The outrageously outspoken comic expands on what he wants his new FX late-night comedy show to be: a comic review of current events that finds the funny in the facts.
BOTTOM LINE.
Vicki Smith (hostess):
Bell calls "comedy investigative journalism,"
As the title suggests, Bell’s comedy is often rooted in news and current events. Most notably for purposes of this show, he has built routines for years on satirizing the news. I enjoyed every minute of it. Bell takes the filter away of saying you are fair and balanced and just say, ‘No. We have a stake in this, and we want it to be mostly rich, white guys.’ That’s what I would do.”
Sue:
Totally Biased is one of the more fully formed standup commentary shows I’ve seen in a while, and Bell is such an endearing presence that it makes the show infinitely watchable. The long-term success of the show will depend on the strength of guests in the third segment and whether or not the shorter second act can get funnier street interviews or change altogether, but for right now, Bell does a great job at using his standup talents to critique current events.
Ben:
This is by far the funniest segment of the show, and where Bell’s prowess as a standup focused on cultural commentary shines the most.
Marn:
The show breaks down much like The Daily Show, except Bell is on his feet, like Brand in Brand X. First, he goes through a breakdown of current events, starting with criticism of Gabby Douglas’ hair, and then moving on to the shooting at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee this past weekend.
Shelly:
W. Kamau Bell, this cheerfully biased newcomer with a few amusing, well-crafted one-liners be enough to get FX on the boards in late night? To paraphrase Yoda, difficult to say -- always in motion is the future -- but Chris Rock may want to light a fire under this act sooner than later.
Mark:
I just feel, that, Bell says his show will follow the pattern of his standup act, which often tackles racial issues, but said he sees his appeal going beyond racial lines.
“I wouldn’t be the first black person to talk about race that young white males enjoyed,” Bell says.
Stu:
The open question is how the racially charged subject matter will go over with a TV audience. "When people would get uptight, a lot of times I'd just dig in more," Bell explains of his stage act. "You pull back, I'm gonna go forward. The way to end oppression in general is to get the cool people on the right side."
