Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night lets the host act a little more relaxed, and Meyers uses that freedom well.

Fred Armisen is a surprising choice as bandleader, but he brings unequaled improv chops to the table, and his little banter with Seth every night has already proven one of the more reliably funny bits. Integrating him as much as possible is certainly a smart idea. Meyers, like Fallon, is also a more-than-capable interviewer.

As always, you can't judge a late-night host by a first show. But Meyers' debut indicates that his blend of intelligence and goofy humor will be a welcome addition to the crowded late-night neighborhood.

Mr. Meyers was at ease and disarming in his new role as a talk show host.

Newly minted Late Night host Seth Meyers hit a few early potholes during his inaugural show Monday night--but eventually found his sea legs and drove his new 12:35 p.m. show to a solid, if unspectacular, debut.

The monologue was the sharpest part of Meyers’ first hour on the air (a departure from Fallon, whose monologue has never been his strength)–brisk, punctuated with self-deprecation, and wide-rangingly topical.... The distinguishing thing about the first night of Seth Meyers, in other words, was Seth Meyers, and the hour dropped little hints about how his personality and interests might shape the show.

You get a lot of jokes per minute from Meyers, and on Monday at least, most of them worked.... Time of course will tell, but Late Night once again seems to be in good hands.

The articulate comic whose charm is deftly walking the balance beam between cool guy and geek was at his best when he was simply conversing.

[Meyers] was shaky only fleetingly. He stuck his landings. He was cool, but clearly having fun.

It was... safe, reasonable, unembarrassing, uninspirational.

Needs improvement, but it’ll make it. The goal should be to fit the show to Meyers’ obvious strengths, not try to fit Meyers to the show’s template.

Meyers's first monologue was all down-the-middle one-liners, delivered in the exact "Weekend Update" cadence.... Meyers settled in more once he sat down at his desk.

Late Night with Seth Meyers felt totally professional and not at all embarrassing--which means it also felt standard and boilerplate.

Meyers is likable and pleasant, and the first show probably isn't a good indication of what his Late Night will eventually be like. In the early going, though, there isn't much fresh happening there.

With all of the hype leading up to Meyers's debut on Late Night, it was disappointing that his opening monologue was scrappy.... On his own, Meyers was merely OK, especially considering that Fred Armisen, who leads Late Night's house band, was such a nonentity. Then Amy Poehler came on and everything was just splendid.

His monologue was staccato and hit and miss--sounding more like his "Weekend Update" bits than a real monologue. And his first attempt at a recurring bit, "Venn Diagrams," was overly clinical and less than funny, despite some good material.... The back-to-back segments of Poehler and Biden offered an early hint that Meyers really can do interviews and that worries over that element of his arsenal are exaggerated.

Right now he’s as bland as Carson Daly.

Meyers is talented and interesting enough that I shouldn't be watching his premiere and wishing that Stefon had shown up instead of Joe Biden.... The monologue was nothing much. Meyers at least seemed instantly comfortable, at home, once he finished a string of so-so punchlines and sat down behind the desk.