More talk, more laughs: Tune in for ‘The Late Shift’s’ new season starting Friday

Rapper Headband Beezy will drop by the third-season premiere of Maddgame Entertainment’s “The Late Shift” on Friday.

Beezy, a Baton Rouge native now living in Dallas, will talk about his just-released project, “Bow Music Reloaded.”

The local late-night talk show, hosted by comedian Will Merrill, airs at 10 p.m. on WBTR, Channel 36 (cable Channel 19). “The Late Shift” also is simulcast on the MGE network YouTube channel and “The Late Shift” Facebook page. Twelve episodes are planned for this season.

“This will be the first show in the new Maddgame Studios, so although the backdrop is the same, the look will be different with better lighting and sound,” Merrill said Tuesday.

Each episode usually runs up to 30 minutes and includes an opening monologue, a celebrity gossip segment called “Watercooler News” with Maddgame’s CorNae Granville, the guest chat and a closing remark.

“Also, there’s a new segment we are calling ‘Initial Answer,’ where guests answer questions, but the answers have to start with their first initial,” Merrill said.

As for his stand-up act, the 37-year-old husband and father of two said he continues to joke about aspects of his life and his perspective on the same.

“Having two daughters has changed my material somewhat, like I have jokes that my oldest daughter wrote that I perform,” he said. “I also was diagnosed with sleep apnea so I have poked fun at that as well.”

Merrill last performed live for “Laugh Gas 4,” a Poet’s Life Entertainment-produced series in Lafayette on June 25. There were about 100 people in the audience. Next up is a gig on Friday night in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I’m trying to find the right home/work/life/comedy/school balance,” the show host explained, adding that pursuing his master’s degree is temporarily on hold.

In addition to his day job at the Office of Group Benefits, Merrill’s also at work on a new album.

“I’m currently still writing it,” he said. “My goal was to record this year, but as material started coming, I decided on a different direction. I do plan on having another album ready and hopefully released sometime next year.”

Follow Maddgame Entertainment on all social media platforms or visit maddgameent.com.