‘Amber Ruffin Show’ Expands Writing Staff As Peacock Talk Show Heads Toward Year Two (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider
·2 min read
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“The Amber Ruffin Show” is swiftly expanding its roster of writing talent, adding Corin Wells and Patrick Rowland to its staff. The hires come after “Amber Ruffin” added three other writers to the mix: Ashley Nicole Black, Ian Morgan and Michael Harriot.

“We have ended up being able to work with some of my favorite writers on the planet,” Ruffin said. “Even though we are this new streaming show, we have a writers’ room full of true heavy hitters of the present and future.”

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“The Amber Ruffin Show” premiered in September on the Peacock streaming service with Ruffin as writer/host/executive producer and Jenny Hagel as head writer and executive producer. Both Ruffin and Hagel come from “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” where they also serve as writers and regularly contribute segments.

The show has been an early bright spot for Peacock, and weekly episodes began airing Fridays in late night on NBC.

The inaugural “Amber Ruffin” writing team also included September 21 aficionado Demi Adejuyigbe (“The Late Late Show with James Corden”); Shantira Jackson (“Saved by the Bell”), and Dewayne Perkins (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”).

Black, currently seen on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (where she also serves as a writer), earned an Emmy in 2016 for for writing on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.” She was a writer and correspondent on “Full Frontal.”

Morgan joined the “Late Night” writing staff in 2015 and has written for the “Golden Globes.” Harriot is senior writer at TheRoot.com, where he covers the intersection of race, politics and culture, and has also written for the Washington Post and the New York Times. He’s also a regular commentator on MSNBC and CNN and earned the National Association of Black Journalists Award for digital commentary as well as TV writing.

Joining this week, comes from the UCB Theater NY and contributes a voice on “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News.” She is the co-founder of the Squirrel Comedy Theatre, a non-profit comedy theatre based in New York City.

Also new this week, Rowland is a founding member of sketch/improv troupe 3Peat, of which Jackson is also a member. Rowland hosted a talk show parody as former President Barack Obama, called “Barack All Night,” and is also behind the web series “The Patrick Rowland Sketch Show.”

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