HBO Max's The Not Too Late Show with Elmo is brought you to by the letter A -- as in awesome, amusing and achievement

The Week

"The premise of The Not Too Late Show is exactly what it sounds like, so deceptively simple that you can't help but wonder why no one had thought of it before: What if there was a late-night TV show for kids?" says Jeva Lange. "Obviously it couldn't be too late — hence the title, but also the straight-to-streaming format, which makes it customizable for bedtimes. Would such a show have a studio audience? (Yes, a mix of Muppets and people, à la Sesame Street, and clearly shot before quarantine). Would there be musical guests? (Yes, among them Kacey Musgraves, the Jonas Brothers, and Lil Nas X — all spot-on choices, give that booker a raise). How long would an episode be? (A blessed 15 minutes each). Even farther flung questions like 'what might cue cards look like for a preliterate puppet host?' get answered by the show (scribbles, naturally). For the Sesame Street team, adapting a children's show's themes to fit a more traditionally adult television format is practically old hat. The original series has been doing parodies of grown-ups' favorites since it began in 1969: Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Lost, Stranger Things (brilliantly retitled 'Sharing Things'), and Law and Order (Special Letters Unit) have all been Muppetized over the years."

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• Pay close enough attention to The Not Too Late Show's structure and the contents, and the service element emerges: "With mobile devices and other screens playing an increasing role in daily life, here’s a show that fights against tech’s negative impact on sleep by helping kids get ready for bed," says Erik Adams. "The Jonas Brothers extol the importance of nighttime oral hygiene in one episode; John Mulaney helps expel excess energy with a tricycle race in another. The musical-guest slot—so often the capper on the types of shows Not-Too-Late bases its game of dress-up on—give Kacey Musgraves and Lil Nas X a chance to spin Sesame standards into new lullabies and pre-lights-out sing-alongs. Millions of adults make the Tonight, Late, or Daily Show part of their bedtime routine. Why should the kids miss out on the fun? It’s a clever, charming concept, executed with the Workshop’s customary care and craft."
• The Not Too Late Show is an extremely delightful way to thread the needle of capitalizing on HBO Max's IP while being a silly show with celebrities
• If you find Elmo annoying, The Not Too Late Show is not for you