Slow News Day? Here’s Help!
What to talk about when there’s nothing to talk about
The less there is to talk about around you, the more your show has to rely on your own creativity. This is a good muscle to build. The more successful and well-known you are, the more expectation and desire there will be for you to create your own content rather than relying on topicality and pop culture.
Late night shows have mastered this idea by coming up with their own unique features like Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets, James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, Conan’s Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Letterman’s Stupid Human Tricks, Jimmy Fallon’s Thank You Notes or Classroom Instruments.
Three meh stories around the same topic can become a stickier break with a funny name. Three unrelated stories about underwear became “Breaking Underwear News!” on Hannah & Jonny’s show.
Compile a list of floating features, not strong enough to be in regular rotation but strong enough for once in a while. Think about how SNL does this with recurring characters.
What do you like talking about? Build floating features around your passions. Dave Ryan is doing magic tricks in studio; his co-host Falen hosted a book club. Hannah is considering a bit around her obsession with true crime. Her cohost Jonny sings and plays guitar so he does “Surprise Serenades.” Johnny Novak knows random facts, hence “The More You Novak,” a fun-fact segment.
Combine two unrelated topical stories into something new. The Oscars are this weekend, and it’s also Daylight Saving Time. Thought starters: What movie would have been better an hour shorter? For what movie do you wish you could have your time back? What time period in the movies would you like to go back to? Keep going…
Think about your biggest annoyances. Someone on the KVJ Show must hate people using the word “like.” They’ve turned it into a bit… How many times does this girl say “like” in this short clip?
When you’re really stuck, make evergreen prep sheet content sound more special by packaging it as something like the Wheel of Leftover Topics (Woody Show) or Recycle Bin News (Stephen Keppler).
Pick an emotion and build content around that. Feel-good (Happy News), outrage (Why You Mad), embarrassment (Embarrassing Story Club, Tyler, Danaye and Fuzzy), perseverance (Not Today Tuesday, Antoine and Monica), inspiration (Morning Motivation).
When you have a fun idea, it’s tempting to want to get to it right away. But if your show is already full, put it aside for a slow week. You’ll be glad you did!
Shoot me an email with your tips to add, or let me know if you try any of these with successful results.