Emma Thompson plays Katherine Newbury, who is a legendary late-night talk show host, whose world is turned upside down when she hires her only female staff writer played by Kaling. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision has unexpectedly hilarious consequences as two women separated by culture and generation are united by their love of a biting punchline.
That's really where 'Late Night' drills in on - the fact that women have been more or less absent from this fertile ground of comedy, and have never been given a chance on it either.