From CNN to BET, journalist TJ Holmes is guaranteed to become a household name this fall, thanks to his new late-night talk show "Don't Sleep!" At a recent TCA press tour, Holmes revealed just how much of an adjustment it has been, going from daytime news to night news. ‘We are going to be airing every night at 11 p.m. It’s kind of odd. I go from doing early mornings to late nights,” said Holmes. “That’s going to be a bit of an adjustment, but it’s going to be a variety of folks. We have a list we’re kind of working for that first week, and we’ll be talking more about that as we get closer.”
At 35, Holmes will be one of very few African-Americans who have helmed their own late-night talk shows. However, this fall, Holmes, Arsenio Hall, and Tiny will all be heading their own on various channels. As for the type of topics that his show will address and the kind of guests he will bring on, Holmes assured the press that he intended to fill the gap for Blacks in media.
"Something we can’t deny, something that’s been huge and talked about a lot in black media and, black culture these days are a lot of these reality shows,” Holmes said. “So we will absolutely take on that topic at some point, and you’ll see a Shaunie O’Neal or someone like that on the show. You’ll see members of the White House administration or the Obama administration. You will see big time athletes. You will see actors and actresses, musicians, but people in communities, people that you don’t see enough of on other channels that don’t really have a platform: a black dentist from Atlanta, a black surgeon from Los Angeles. We just want to highlight and show the best that black culture has to offer.”
