January 04, 2025
Provided Image/ESPN Images
Jason Kelce's new ESPN show, 'They Call It Late Night,' taped its first episode Friday afternoon at Union Transfer. The show will air Saturdays at 1 a.m. every week in January for the NFL playoffs.
Jason Kelce stepped into the shoes of his TV idols at Union Transfer on Friday to tape the first episode of "They Call It Late Night," his new ESPN show that will air for five weekends during the NFL playoffs.
The retired Eagles center came prepared with plenty of profanities, beer and odes to the Philly faithful who packed the venue at 10th and Spring Garden streets.
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"We really wanted the language to be real and to be authentic to me," Kelce told reporters after Friday's taping. "We overdid it a little bit to kind of prep the audience with what to expect. I think the F-bombs were the one thing I was told, 'You might want to be a little cautious there,' but (ESPN said), 'We want to give you range to be who you are.'"
The format of the hour-long show ran the gamut of live and pre-taped skits, special appearances and a panel discussion featuring NBA icon Charles Barkley, rapper Lil Dicky, and NFL analyst Brian Baldinger. Former Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael camped out at the bar in the back of the venue, where he soothed Kelce's nerves with advice on his performance. Kylie Kelce, Jason's wife, also chimed in from a seat in the balcony to offer moral support during the show.
Jason Kelce's first panel of guests on 'They Call It Late Night' were rapper Lil Dicky, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger and NBA analyst Charles Barkley.
Jason Kelce described "They Call It late Night" as his "love letter" to football. ESPN partnered with NFL Films to use game clips that will be sprinkled throughout each episode, an element that Kelce called a "sentimental" part of his attachment to football.
"We wanted to make a show that celebrated the NFL landscape, not just from current players or current games, but of past players and past games, announcers, NFL fans — the subculture of the NFL," Kelce said.
To sharpen his skills as a host, Kelce said he drew from his childhood memories watching Conan O'Brien, David Letterman and other late-night hosts. He spent several months collecting wisdom from late-night stalwart Jimmy Kimmel, who appeared in a pre-taped skit during the first episode.
"Jimmy has been so good in this realm for so long. ... He had me out on his show, sat me down and really explained some things that he thought would accelerate this process for me," Kelce said.
The first episode leaned heavily on Kelce's connections to Philadelphia, from his choice of venue to his first guests and his house band, local rock and soul group Snacktime. Kelce chose Union Transfer because of his experiences attending charity concerts hosted there by his former Eagles teammate Connor Barwin. The stage set was decked out with an arcade game, old school football helmets and a refrigerator stocked with beer.
"I don't know if it's architecture or the vibe or size, but (Union Transfer) is really cool and unique," Kelce said. "Once we knew we were going to have a brass band, I really wanted there to be a balcony section. I wanted these horn players, almost like it's on Bourbon Street and they're playing over the rafters."
Eagles fans came out to the venue from across the region to be part of Kelce's first late-show audience.
"We appreciate him being so real and great to our city," said one fan named Maria, who drove to the taping from Northeast Philly with her husband, Bill.
Maria and Bill from Northeast Philadelphia were among a few hundred fans who attended Friday's taping of the first episode of 'They Call It Late Night' at Union Transfer.
A number of highlights from the first episode got a rise out of the audience. In one skit, Kelce showed photos of the mangled fingers of football legends over the years. In another, a high school version of Kelce appeared on set and was disappointed to discover that he had turned out to be an offensive lineman instead of a more lauded position. The teen was even more dismayed to find out that his younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, had gone on to win three Super Bowls compared to Jason's one.
"I forgot what an unappreciative little a**hole I was," Jason told his younger self.
During the panel discussion, Barkley and the others talked about the Eagles' controversial decision to rest their starters for Sunday's season finale against the Giants. That choice will keep star running back Saquon Barkley from getting the chance to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL rushing record. The panel also talked about the toughness needed to play in the NFL. Charles Barkley recalled his one and only football practice as a teen before he embraced basketball as his sport.
"It was the worst day of my life," he said.
In the final segment, Kelce brought out four competitive drinkers for a beer-chugging contest with Super Bowl tickets on the line.
Jason Kelce donned a version of his famed Mummers costume for a segment on the first episode of 'They Call It Late Night.'
Kelce said ESPN views "They Call It Late Night" as an experimental program that could be brought back in an expanded format next season, depending on how things go during this year's playoff run. He's excited to fill out the roster of guests for his upcoming episodes and envisions the possibility of the show growing into a hallmark of the NFL media landscape.
"I really want there to be former and current players," Kelce said. "That's a vibe that I want, like the locker room talking and being around the guys. ... We really just wanted to try out something fun to do, and everybody was on board to experiment and see what happens. I do think that there's room for this, especially in the football season."
"They Call It Late Night" airs Saturdays at 1 a.m. on ESPN. Full episodes will also be posted on Jason Kelce's YouTube channel at 8 a.m. each Saturday during the show's five-week run.
