While this is being announced as “…a fast-paced half-hour look at the week’s headlines, celebrity newsmakers, social media buzz and pop culture trends,” don’t be surprised if Thede and Rock have something more clever up their sleeves. 

Since the cancellation of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, there seems to be a void where Wilmore’s voice once was in late night. The precision of Last Week Tonight and the unapologetic fire of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee have cemented their places in late night, but it would seem that The Nightly Show just didn’t get enough time to figure out where it fit in the post-Daily-Show-with-Jon-Stewart world.

Now, with this pilot being made and shopped around with Chris Rock on board, Thede might just pick up the baton that Wilmore had to set down.