George Lopez talk show: no cards, desk or monologue -- but Obama better visit

6:02 AM PST 11/30/2010 by James Hibberd

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Presenting his upcoming late-night talk show, George Lopez won some critics over during his TCA panel. He was legitimately funny, and quick on his feet bantering with reporters, an ability that should help his strategy to have an ultra-informal program this fall.

Lopez downplayed any sense of performance pressure....

"The simple plan of the show is to create an energy that isn't anywhere on TV," Lopez said, then joked, "[but] apparently in some parts of the country I'll be up against telenovelas -- can't win that battle."

Lopez said he's going to get rid of several late-night conventions: no desk, no cue cards and no monologue (very little monologue, anyway).

"'Monologue' sounds like a dissertation," he said after the panel. "It's hard to make formal look cool."

The comedian also hopes to keep the format flexible, bringing audience members up to the couch, putting different guests together on stage, and sometimes opening with a guest.

"If you have Prince, why would you have him go last?" he said. "It's supposed to be a party and a party is spontaneous."

As for competition for booking guests, Lopez quipped, "I don't think the 'Tonight Show' is going after Menudo."

TBS also screened a brief promo for the show featuring Lopez and president Barack Obama.

"George, you need to change late night," the president says in the clip. "That's the kind of change I can believe in."

Lopez said he considers Obama a friend and hopes he will appear as a guest on the show. In fact, Lopez went so far as to say that if the president came to Los Angeles that he would be "personally offended" if Obama didn’t appear on the program.

TBS also played a trailer for the program but ... guys, must you intro a Latino byplaying "Low Rider"? It's been a long time since the first Cheech &Chong movie, no?