MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Netflix debuts a new talk show tonight, "Everybody's Live With John Mulaney." NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a program intended to boost the streaming service's live offerings.
ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: For proof of how offhandedly unconventional John Mulaney's new talk show may be, consider the promotional trailer release for the show, featuring footage shot from a distance with Mulaney standing in a parking lot, talking to the camera operator.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "EVERYBODY'S LIVE WITH JOHN MULANEY")
JOHN MULANEY: Let me know when you're tight enough that I should say the line. Is someone going to cue me when - I just want to be tight enough that saying the line makes sense.
DEGGANS: Eventually, Mulaney said the show's tagline.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "EVERYBODY'S LIVE WITH JOHN MULANEY")
MULANEY: "Everybody's Live" is on Wednesdays, live.
DEGGANS: But the real point was to show something quirky and creative with little attempt to hide the impulsive nature of it all. It's the kind of approach required for a streaming service looking to reinvent both live TV programming and the celebrity talk show format. Mulaney told CBS Sunday Morning that doing the show live had a special appeal.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MULANEY: It's a fun feeling to know that, hopefully, a lot of people are watching. And it's live globally with no delay, and you could really damage your career (laughter).
DEGGANS: His current show was inspired by a live Emmy-winning program he presented on Netflix last year called "Everybody's In LA." The series, which aired over six days, was praised by critics, including myself, for shaking up the typical formula with an anti-talk show approach, featuring unexpected guests and incisive jokes about Los Angeles.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "EVERYBODY'S IN LA")
MULANEY: The first person to ever move to Los Angeles was a Spanish explorer in 1781, who thought he'd give it a shot here after friends told him he was the funniest guy at work.
(LAUGHTER)
DEGGANS: "Everybody's Live" is expected to follow a similar path with tonight's guests ranging from actor Michael Keaton to personal finance columnist Jessica Roy. The series airs on Netflix for 12 consecutive Wednesdays starting at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Eric Deggans, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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