Drew Barrymore, Pitbull help kick off Chelsea Handler's Netflix talk show
NEW YORK -- "Hello, world. Here I am. Did you miss me?"
That's one of the first things Chelsea Handler said to her Netflix viewers in the premiere of her new streaming talk show, Chelsea.
But don't call the introduction a monologue. She's done with those. Instead, Handler just wanted to offer an "explanation" about what exactly the the platform's first ever talk show will be like.
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So far, it's very Handler -- but a Handler who's got a lot more creative control than she did on E!, thanks to Netflix. Nothing is off limits, and Handler seems more at ease than ever (if that was even possible) in front of the camera and her live audience at Sony Pictures Studios.
The host even brought up Chunk -- one of her dogs -- to hang out on stage during the entirety of the show.
She also certainly doesn't mind cursing. That's the fun of what she calls "freeing the talk show."
"I'm finally getting to do the exact kind of show that I've always wanted to do. So thank you Netflix," she said in her not-monologue.
If you couldn't tell already: Handler clearly loves her new home.
The premiere even included a bit about "Netflix Academy," featuring a a handful of familiar Netflix faces: Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Robin Wright (House of Cards) and Will Arnett (Flaked).
That segment helped lead in to the theme of the debut episode: education.
"I'm a late-night television host that doesn't want to be tied down by time, or television, or even hosting," Handler said. "I finally sprang for a desk because I'm treating this show like the college education I never got, and Netflix is giving me a full ride."
Secretary of Education John King was the first to chat with Handler, who had him quiz her on her general knowledge.
PItbull, who just opened up a school in Miami, was also a guest. If he and King sound like a weird combo, that's because they were.
Perhaps the highlight of Pitbull's presence was seeing him play with Chunk ("dogs get a little afraid of other dogs sometimes") and revealing the origins of his nickname, "Mr. Worldwide."
Drew Barrymore rounded out the guest lineup. Instead of talking education, the actress opened up about her divorce.
“I put in my statement about divorce the word ‘failure,’ because it’s so honest,” she said. “You break up with somebody, and you’re just like, ‘Yeah, that didn’t work.’ And you get divorced and you’re like, ‘I’m the biggest failure. This is the biggest failure.’”
And yes, all this happened in the span of a single episode.
Netflix will release a new episode of Chelsea every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night.
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Topics Netflix
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
