Desus & Mero (2019 TV series)
Desus & Mero is an American television late-night talk show series hosted by comedians Desus Nice and The Kid Mero. The show premiered on February 21, 2019 on the premium cable and streaming service Showtime.[1] The series' first season debuted on February 21, 2019, and garnered positive reviews. In November 2019, at the conclusion of the first season, Showtime announced the renewal of the show for a second season, which premiered on February 3, 2020.
| Desus & Mero | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Late-night talk show |
| Starring | Desus Nice The Kid Mero |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 59 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Bodega Boys Original Chopped Cheese Jax Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Original release | February 21, 2019 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Desus & Mero (2016) |
| Related shows | Desus vs. Mero |
| External links | |
| Website | |
History
Desus & Mero is the third series co-hosted by the pair, following the 2014 Complex TV web series Desus vs. Mero, and the 2016 Viceland television and web series Desus & Mero.[2][3]
Development & production
Showtime announced they had ordered a half-hour late night series starring Desus and Mero, in June 2018, to be the network's first late night show ever.[4]
Desus and Mero stated that the increased budget would allow the show to have more pre-recorded sketches, a research team, and an upgraded set.[5] They also hired a writer's room with the following writers: Mike Pielocik, Josh Gondelman, Claire Friedman, Ziwe Fumudoh, Robert Kornhauser, and Heben Nigatu.[6]
The series debuted February 21, 2019. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was their first guest.[5] On April 21, 2019, it was announced that Desus & Mero would expand to air two nights per week, on Mondays and Thursdays.[7]
On November 21, 2019, the same day as the airing of Season One's final episode, Showtime announced the renewal of the show for a second season.[8]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show went on temporary hiatus, but returned on March 30 in a teleconferencing format from Baker and Martinez's respective homes.[9]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 45 | February 21, 2019 | November 21, 2019 | ||
| 2 | TBA | February 3, 2020 | TBA | ||
Season 1 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [10] | Guest(s) [10] | Original air date [10] | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Series Premiere, Ballbags" | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | February 21, 2019 | 0.151[11] |
| 2 | 2 | "Talk Your Talk" | Don Cheadle | February 28, 2019 | N/A |
| 3 | 3 | "Struggle Jeans" | Vince Staples and John Legend | March 7, 2019 | 0.056[12] |
| 4 | 4 | "If I Woulda Did It" | Ben Stiller and 2 Chainz | March 14, 2019 | 0.032[13] |
| 5 | 5 | "Hateful Hairline" | Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Kirsten Gillibrand | March 21, 2019 | 0.052[14] |
| 6 | 6 | "You Thought!" | Carmelo Anthony and Jordan Peele | March 28, 2019 | N/A |
| 7 | 7 | "Mad Buns" | Issa Rae | April 4, 2019 | 0.030[15] |
| 8 | 8 | "News Adjacent" | Stacey Abrams and Anna Kendrick | April 11, 2019 | 0.078[16] |
| 9 | 9 | "Grits Ratio" | Cory Booker | April 18, 2019 | N/A |
| 10 | 10 | "Waiting For Julio" | Seth Rogen | May 2, 2019 | N/A |
| 11 | 11 | "On Deckington" | Lil Nas X | May 6, 2019 | 0.041[17] |
| 12 | 12 | "Open Your Third Eye" | Charlize Theron | May 9, 2019 | 0.029[18] |
| 13 | 13 | "Look At Your Mans" | Wu-Tang Clan | May 13, 2019 | 0.043[19] |
| 14 | 14 | "Fax" | Bill Hader | May 16, 2019 | N/A |
| 15 | 15 | "Jamaican Hockey" | Amy Poehler | May 20, 2019 | 0.020[20] |
| 16 | 16 | "Royal Baby Newport" | Gabrielle Union | May 23, 2019 | 0.038[21] |
| 17 | 17 | "Hold That" | Ava DuVernay | May 30, 2019 | N/A |
| 18 | 18 | "Lowkey, Stay Down" | Spike Lee | June 3, 2019 | N/A |
| 19 | 19 | "Platinum Dad Joke" | Pete Buttigieg | June 6, 2019 | N/A |
| 20 | 20 | "Pon'delocke" | Lin-Manuel Miranda | June 10, 2019 | N/A |
| 21 | 21 | "Electric Lemonade" | Regina Hall | June 13, 2019 | N/A |
| 22 | 22 | "It's Cultural" | ScHoolboy Q | June 17, 2019 | N/A |
| 23 | 23 | "Pivot to Alians" | Anthony Anderson | June 20, 2019 | N/A |
| 24 | 24 | "Y'All Not Low" | Ice Cube | June 24, 2019 | N/A |
| 25 | 25 | "Link in Bio" | Zendaya | June 27, 2019 | N/A |
| 26 | 26 | "Bonus Illustriousness" | N/A | July 8, 2019 | N/A |
| 27 | 27 | "The Macaroni and Cheese Sound" | Kumail Nanjiani | July 11, 2019 | N/A |
| 28 | 28 | "Charcoonery Plate" | Kemba Walker | July 15, 2019 | N/A |
| 29 | 29 | "Staring in Ashanti" | Megan Rapinoe | July 18, 2019 | N/A |
| 30 | 30 | "Digital Hookah" | Dascha Polanco | July 22, 2019 | N/A |
| 31 | 31 | "Drop a Pin" | Common | July 25, 2019 | N/A |
| 32 | 32 | "Sightseeing Dog" | Billy Eichner | July 29, 2019 | N/A |
| 33 | 33 | "Alien Hook Off" | Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen | August 1, 2019 | N/A |
| 34 | 34 | "It's A Boy" | DaBaby | October 14, 2019 | N/A |
| 35 | 35 | "Tech Flex" | Taraji P. Henson | October 17, 2019 | N/A |
| 36 | 36 | "Teeth On Layaway" | Ta-Nehisi Coates | October 21, 2019 | N/A |
| 37 | 37 | "West Indian Fence" | Gayle King & CC Sabathia | October 24, 2019 | N/A |
| 38 | 38 | "The Back Of Your Back" | Bill Burr | October 28, 2019 | N/A |
| 39 | 39 | "Un Jokkersteppen" | Bernie Sanders | October 31, 2019 | N/A |
| 40 | 40 | "Come Collect Uncle Daryl" | Anna Kendrick | November 4, 2019 | N/A |
| 41 | 41 | "Take Your Time Baby" | Kenan Thompson | November 7, 2019 | N/A |
| 42 | 42 | "From Deep" | Chris Hayes | November 11, 2019 | N/A |
| 43 | 43 | "Grab that Boomer" | Hasan Minhaj | November 14, 2019 | N/A |
| 44 | 44 | "That's Larping" | Shea Serrano | November 18, 2019 | N/A |
| 45 | 45 | "Dancing Bok Choy" | Chadwick Boseman, Elizabeth Warren | November 21, 2019 | N/A |
Season 2 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [22] | Guest(s) [22] | Original air date [22] | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "PJ Boys[note 1]" | David Letterman | February 3, 2020 | N/A |
| 47 | 2 | "2020 Vision" | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | February 6, 2020 | N/A |
| 48 | 3 | "Hard To Get A Ticket" | Penn Badgley | February 10, 2020 | N/A |
| 49 | 4 | "Su-Su-Sucio" | Lakeith Stanfield | February 13, 2020 | N/A |
| 50 | 5 | "Full Body Roll" | Maxine Waters | February 20, 2020 | N/A |
| 51 | 6 | "That's A Lotta Rappin'" | John Mulaney | February 24, 2020 | N/A |
| 52 | 7 | "Woke Switcheroo" | Killer Mike | February 27, 2020 | N/A |
| 53 | 8 | "Whopping Good Time" | Missy Elliot | March 2, 2020 | N/A |
| 54 | 9 | "Bare Minimum Ally" | Nick Kroll | March 5, 2020 | N/A |
| 55 | 10 | "Dominican Leprechaun" | Wale | March 9, 2020 | N/A |
| 56 | 11 | "Big Beach Towel" | Seth Meyers | March 12, 2020 | N/A |
| 57 | 12 | "That Rona" | Anthony Fauci | March 30, 2020 | N/A |
| 58 | 13 | "Stay At Home Dad Jokes" | John Legend | April 2, 2020 | N/A |
| 59 | 14 | "R.O.I. from Nana" | Malcolm Gladwell | April 6, 2020 | N/A |
| 60 | 15 | "Van Gogh Album Cut" | Tracee Ellis Ross | April 9, 2020 | N/A |
| 61 | 16 | "You Mad Doofy" | Mark Cuban | April 13, 2020 | N/A |
| 62 | 17 | "Built-In Gratuity" | Joe Biden | April 16, 2020 | N/A |
| 63 | 18 | "Three Nuts and a Possible" | Alicia Keys | April 20, 2020 | N/A |
| 64 | 19 | "Dunk on Napoleon" | Issa Rae and Jay Ellis | April 23, 2020 | N/A |
| 65 | 20 | "A Caravan of Karens" | Chef José Andrés | April 27, 2020 | N/A |
| 66 | 21 | "Bologna Goatee" | Rashida Jones, Alison Roman | April 30, 2020 | N/A |
| 67 | 22 | "The Goat's Always For Sale" | Spike Jonze and Beastie Boys | May 4, 2020 | N/A |
| 68 | 23 | "Terrifying and Sexy At The Same Time" | Billy Porter | May 7, 2020 | N/A |
| 69 | 24 | "The Metaphysical Hypothetical" | Dr. Nina | May 11, 2020 | N/A |
| 70 | 25 | "Infobars" | Katie Porter | May 14, 2020 | N/A |
| 71 | 26 | "Baline Human" | Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade | May 18, 2020 | N/A |
| 72 | 27 | "It's Been Asparamanced" | Jesse Williams | May 21, 2020 | N/A |
| 73 | 28 | "We Was Wolves" | N/A | May 25, 2020 | N/A |
| 74 | 29 | "One Big T-Zone" | Sara Jay, RMR | May 28, 2020 | N/A |
| 75 | 30 | "You Are The Jake" | Freddie Gibbs, Jamaal Bowman | July 5, 2020 | N/A |
| 76 | 31 | "It Be Your Own Mans" | Jon Stewart, Joey Chestnut | July 9, 2020 | N/A |
| 77 | 32 | "Cream of Corona" | Noname | July 12, 2020 | N/A |
| 78 | 33 | "Old School Glizzy" | Bubba Wallace, Judd Apatow | July 16, 2020 | N/A |
| 79 | 34 | "Different Coastal Work" | Lady A, Don Cheadle | July 19, 2020 | N/A |
| 80 | 35 | "Slow My Curve" | Kenny Stills, Eric Andre | July 23, 2020 | TBD |
| 81 | 36 | "Bottle Service Cheeks" | Andy Samberg | July 26, 2020 | TBD |
| 82 | 37 | "Six Figures In This" | Taylor Rooks | July 30, 2020 | TBD |
| 83 | 38 | "Sound It Out" | Stephen A. Smith | August 2, 2020 | TBD |
| 84 | 39 | "Ms. Papi" | Usain Bolt | August 6, 2020 | TBD |
| 85 | 40 | "Love Your Work" | Cori Bush, Seth Rogen | August 9, 2020 | TBD |
| 86 | 41 | "A Dickens of a Time" | Chloe x Halle | August 13, 2020 | TBD |
| 87 | 42 | "Fully Accredited Institution" | Sue Bird | August 16, 2020 | TBD |
Critical reception
Desus & Mero has received positive reviews. Daniel D'addario wrote for Variety: "Their perspective, in a sea of late-night shows all modeled on John Oliver's studiousness, feels genuinely new. And Desus and Mero showed enough comic resourcefulness, and enough enthusiasm and warmth, throughout their broadcast to make clear it's worth watching no matter who guests."[23] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin gave the show a B+ and stated in the review: "The initial outing revealed a few weaknesses in the new format, but it retained the humor, point of view, and boisterous energy that makes Desus and Mero an essential late-night addition."[23] Marc Silver wrote for The Washington Post, "With their own wit and the help of veterans from the Stephen Colbert and John Oliver late-night shows, they bring a fresh and funny take and add all-too-rarely heard Black and Latino perspectives."[24]
Accolades
Hosts Desus and Mero received a 2019 Webby Special Achievement Award for their talk show.[25]
The show received a 2019 Television Critics Association Award nomination in the Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows category.[26]
Notes
- Showtime released the extended interview as a standalone episode on February 17th, 2020, giving it an episode number of 90.
References
- Petski, Denise (November 29, 2018). "'Desus & Mero' Late-Night Show Gets February Premiere Date On Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 15, 2018). "'Desus & Mero' Stars Ending Their Viceland Show, Eye Deal At Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- Hawgood, Alex (March 15, 2019). "Ziwe Fumudoh Uses Humor to Push Racial Buttons". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Wright, Megh. "Showtime Orders Its First-Ever Late-Night Show, Hosted by Desus and Mero". Vulture. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
- Nguyen, Hanh (February 21, 2019). "'Desus & Mero': The Bodega Boys Are Ready to Shake Up Late Night All Over Again". IndieWire. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- Wright, Megh (February 15, 2019). "Here's the Writing Staff for Showtime's Desus & Mero". Vulture. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- Petski, Denise; Petski, Denise (2019-04-29). "'Desus & Mero' Expands To Two Nights A Week For Summer Run On Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- Thorne, Will; Thorne, Will (2019-11-21). "'Desus & Mero' Renewed for Season 2 at Showtime". Variety. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Nice, Desus (2020-03-26). "the sucio boys are back in town! The #1 show in late night @shodesusandmero returns Monday night with an all new episode from out cribs!pic.twitter.com/5r6jSyx0ou". @desusnice. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
- "Desus and Mero - Season 1 | SHOWTIME". SHO.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.21.2019". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.7.2019". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.14.2019". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.21.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.4.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.11.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.6.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.9.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.13.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.20.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.23.2019 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- "Desus and Mero - Season 2 | SHOWTIME". SHO.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "'Desus & Mero' keeps it real on Showtime: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Silver, Marc. "Showtime's 'Desus & Mero' brings a fresh voice to late night". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Bennett, Anita; Bennett, Anita (2019-05-08). "Webby Awards To Honor Michael Douglas & Comedy Duo Desus and Mero". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Petski, Denise. "TCA Awards Nominations: 'Pose' & 'Russian Doll' Lead With 4, HBO Tops Networks With 15". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
External links
- Desus & Mero on Showtime
- Desus & Mero on IMDb