For the past few years, it has become increasingly difficult to stay the course in comedy. In the social media era, what’s funny and what’s not is either celebrated, criticised or cancelled. A comedian’s career hinges on what they say next.
Sam Pang, however, has navigated his way with great success by tapping into the most quintessential traits of Aussie humour. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, nor do we expect others to.
It’s a pathway that has led him to co-host several shows on TV and radio, and win the laughs for more than a decade as a panellist on Have You Been Paying Attention?, as well as The Front Bar. Now, he’s at the top of the crop with his own talk show, Sam Pang Tonight.
“It’s a big honour and a privilege,” Sam, 51, tells TV WEEK of fronting his own show. “But also, it’s just going to be a lot of fun. From the shows I’ve been on in the past, I think people know what to expect. Hopefully people come together to watch it but if they don’t want to, that’s fine, too. Everyone has a lot on [laughs].”
Produced by Sam’s One Wolf Productions, Sam Pang Tonight will include regular segments as well as special guests ranging from A-listers to experts in their field and everyday people with a story to tell. If it sounds familiar to former talk shows, that’s no accident – Sam isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel but revive a hugely successful past format.
“We’re probably not going to be talking to a reporter from Four Corners or anything,” he jokes. “There’s enough of those shows. We won’t be taking things too seriously. But I grew up watching the likes of [late-night hosts David] Letterman and Johnny Carson, and it’s a fun format. We won’t follow the US as such, we have to tailor it to the Australian audience and the strengths we bring.”
It’s not lost on Sam that he will join an esteemed list of Australian talk show hosts, including Rove McManus, Steve Vizard, Andrew Denton and Shaun Micallef – all of whom have inspired him throughout his career.
“I ran into Rove at the AACTA Awards a few years ago and told him what I was thinking for the show,” Sam recalls. “He was so supportive. He’s a lovely, funny man and it was nice to hear that. We haven’t had a show like this for a while now. I hope the timing is right.”
There will also be some familiar faces on hand as Sam dives into his Rolodex of funny friends. But despite naming Celia Pacquola, Tom Gleisner, Ed Kavalee, Mick Molloy and Kitty Flanagan among those in his circle, he jokingly predicts: “Zero out of five chance they’ll pick up the phone.”
Despite the honour of the job, Sam never had creating and hosting his own show on his bingo card – “I don’t know if I had enough ambition to even have a bingo card,” he quips – but the TV spotlight would suggest otherwise.
After decades in entertainment, Sam took up the enormous task of hosting the TV WEEK Logie Awards in 2023. The acclaim was such that he returned in 2024. As for whether he’ll make it a trifecta in 2025, he notes, “It’s currently in discussions. I’ve had a great time, so hopefully I get to do it again.
“I grew up watching the Logies and you never dream you’ll host it one day. Sam Pang Tonight is similar,” he adds. “You stumble into this industry and then you’re in it and you have to work hard… If we’re talking five- or 10-year plans, this wasn’t on it. But I’m glad it is.”
Sam Pang Tonight premieres Monday, March 17, 8.40pm, 10
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