Seth Meyers closed out NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation on Monday (May 12) and took the opportunity to poke fun at NBC by making jokes about Matt Lauer, the Chicago Pope, and Versant, the name of Comcast and NBCUniversal’s new spinoff company.
“Hello everyone. I’m Seth Meyers, or for the right price, Tostitos Presents Seth Meyers,” the late-night host opened his monologue, per Deadline. “I host the 12:30 slot. I’m open to anything.”
He continued, “If I could sell the naming rights to my kids, I would. Verizon would be a great name for my 7-year-old, considering how often I scream at him, ‘Can you hear me now?!’ My daughter’s name, maybe it’s Adelaide, maybe it’s Maybelline. Maybe it’s Ford F-150. I’m not picky you guys. Everything is for sale.”
Meyers then quipped, “The second part of Wicked is set to premiere later this year, and I’m just saying, for the right price, she could fly a Swiffer. They could melt her with Aquafina Water. We will do the reshoots.”
The upfronts are an annual event where TV networks and streamers showcase their upcoming programming lineups to advertisers. Meyers listed some of NBC’s biggest hits over the past year, including The Traitors and SNL 50, before jokingly adding, “Chicago Pope.”
“You know Dick Wolf’s agent is on the phone with the Vatican right now saying Dick gets a cut: ‘You never would’ve thought of Chicago Pope without Dick,’” the comedian joked, referencing Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born cardinal who was elected Pope last week.
“What a time to be Dick Wolf,” Meyers continued. “NBC has renewed Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to making sure people are terrified of Chicago.”
He also highlighted some of NBC’s upcoming shows, stating, “We have some great returning shows this year as well as some new shows. Ted is returning to Peacock for a second season, but for the sake of ad sales, we’re just going to call it, The Bear.”
“Dig follows four women who work at an archeological dig in Greece who uncover a long-buried secret,” Meyers added, referring to Amy Poehler and Michael Schur’s upcoming Peacock comedy. “Well, if it’s a long buried secret at NBC, I’m guessing it’s Matt Lauer.”
According to The Wrap, Meyers’ joke received groans and laughs from the audience. Lauer served as co-anchor on the Today show from 1997 to 2017 before NBC terminated his contract after reportedly receiving “a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”
Meyers also poked fun at the choice of name for Comcast and NBCUniversal’s new spinoff company, Versant. “Remember, ask your doctor if Versant is right for you,” he quipped, adding, “There are no good names left. Imagine being jealous that someone beat you to Tubi. Should we call it Roku? Believe it or not, somebody already took Roku, snatched it up faster than a Quibi.”
