Seth Meyers takes a closer look at the 2024 presidential debate

NEW YORK – Live from New York: “A Closer Look”?

“I think the beautiful thing for us is that every time we're taken out of our comfort zone, we rise to the occasion,” said Seth Meyers, host of NBC's “Late Night.”

For one night only, Meyers brings his show's most popular segment, the political commentary segment called “A Closer Look,” to prime time to provide a recap of the day-after presidential debate.

“We're in a position where we can talk about, first, what happened on the debate stage and, second, the media reaction and the manipulation by the campaigns. There's going to be a lot for us to do that we'll have to break down and build into different acts of the show,” he said.

It's broadcast live, which makes him a little nervous.

“Something like anticipation and fear,” he joked.

And this even after his previous appearance as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.”

“In my years at SNL, you never get used to performing live,” Meyers said. “And that's so funny because ultimately, we don't make a lot of changes to our show. It practically feels like live. But of course, we don't have that luxury (on the live specials) and your body knows that, and so the butterflies in your stomach come and you just hope you can do it.”

“A Closer Look” reached its peak during the 2016 election campaign.

“And then it became like we just got really good feedback on it. People liked it,” Meyers said. “People liked watching it when it aired. People liked watching it online the next day.”

The carefully researched sections illuminate politics with humor.

Meyers said: “The nice thing about it is that because of the comedy, people have developed a lot of appreciation for the work of the researchers. And I also think the researchers have become a little bit funnier.”

The live prime-time special will not be Seth Meyers' usual show in the usual time slot. And that's perfectly fine with him.

“You need something every now and then to shake things up a little,” Meyers said.

“A Closer Look with Seth Meyers: Primetime LIVE Election Special” airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. on KING 5.

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