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Jason Kelce Late-Night Show Better Than Chevy Chase, Magic Johnson

ESPN and Jason Kelce's late-night show deserves an "A" for effort though it tried a little too hard. Here's the debut episode and highlights.

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Article Summary

  • Jason Kelce debuted his late-night show on ESPN, aiming for a strong start with standout guests & unique style.
  • The guest lineup included NBA legend Charles Barkley, rapper Lil Dicky, and NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.
  • Kelce's show features classic late-night staples like a monologue and "wacky antics," along with house band Snacktime.
  • Kelce's venture shows promise but feels overwhelming. Still, it's definitely well above what we got back in the day from Chevy Chase and Magic Johnson.

From FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and his frequent television interviews to his New Heights podcast (with brother Travis Kelce) and work with ESPN's Monday Night Football team, it seems like a given that Jason Kelce could make a go of it in late-night – right? We learned back in November 2024 that he would get a chance in January 2025 with his new ESPN late-night talk show, They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce – and this past Friday night was the premiere. How did it go?

Jason Kelce
Image: ESPN Screencap

Well… no one can say that Kelce didn't do his homework – even looking to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for guidance heading into (and during) the debut episode. His guest lineup was strong – NBA legend Charles Barkley, rapper/comedian Lil Dicky, and NFL analyst Brian Baldinger. He even had the late-night staples of a monologue, "wacky antics," and a house band, Snacktime (an impressive mix of soul, funk, hip hop, and rock) – while showing a willingness to drop an "F-bomb" if needed. And this was only the first of five weekly shows, so there's definitely room for improvement.

That said? It was all a bit… much. While it's important to make a strong first impression, this felt like a whole lot of overkill and a ton of over-compensating. Are there the key components of a show that could be something unique in the late-night landscape? Definitely – and as long as folks remember Chevy Chase and "Magic" Johnson, Kelce will never have to worry about being the worst famous person to cross professions for a shot at late-night glory. Thankfully, Jason Kelce was kind enough to post the complete first episode on YouTube earlier today (which you can check out above) – but if you don't have enough time for that, ESPN posted a highlights video from the debut show (with individual highlights here). The next episode hits on Friday, January 10th, at 1 am ET (with the fifth show starting at 1:30 am ET) – with ESPN+, ESPN YouTube, and Jason Kelce's YouTube channel making each of the episodes available after they hit ESPN screens (with a re-airing on ESPN2 on Saturday mornings).

ESPN's They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce is produced by NFL Films, Jason Kelce's Wooder Boy Productions, and Skydance Sports.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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