Sam Pang is about to emerge from behind the buzzer, bar or lectern where we are used to finding him.
The beloved comedian who slayed as our most recent TV Week Logie Awards host has scored himself the coveted gig as a tonight show host, following in the footsteps of stars like Steve Vizard and Rove McManus. “I’m thrilled to bring a tonight show to Australian screens in 2025. Especially since Channel 10 passed on my pitch to reboot The Golden Girls,” the 51-year-old said when Sam Pang Tonight was announced.
So what can viewers expect? True to the Tonight Show formula, Sam Pang Tonight will open with a monologue that will roast and celebrate the week’s current affairs, before local and international guests drop in to chat with Pang. Here, he sits down with WHO to talk all about his debut, eight-episode season.
A tonight show is a big deal for Australia. Is this style of show something that’s always been on your bingo card?
Yes, absolutely. But also on my bingo card was “playing less bingo”. It’s become a real problem.
How are you feeling about going out on your own – nervous? Excited? A bit of both?
I’m usually seated behind a buzzer or a bar, so I’m both nervous and excited for viewers to get a rare glimpse of my ever-elusive legs.
How is the team on Have You Been Paying Attention? taking the change? Is Tom Gleisner now ‘competition’?
Ed Kavalee is fine. I bought him a chicken salad and he immediately forgot I was doing this show. Tom Gleisner is the ghost of television’s past. The sooner he stops haunting the nation the better.
Tell us a few dream guests you’d love to have on Sam Pang Tonight.
Beyoncé, Frank Sinatra and Dr Chris Brown. Ideally on the same episode.
Can you name any comedian pals who will be joining you along the way or is it a surprise for viewers? It must be fun to collaborate with friends on a different format like this.
“It’s a surprise for viewers” equals a great way to avoid answering a question! Hint: I’m waiting for Rodney Rude to get back to me.
How far will you go with the roasting side of things – are you nervous about striking the right balance in this climate?
More excited than nervous. I don’t go out with the intention of roasting people, but like any addiction, it’s easy to relapse. Hopefully, people know nothing I say is mean-spirited.
Is there anyone on the ‘banned’ list when it comes to guests?
Maggie Beer. She’s an icon but we have a long-time feud that is beyond repair. She knows what she did.
Do you have any chat show greats who you’ve looked up to and whose success you would love to emulate? Someone who does killer monologues, perhaps?
As a kid, I’d tape [David] Letterman on my VCR and had a Johnny Carson DVD that got a pretty good run. I used to watch [Shaun] Micallef, [Andrew] Denton, Vizard and Rove. But I’m also planning to channel my inner Jerry Springer with my soon-to-be hit segment ‘Penguin Love Triangles’.
How about the Logies – would you be keen to host that again later this year?
I’d love to, but it’s up to Channel 7. What I really want to host is the GQ Awards. But the doors of Gentleman Quarterly remain firmly closed.
(Sam Pang Tonight premieres Mon., Mar. 17 at 8.40pm on Network 10)
