In this week’s newsletter: John Mulaney, David Chang and WWE lead the charge as the streaming service seeks to recreate the feel of television beamed into living rooms as it is filmed
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You stumble upon the most surprising things on Netflix. The sheer size of the streaming giant – not to mention its habit for dropping new programming on to its platform with minimal fanfare – means that every now and then you’re likely encounter a show or film you didn’t see coming. An unflinchingly honest comedy drama about a Scottish standup’s experiences of being stalked, say. Or, perhaps, one of the biggest comedians on the planet hosting a celeb-packed live show themed around the flora, fauna and peculiarities of Los Angeles.
That second one, for the unfamiliar (and I’m guessing that’s many of you, as there’s been barely any attention around it) is John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In LA (pictured above), which has been airing for the past five nights in the US. A very loose riff on the late night talk show format – though slightly closer to Eric Andre than Jimmy Fallon – Everybody’s in LA sees Mulaney welcome both celebrity guests – Will Ferrell, Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman – and knowledgable experts into his art deco mansion/studio to discuss a different LA-focused topic: helicopters, or palm trees or the paranormal. There are musical guests (St Vincent, Weezer, excellent punk band Joyce Manor, getting a long overdue plum TV spot), pre-recorded skits and many of the other trappings of talk shows. But everything’s just ever so slightly off; a strange semi-ironic tone that I still can’t decide whether I find off-putting or intriguing.
