Chelsea Handler fans rejoice: the acerbic comedienne is expanding her brand with a new mockementary show called After Lately. The series follows Chelsea and her writers backstage through a tongue-and-cheek series of exploits, with the premiere episode focusing on a heated competition to land a spot on Ms. Handler’s swanky private jet. I was lucky enough to nab an advanced screener of the pilot, and while it’s uneven at times, I’m happy to report that the show does certainly have potential to be a buzzworthy comedy.
Much like Chelsea Lately (and E!’s other white hot series, The Soup), I’m guessing that After Lately might need some time to find its sweet spot. The performers (all actual staff members on Chelsea Lately) are all game, but they’re still a bit rough around the edges (the exception being Chelsea and writer Sarah Colonna, who have a natural ease on camera). Unsurprisingly, Chelsea steals most scenes she pops up in, but most of the action focuses on writers such as Brad Wollack and Heather McDonald, the latter of whom lands a bit about sidekicks that suggests potential brilliance in this show’s future. After Lately is not there yet, but comedies need to find their voices, and with some sweet, sweet love and affection from E!, we might have another worthy contender for our DVR — or at least something to distract us from crap like Pretty Wild.
After Lately: Premieres March 6th at 11 PM on E!
Handler was one of the Producers of Pretty Wild–she is friends with the nutty Mother.
Chelsea Handler is about as funny as Carlos Mencia