Latest news with #SamPangTonight
Sky News AU
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘Disgraceful': Lions great Jonathan Brown claims Sam Pang ‘bribed' daughter to become a Carlton supporter
Jonathan Brown has revealed his close pal Sam Pang 'bribed' his daughter to become a Carlton supporter. The retired Lions great appeared on Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie on Monday where talk soon turned to Sydney's 16-point win over Carlton on Friday. Fill-in host Chrissie Swan, who previously hosted Chrissie, Sam & Browny on Nova 100 with Brown and Pang, then interjected to ask Browny if his daughter Olivia was 'still' a Carlton supporter. 'Speaking of Carlton, is your daughter still unashamedly and unbelievably a Carlton fan, given that you are a Brisbane Lions legend?,' she asked. 'What!? How did that happen?,' Wippa interjected. 'It's disgraceful isn't it but a mate of hers was a Carlton supporter, and then Pang realised when were working together on the radio,' Brown said. 'Pang realised this, so quickly he got onto it and showered her with Carlton gifts. "(Pang) had Charlie Curnow give her a call at once stage, he had her run out for the first ever AFLW Game against Collingwood in front of 20,000 I lost her forever after that.' The update comes weeks after Channel 10 doubled down on Pang and confirmed his late night talk show Sam Pang Tonight will return to screens for a 'second' run of episodes later this year. 'Expect more laughs as Sam takes on the week's news and welcomes a bunch more guests, including local legends, engaging experts, and comedy mates playing the part of Special Guest Announcer,' the network said in a statement. The weekly late night show premiered in March to lukewarm critical reviews but managed to pull in Ten's biggest audience for a new show since 2022.
Sky News AU
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Channel 10 confirms airdate for new season of Have You Been Paying Attention? and reveals Sam Pang will return
Channel 10 has confirmed Have You Been Paying Attention? will return to screens next month as the broadcaster doubles down on breakout star Sam Pang. The panel series, which sees host Tom Gleisner quiz his celeb panellists on current events, has emerged as a reliable ratings winner for Ten since its humble beginnings in 2013. On Tuesday, Ten revealed that the series will return to its Monday night timeslot for a 13th season next month beginning on May 12. 'It's time to make some noise as powerhouse trio Tom Gleisner, Ed Kavalee and Sam Pang are back to crank up the fun when the thirteenth season of Have You Been Paying Attention? premieres on Monday, 12 May at 8:40pm on 10 and 10 Play,' the network told in a statement. The series currently consists of Gleisner on the cue cards and Pang and Ed Kavalee as permanent panellists alongside a revolving line up of celebrity guests. 'I can't wait to get back into the studio with all the gang for another huge season of Have You Been Paying Attention?,' Gleisner said in a statement. 'For me, there's no better way to spend a Monday night.' Ten also confirmed that the upcoming season will see some 'brand new faces' as panellists. 'Be prepared to be a little bit informed, a whole lot entertained and perhaps slightly confused when all of your favourites (along with some brand new faces) put their knowledge of the week's news to the ultimate test,' Ten said in a statement. 'Same hilarious show, brand new headlines!' The update comes after Ten renewed Pang's late night show for a 'second run' of episodes just weeks after its debut in March. Sam Pang Tonight features an American-style late night format with celebrity guests and marks the most ambitious attempt at a late night series since Rove left the airways in 2009. The weekly late night show premiered last month to lukewarm critical reviews but managed to pull in Ten's biggest audience for a new show since 2022.
Express Tribune
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Sam Pang Tonight premiere criticized as 'awkward' and 'unwatchable': 'I lasted three minutes'
Sam Pang's highly anticipated late-night talk show, Sam Pang Tonight, debuted on Channel Ten on Monday, but its reception was anything but unanimous. While some viewers enjoyed the new addition to Australia's late-night lineup, others were quick to criticize the show, labeling it "awkward" and "unwatchable." The show featured classic late-night elements, including a celebrity guest announcer—comedian Dave Thornton—scripted segments, and quirky banter. However, the audience reaction on social media was mixed, with many taking issue with the execution. "'Oh s***... I said I'd give it five minutes... I lasted three,'" one viewer shared on X (formerly Twitter). Another user added, "'Canned laughter makes it unwatchable.'" Some fans argued that the traditional late-night format might be outdated in today's entertainment landscape. "'In the age of long-form podcasts, 10-minute segments feel clumsy and awkward,'" one person commented. "'Sam is funny but the 'tonight show' paradigm is over.'" Despite the criticism, others defended Pang, noting that he appeared nervous in his hosting debut. "'Every single one of us who has followed Sam Pang his whole career will agree that this is the most nervous or uneasy we've ever seen him,'" a supporter wrote. Some viewers encouraged audiences to give the show more time to settle into its groove. "'Not a great start, a bit clunky and flat at times, but he's a genuinely funny guy, and I will give him a few more weeks' grace. Good luck, Sam,'" one fan commented. While Sam Pang Tonight has divided opinions, Channel Ten is betting on its success, hoping it will bring an Australian spin to the late-night format and attract top-tier celebrity guests.
The Guardian
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sam Pang Tonight: Australia's newest talk show is haunted by the spectre of Rove McManus
For a man of such average height, Rove McManus casts a long shadow over Australian TV. Since Rove Live ended in 2009 – probably the last example of a successful talkshow on our screens – the TV landscape has become unrecognisable: the internet got invented, streaming took over, and televisions themselves got bigger but, conversely, much flatter. McManus also manages to loom over Network 10's new talkshow gamble, Sam Pang Tonight. In his opening monologue to last night's premiere, Pang pointed out that this was the network's first late night foray since Rove. In a line that was sadly indicative of the calibre of jokes to follow, Pang then called himself the 'Asian Rove: say ni hao to your mum for me'. Sam Pang, a common and beloved sight on various 10 panel shows, and fresh from a couple of popular stints hosting the Logies, is an understandable choice for host. But Sam Pang Tonight's immediate genuflection to Rove belied an obvious fear that nestles in the breast of the program: is Australia finally ready to break the late night talkshow curse? Since Rove Live's final broadcast, there have been multiple attempts to find that magic again – most of them dying lonely and quickly forgotten deaths. Rove even rebooted his own show in LA, which, unfortunately, ended up Rove Dead. Channel Ten then tried again in 2018 with Saturday Night Rove, which they cancelled after only two episodes. Other, less Rove-centric attempts ensued, such as the ABC's 2018 youth-based comedy talkshow, Tonightly With Tom Ballard, which was cancelled after a year due to poor ratings. Recently in 2023, the ABC tried a talkshow format helmed by Fran Kelly, called Frankly, which was axed after a single season. It feels like anyone who tries to wear Rove's crown suffers a terrible demise. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Broadcast TV is a difficult market in general right now, with a glut of content spread across hundreds of channels and streaming services, competing with YouTube and other online content. It's hard for a show to make any impact, regardless of its worth. Even in the US – the spiritual home of the late night talkshow – the heavy-hitters have seen a decline in audiences. 'If I were a 25-year-old whose dream was to host a late-night show, I would have some concerns,' Late Night host Seth Meyers told The Town podcast recently. 'But at the same time … they're not watching Late Night, so they're probably not dreaming about doing it.' And Sam Pang Tonight unabashedly follows in the footsteps of the US, with a tongue-in-cheek promo showing Pang watching Colbert and taking notes on the jokes he can plagiarise. The show's format itself clearly took notes too: a cold open (last night's was a sketch with music legend Paul Kelly failing to come up with a theme song), an opening monologue from the host, forced studio laughter, and a stage bedecked in a generic cityscape backdrop. The two guests on Sam Pang Live were where the differences became clear: instead of Hollywood glitterati, we were treated to a long interview with 'Australia's first movie star', the delightful film legend Jack Thompson – perhaps a pessimistic nod to the general age of network TV viewers. The other guest was a trauma doctor, answering comedic questions on topics such as the medical validity of Rambo cauterising a wound with gunpowder. Both interviews felt awkward and too long, with Pang seemingly nervous throughout. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Sam Pang Tonight was the most charming when it wasn't imitating the US format, but playing into the self-deprecating humour that both Pang and Australian comedy in general is known for: my favourite segment featured vox pops asking a bunch of young influencers 'do you know who Sam Pang is?', to which the answer was a blanket 'no'. Sam Pang Tonight isn't trying anything new, but a talkshow doesn't really need to. Rove Live, while fun and playful, was essentially the same as its overseas competitors; and if we look to the UK, where the Graham Norton Show seems to only be increasing in popularity, it has a very simple formula of 'interesting guests on a couch'. For late night TV to work you need the mysterious confluence of a talented and charismatic host, the right guests, the right time slot and, crucially, enough time. Sam Pang Tonight might not have it yet, but it's only been one episode: it'll take a while longer to bottle the lightning that makes late night TV magic. Sam Pang Tonight airs on Mondays at 8:40pm on Network Ten and 10 Play
