He’s hitting the brakes!
The weekly Gowanus comedy show “Night Train with Wyatt Cenac” will come to an end on Nov. 6, after five years at neighborhood venue Littlefield. But the show’s host says you don’t need to feel sorry for him — it’s just time to call it quits.
“It felt like it was time,” said Wyatt Cenac. “We took a lot of pride in the show and were happy to have over 500 different comedians take part, but it feels like you kind of want to walk away before comedians don’t want to do the show or the audience doesn’t want to come to the show.”
The Fort Greene jokester, who may be best known for his stint as a correspondent on “The Daily Show,” has welcomed many high profile comedians to his show over the years. Cenac counts appearances from Chris Rock and Michelle Wolf as some of his fondest memories. In 2015, six episodes of the show were recorded for online streaming service Seeso.
Cenac said he has not yet worked out the details of his final three shows, but expects them to be full of recurring guests, special surprises, and a lot of laughs.
“We’re going to have the same kind of fun we’ve been having for the last five years and leave with happy memories for us and open the door for what’s going to come later,” he said.
Those who will miss the comedian in Brooklyn can catch him on his new six-part web series, “Aka Wyatt Cenac,” which chronicles his life as “The Viceroy,” a superhero fighting to protect the borough from gentrification.
Each of the 10-minute episodes follows Cenac — who has lived in Fort Greene for six years — through a heightened version of his day-to-day routine, including checking out a new shop that only sells mustard, doing yoga, and confronting parents who drink at bars with their babies, along with his nighttime adventures breaking up a stroller theft ring. Cenac says that the scenes featuring an influx of new residents and businesses reflect the weird adjustments happening all over Brooklyn, and that it is important to call those moments out instead of sweeping them under the rug.
“It’s one of those things that no matter where you go, places are experiencing big changes and those changes are always going to be awkward and uncomfortable,” he said. “To some degree talking about those things will I hope at least promote some sort of discussion, some thoughtfulness as those changes happen.”
The entertainer will have a chance to explore this topic further in his newly announced Home Box Office network 10-episode docuseries, produced by comedian and talk show host John Oliver. The new late-night show is still in development, but fans can expect to see Cenac use his satirical news skills to delve into important issues.
Catch “Night Train” shows at Littlefield (635 Sackett Street at Fourth Ave. in Gowanus, www.littl
