except to find out at 9 p.m. ET.

[David Bruggeman]

Based on my DVR listings, Rep. Burchett appeared on last Saturday's show (11/16) with Bomani Jones (formerly of ESPN and HBO) apparently filling in for Bee.  Jones appeared on some of Roy Wood Jr.'s TDS segments, and Wood has been on Jones' podcast, so I can see him both as a regular guest and as someone they could call in a pinch.

FWIW, I have not yet watched last week's episode, so I don't know if any mention was made of Bee's cancellation.  I also can't recall a single point in the episodes I have watched where guests or the captains got into the kind of moment Coles is referencing.  That may have changed in the last couple of weeks, but I'm not holding my breath.

Tonight's episode, again, per my DVR listings, has tech reporter Kara Swisher and Jenny Hagel, comedian and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" writer often seen with HIGNFY (US) captain Amber Ruffin in the segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell"

David

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[David Bruggeman]

Per this YT post from the HIGNFY US channel, Dave Foley was scheduled for tonight's (11/23) show, and Jenny Hagel is filling in for him.

https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx4-6Tvi-wvoL3bCQiwrC5a5mk2_KJdUF8

Best,

David

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[PGage]

This is an interesting and important question: on the one hand liberals do need to get away from their purity fetish, model treating people with whom they disagree with respect, and enlarge their tent. On the other hand, those they disagree with include not just those who want to irresponsibly cut the capital gains tax, but actually evil people, that you don’t really wanna normalize. If you were a comic in the 1860s you wouldn’t really wanna go on a panel show with Nathan Bedford Forest. 

I think this requires a judgment call about just how bad the MAGA Trump figure is that they want you to appear with. Burchett is pretty bad, let’s face it, but in the current political geography he’s probably straddling the line of what could make appearing with him acceptable. I can respect comics who would make either decision.

Viewers face a similar choice regarding are they going to watch something like that? I did watch it, and frankly it was one of the better episodes of HIGNFU. I thought Wood and the other 3 panelists did an excellent job of not pulling their punches while also not being ungracious to a guest invited ti be on the show.

Wood had a particularly nice moment, which may have been rehearsed or at least edited around, in which Burchett reached out to get a fist bump from him after he made some sort of comment (I forget what) and Wood after an exaggerated pause refused to do so. They all had a lot of fun with that.

Michael Ian Black did a good job of taking the bullet for the rest of the cast and partnering up with Burchett, Still calling him on his bullshit, but maintaining a superficially collegial demeanor.

My favorite thing about the show remains how it has finally helped me understand how really good and likable Amber Ruffin is.

So far the only episode of this show I have refused to watch on principal is the one with Scaramucci, who I have vowed to never again voluntarily watch since prior to his breaking with Trump, and my reasons for doing so I’ve only gotten stronger since he has.

Sent from Gmail Mobile

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