Main

Recurring

Notable guests

The show features interviews with newsmakers, journalists, analysts, politicians, activists, and celebrities, including:

Series overview

Notable episodes

• From August 18 to 20, 2020, the show covered the 2020 Democratic National Convention.^[12] It also covered the 2020 Republican National Convention from August 26 to 28, 2020.^[13]
• From November 1 to 3, 2020, the show also covered the 2020 United States presidential election.
• On April 28, 2021, the show also covered the 2021 joint session of the United States Congress.
• On November 9, 2022, the show also covered the 2022 United States midterm elections.
• On February 8, 2023, the show also covered the 2023 State of the Union Address.^[4]
• On March 22, 2023, the show also covered the live report at 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference.

Development

The show was originally set to premiere on March 16, 2020, but production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7][8] The show was debuted on April 7, 2020, instead, after production continued via remote work, with animators and showrunner RJ Fried, who has also produced The Late Show and Showtime animated series Our Cartoon President, working via Zoom and Slack.^[14][15]

On October 4, 2021, both short-form episodes would expand to a half-hour starting on October 8, 2021, and the show would switch to a weekly format.^[2]

On March 29, 2022, co-creators and co-executive producers Mike Leech and Zach Smilovitz renewed their overall deal at CBS Studios, initially signed in 2020, where they will continue to write and produce across all platforms. On May 18, 2022, the show would move to Comedy Central as part of its adult animation push, with Paramount+ will simultaneously serve as its streaming home.^[16]

On July 23, 2022, senior researcher Jonathan van Halem was offered the role of News Producer, making him the first person of Dutch descent to hold the position in the show's three-season history.^[17]

On September 29, 2022, the animation staff at Tooning Out the News publicly voted to join a union with The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, making them the first group of animation workers and production staff in New York to vote in favor of unionizing. At the same time, the guild is generally submitting a letter for voluntary recognition to CBS Eye Animation Productions, an animation studio division of CBS Studios.

Animation

The show is produced by "The Late Show"'s animation studio, Late Night Cartoons, Inc., which was inspired by the idea of parodying an animated version of the popular cable news program. The concept of the show gradually took shape with the help of short clips that featured animated cartoon pundits on "The Late Show". On a parallel track, the animated anchors were interviewed by a range of guests while working to produce the segments for the week. Originally, the show's production used motion capture to "record" the actors' performances on the show, after converting David Letterman's old personal screening room at the Ed Sullivan Theater as a control room.^[18]

After the pandemic forced animators to work from home, they switched to remote production, shipping equipment to animators' houses and using Adobe Character Animator to animate the show's virtual hosts, which allowed guests to interact with the show’s animated hosts and panelists in real-time. While the show usually takes months to produce, an episode of Tooning Out the News is turned around a few days before airtime for the concept to stay current, with the topical productions and real-time animation works done remotely.

The pandemic also forced producers to find a remote solution for guests, who were set to be filmed in the studio. Because the show's back-and-forth banter required low latency, producers partnered with The Video Call Center to handle the acquisition and quality control of guest connections.^[19] The VCC developed a custom process that enables the show’s animated hosts and correspondents to have topical, live, natural conversations with newsmakers and journalists.^[20]

Critical response

Tooning Out The News has received widespread critical acclaim and recently garnered mixed-to-positive reviews from news and television critics for its fresh take on current affairs, hyper-topical coverage, and real-life interviews, bolstered by hilarious political satire, provocative commentaries, smart writing, and innovative comedy. It currently holds a 5.6/10 rating on IMDB with 55% of users giving it a positive review, while Rotten Tomatoes score remains hidden, despite several reviews being posted by users. The show has also been featured in numerous publications, including Los Angeles Times, Comic Book Resources, Mediaite, and The Daily Beast.

Accolades

The show also garnered nominations for numerous awards, including two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series, but eventually lost to Carpool Karaoke: The Series. At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, despite gaining For Your Consideration, Tooning Out The News did not receive the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series nomination.