TORONTO ā Samantha Bee is taking a pause from the world of politics.
During her seven-season run as host of the TBS late-night talk show, āFull Frontal with Samantha Bee," and 12 years as a correspondent on āThe Daily Show,ā Bee covered a wide spectrum of political and social events with a layer of satire on the side.
While the topics were inexhaustible ā from U.S. presidential elections to the 2021 attacks on Asian communities ā the show, as it turns out, was not.
On July 23, the Emmy Award-winning program aired its last episode before being cancelled as a part of a new programming strategy at TBS.
Bee says that she knew the writing was on the wall for āquite a long timeā before āFull Frontalā officially ended. While the timing was a shock to her, she says she was ready for it to conclude.
āIāve been doing political comedy for 20 solid years without stopping, so I think I might need more of a break than I originally thought I did,ā says Bee, who stood out as one of the few women among the man-in-a-suit model of late-night hosts. Ā Ā
āIām just trying to figure out ā what are the elements from this 20-year journey I canāt live without doing, and one of those things is interviewing people. I love it so much and itās very fulfilling to me.ā Ā Ā Ā
Though the Toronto native is currently finding different outlets such as the new educational and silly Canadian Audible Original podcast series "Wildlife Confidential," which launched last week, Bee says she expects it won't be long before she returns to her comedic roots.
"It's strange to not be publicly commenting on the state of the world right now. But I actually think this is a pretty temporary break," Bee says.
"I will definitely carry forward commenting on the current political system," she continues. "I donāt really know what form it will take though."
Bee stars in āWildlife Confidentialā as avian talk show host Cameron the Crow, who interviews fellow animals, played by a cast of humans, about wild stories ripped from the headlines.
It's a welcome change of pace for Bee after a long on-air career of finding the humour in the news about the dog-eat-dog world of politics.
"I canāt believe Iām saying this to the actual press, but itās true. I bought peanuts once I decided to take on the role of a crow,ā says Bee.
"I heard crows really love peanuts, so I was like āall right folks, weāre going to get to know each other.'"
For Bee, the exercise was as much about getting into character as it was about finding a way to get along with the clever yet petty birds occupying her property.
"We have a house outside of New York City with crows in our yard and theyāre incredible,ā says Bee. āItās just happenstance that Iām playing one now because Iāve been staring at them and attempting to lure them for a while. They halfway like me, but I also think they arenāt sure yet.ā
Over the course of 10 episodes, listeners get to hear interviews with an array of curious critters. The lineup features a number of recognizable voices, including "Schitt's Creek" actor Jennifer Robertson and Colin Mochrie of āWhose Line is it Anyway?" playing Bonnie and Clyde, the capybara couple who captivated Toronto with their 2016 escape from High Park Zoo.
"Run the Burbs" star Andrew Phung, who co-hosts the series as rodent reporter Gordo the Groundhog, says he was drawn to the project that would appeal to his children.
For Phung, a seven-time Canadian Screen Awards winner, a first-time vocal project like āWildlife Confidentialā is a welcome new experience.
The Calgary-born comedian first secured major prominence as the charming Kimchee Han on āKimās Convenience,ā prior to his lead role in āRun the Burbs," which he created and will return to CBC for its second season next year.
Like Bee, Phung views the experience of lending a comedic voice to an audible medium as equally meaningful to being in front of a screen, but also more convenient.
āI didnāt have to wear makeup, or go through a wardrobe or have perfect hair,ā says Phung, who on some days would perform in shorts, a hoodie and a hat. Ā Ā Ā Ā
āOften, when youāre acting in TV or film, thereās a small percentage of you thatās always worried if youāre on the mark. āHow does my hair look?ā āDid I smear my makeup?āā
For Phung and his fellow Audible host Bee, freewheeling projects like āWildlife Confidentialā serve as a complement to the free-form current state of their careers. Ā Ā Ā
āIām in a really good place right now creatively because there are so many ideas and stories I want to tell,ā says Phung.
ā'Kimās Convenience' has made me feel as if I could do it. It made me fearless and allowed me to take on more projects like these.ā
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2022.
Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press
