When the predominantly female team at Mediaweek learned that Australia’s sweetheart Sam Pang was set to host a solo show, the reaction was unanimous: “Oh, I like Sam”.
When the interaction was put to Paramount Australia’s head of scripted and comedy, Sophia Mogford, she burst out laughing before adding: “Do you know anyone who doesn’t like Sam?”.
Pang has been a mainstay on Australian radio and television for more than a decade now, most notably featuring as a panellist on Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Front Bar.
In 2023, he took on the poisoned chalice of being the host of the Logies, and his dry wit and irreverent humour proved to be the perfect antidote for an industry that often takes itself far too seriously. He was asked back in 2024 to similar rave reviews – and now he’s having a crack at his own show.
Australia’s history with this style of talk show is a graveyard of good intentions. From the earnest to the experimental, attempts to replicate the American model have often faltered.
Now, Ten is placing its chips on Pang, launching Sam Pang Tonight and hoping to finally break the mould with an eight-episode run. But why have previous efforts fallen short, and what makes Pang the potential game-changer?
A format in need of a refresh
“I think in the olden days, the television watching audience watched TV differently,” Mogford explains. “And probably those the longer running shows didn’t evolve or change. It was the same format. It was the same presenter, and some of those styles of hosting went a little bit out of fashion; perhaps I also think people need a rest.
“Sometimes, you just need to give formats a rest for there to be excitement about them coming back and then refresh them when they do come back.”
This refresh, Mogford believes, hinges on the unique appeal of Pang.
Pang: The perfect tonic?
For this style of show to succeed, it needs a host with a distinct voice, natural comedic timing, and a genuine connection with audiences. Pang, Mogford says, ticks every box.
“He’s just so well-liked, he’s so irreverent, he’s so dry, and he’s pretty much the perfect tonic for the world at the moment,” she explains. “He hangs s**t on people in the most charming way.”
Unlike hosts who simply deliver punchlines, Pang’s strength lies in conversation. “I reckon it’s because he talks to people, not at them,” Mogford adds. “He’s engaged in conversation and banter – he’s not looking to get one-up on people, he’s just laughing with them.” His ability to tap into Australia’s larrikin spirit, she says, is exactly why he resonates so well with audiences.
Paramount Australia’s head of scripted and comedy, Sophia Mogford
A show built around Sam’s brain
Network 10, Mogford admits, has been working on a project for Pang for some time, waiting for the right fit. “We’ve been thinking that it would be amazing to have something with him,” Mogford says. “And it was really about what he wanted to do.”
The result is a late-night format shaped entirely around Pang’s personality. “The whole thing – title, format, tone – will be formed around his brain, his language, his take on stuff,” she explains. “He’s got a slightly left-field brain, which is what makes him funny.”
That creative influence extends to the writing team, which consists of close friends and collaborators. “The writers that are on it are all people who know Sam,” Mogford notes. “It’s not like they’re just hired help. They speak his language.”
But it won’t just be about scripted segments – there will be room for spontaneity. “He wants to talk to audience members. He has a guest announcer every week, someone he knows and has worked with. And there’s a stable of great entertainers in this country – most of whom Sam knows – who I imagine will be showing their faces,” Mogford says.
A winning formula
Success in this kind of television ultimately comes down to the host. “If you’re going to do a chat show, that host has to own it,” Mogford says. “They have to be liked. People have to want to be associated with them. They have to want to hear what they’ve got to say.”
Pang’s track record at the Logies, where he revitalised the awards show and turned it into must-watch TV, proves he has the pull. “People actually wanted to watch the Logies,” Mogford says. “Whereas before, they felt like they had to.”
For advertisers, Sam Pang Tonight offers a rare opportunity in Australian television – a format with a proven global track record, adapted for local audiences with a personality who already commands national attention. And for viewers, it promises a fresh take on the late-night genre, with plenty of irreverence, self-awareness, and Pang’s signature charm.
As Mogford puts it, “People know what David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel do so well. And I feel like this will be a great Australian version of that – one that pokes fun at itself along the way.”
Sam Pang Tonight premieres tonight, 17 March at 8:40pm on 10 and 10 Play.