Fresh air can be a rare commodity in the world of late-night talk, a realm that often seems dominated by funny white guys named Jimmy doing their best to resolutely walk the line between “inoffensive” and “inessential.” Which is just one of the reasons that Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show has been such a consistent refreshment over the last six months. Arriving every Friday night on the NBC-affiliated streaming network, the series showcases Ruffin’s welcome combination of high-energy comedy and deft political savvy, refusing to shy away from the most terrifying national issues of the day—often, it must be said, in the form of a catchy song.
Which is why it’s so nice to see that Peacock is embracing Ruffin’s role as part of its late-night ecosystem, renewing The Amber Ruffin Show for another six months on the streaming network. (Still no call up to the NBC major leagues, as was potentially hinted at by her brief substitute stint on the network earlier this year, but, hey: We’ll take it.) Ruffin produces, hosts, and co-writes the show, in addition to her continuing duties on Late Night With Seth Meyers, but if she’s willing to keep quadrupling up her schedule like this for another half-year, we’re happy to accept the benefits of the hard work that she—and the show’s other writers, including head writer Jenny Hagel, plus Ian Morgan, Ashley Nicole Black, Michael Harriot, internet favorite Demi Adejuyigbe, Shantira Jackson, and Dewayne Perkins—have been putting into the series.