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George Lopez, who has starred in his own sitcom and comedy specials, is moving to the world of late-night television.
He launches “Lopez Tonight” at 11 p.m. EST Monday on TBS. It’s one of several new talk shows — there’s also “The Wanda Sykes Show” on Fox and “The Mo’Nique Show” on BET — that are bringing more diversity to the post-prime-time landscape.
Lopez wants his talkfest to feel like a spontaneous party that includes everyone. He mentions Arsenio Hall’s landmark show as one of his influences.
Ellen DeGeneres, Eva Longoria-Parker and Kobe Bryant were scheduled to guest on the debut. Upcoming shows will feature Jessica Alba, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Kathy Griffin and Sandra Bullock.
And he’s hoping that Barack and Michelle Obama will have time to drop by. After all, the president has appeared in a promo for “Lopez Tonight.”
“I invited both of them ... to come and visit,” says Lopez. “Also Sonia Sotomayor, if she ever came to Los Angeles. ... I think that would be great.”
Q: How is your show going to stand out?
A: I think I stand out, for one. ... I’ve crossed over, obviously, with the success of the situation comedy and the success of my HBO specials. I don’t think that anyone is unfamiliar with my name. I think they’re unfamiliar with me in this format. But I’m not reclusive, I’m not shy, I’m not afraid of talking about issues that are a little difficult for some people to understand, but not for people of color. ... As a fan of late-night TV, I don’t watch it because I don’t feel like it’s servicing what I need from a show. And I think that my show will. ... Just the multiculturalism of who’s on, the music of what’s on, honoring the past and looking to the future.
Q: When you think of the word “party” for your show, what do you think of?
A: I think of something that moves you. When you’re ever at a good party, and you say, “Hey man, we’re going to leave at 11,” or “We’re going to leave at 1,” and you look at your watch and it’s 2:30 and you’re like, “Where did all the time go?” — one of those parties. And the set doesn’t look like a set. It looks like a club. ... I’m not going to use a desk. I’m going to try not to use cards. We’re just going to sit there, relaxed. We’re going to let the people (in the audience) ask questions.
Q: Can I ask about the ad with President Obama that’s been running? I know it was done during the 2008 campaign. How did that happen?
A: For a year ... I was out there campaigning. ... I’d run into him a few times. And then I asked him to help me with the pilot, I believe it was in August of 2008. We asked him to do a promo. I wrote it so that the line that I wanted him to say was, “I want you to change late-night because that’s change I can believe in.”
Q: You recently appeared at the Fiesta Latina night at the White House. What was that like?
A: It was fantastic. And I tried not to let it bother me that we were in the back yard in a tent (laughs). It still counted as being on the grounds. I told him next time we wanted to be inside.
Q: In terms of any other influences, I wanted to know when you first watched late-night as a kid.
A: It’s ... rooted in Johnny Carson, obviously. I loved Freddie Prinze and Richard Pryor and Cosby and all those guys I saw on “The Tonight Show.”
Q: So this will be a little of the Johnny Carson heritage, too?
A: It would be cool if it was like that, if you could just sit there and be as cool as Johnny was, absolutely.
