Article content continued

It’s here where staff writers pinball ideas off each other as the occasional producer walks by, all smiles and sweatpants. A little less Aaron Sorkin and a bit more Nancy Meyers, it’s a writer’s space through and through: haphazard and immediately comfortable. It also offers a stark contrast to the livewire set just down the street where everything crafted in this quiet bubble is brought to life. Before the circus begins, however, the writers and production staff await their ringleader.

Born and raised in Toronto, Samantha Bee’s career in entertainment began like that of so many aspiring actors – as a waitress. After transferring universities and eventually dropping out of George Brown Theatre School, Bee picked up the odd acting gig while working at the Golden Griddle at Front and Jarvis. Her not-so-big break came in the form of a starring role in a travelling production of Sailor Moon (where she met her husband Jason Jones). But when The Daily Show came to the city in search of new talent, she jumped at the chance to audition. Already a fan of the show, Bee won the part and made her way to New York in 2003 for what would end up being a 12-year stint as the series’ longest-running correspondent.

When Jon Stewart announced he would be leaving The Daily Show in February 2015, Bee assumed – correctly – that she would be passed over for his job. So before his replacement was even announced, she and Jones had shopped their sitcom, The Detour, to TBS. When it was picked up, the network also offered Bee the opportunity to host her own series. She immediately accepted the chance to become one of the few female hosts of a late-night show. And from the outset, it was clear that she was going to do things her own way. Full Frontal (Wednesdays on The Comedy Network) promoted its premiere with New York bus ads reading, “Watch or you’re sexist” and a trailer warning viewers, “I am female as f—k.”