What we'll miss about 'Chelsea Lately'

By Todd Leopold, CNN

updated 9:15 AM EDT, Tue August 26, 2014

Chelsea Handler's barbed humor is taking her from late-night to Netflix. After spending seven years as the E! network's formidable comedian and celebrity interviewer, Handler's moving on to uncharted waters. Here's how she's carved her path:

A New Jersey native, Handler first moved to Los Angeles at 19 with the goal of becoming an actress. At 21, she turned a legal lemon into lemonade when a DUI prompted her entree into stand-up comedy.
It was while working as a waitress that she gave stand-up a whirl -- and immediately found her calling. She was gaining a reputation for her biting wit when she appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in 2004.

In 2005, Handler released her first book, the best-selling "My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands."

Handler did eventually land work as an actress -- she's made appearances in TV dramas such as "The Practice" as well as comedies such as "My Wife and Kids" and "The Bernie Mac Show." But her stand-up career has been so successful that she's performed at renowned venues such as The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.

In 2006, Handler -- pictured here, center, at the June 1, 2006, premiere of "National Lampoon's Cattle Call" in Las Vegas -- made her foray into late-night TV. Her first show was a sketch program called "The Chelsea Handler Show," which lasted for a season. The following year, "Chelsea Lately" premiered on E!.

Wherever Chelsea Handler pops up, you can always expect a surprise. When she spoke at the 2009 Crystal + Lucy Awards, Handler feted the "Twilight" director thusly: "As you all know, Catherine directed 'Twilight.' When I first read that movie was about a guy who stays out all night sinking his teeth into young girls, I was like, 'Why are they making a movie about Jeremy Piven?'" When the audience hooted with surprise, Handler replied, "It's OK, you can laugh at that. He's an a**hole."

As "Chelsea Lately" became a late-night mainstay, Handler moved on to bigger stand-up waters -- such as the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010. Her antics included getting "pregnant" after sharing a hot tub with the cast of "Jersey Shore" and referring to Kanye West as the "big, black elephant in the room." Needless to say, Handler's performance was controversial.

It seems the more famous Handler's become, the more she hangs out with the A-listers. Jennifer Aniston, pictured here with Handler at Glamour's 2011 Women of the Year Awards, is just one of the host's celebrity pals.

In 2011, Handler took "Chelsea Lately" down under to Australia, but if you think she adjusted her act for an international audience, you'd be wrong. When Henry Rollins arrived on the "Lately" set, Handler was just as raw as ever.

In 2012, Handler's brand of comedy was so popular that NBC tried to get a piece of her success with the comedy "Are You There, Chelsea?" based on her 2008 hit book, "Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea." The sitcom starred Laura Prepon with Handler serving as an executive producer. The series only lasted one season.

Handler had become such a popular presence on late-night TV that many were pulling for her to make the jump from cable to broadcast when Jimmy Fallon announced he was leaving "Late Night" in 2013. Here, she joins Fallon and Steve Higgins on NBC's "Late Night" in November 2012. The show was eventually taken over by "Saturday Night Live's" Seth Meyers.

While the clamoring to see Handler move into the late-night boys club on broadcast continued -- more opportunities popped up when David Letterman, too, announced his retirement -- Handler had something else up her sleeve. "I have never had nor will have any desire to take a job someone else has already had," Handler tweeted in April 2014. "Speculation to the contrary is inaccurate. Godspeed."

It's easy to see why everyone wanted Handler to get an even bigger platform, though -- we really just want more moments like these, when she kissed "Silver Spoons" star Ricky Schroder on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" in 2013.

In the end, Handler surprised everyone in April 2014 when she announced that she was moving to Netflix. The new role will involve stand-up comedy specials and another talk show. "I'm more excited than I've been in awhile, and the team at Netflix is the most forward thinking, alert group I've sat down with in ages," Handler said in a statement at the time, quipping, "No offense to the 'Shahs of Sunset.' "

(CNN) -- Chelsea Handler, the foul-mouthed, alcohol-swilling, cutting, irreverent and occasionally naked host of E!'s hit talk show "Chelsea Lately," is taking her act and moving it to Netflix. Later this year and in 2015, she'll create some comedy and documentary specials and then in 2016 premiere another talk show.

In her seven-year run, Handler has made "Lately" the go-to place for fans wanting something a little tarter with their talk-show entertainment. Let Jimmy Fallon have the "nice" aura; Handler is just as soon exasperated with her show, her staff and even her guests as she is tickled.

At this point, who knows what she'll bring to her Netflix program, which -- given the on-demand nature of the service -- will almost certainly have a different format. Nevertheless, there's plenty about "Chelsea Lately" we hope carries over to Handler's next talk-show chapter.

Handler laughed and made fun of the same things the rest of us joke about, even when those things -- the Kardashians, Ryan Seacrest -- happened to share a network with her. She didn't care, which was classic Chelsea. Of course, E! probably didn't mind either, because any publicity is good publicity -- even mockery of Seacrest's stature.

It's hard to imagine David Letterman -- or even Stephen Colbert -- being willing to engage in argumentative sketches with the likes of Sandra Bullock and Conan O'Brien while standing naked in a shower. (Judging from the fuzzed-out naughty bits, there's a minimum of special effects involved. Incidentally, nice abs, Conan.) Seems like Handler would be a natural to mount a revival of "Steambath."

4. Honestly, Jennifer Aniston.

On other talk shows, the former "Friends" star is like most other celebrities: sticking to the script (or the blue cards) and answering only what was discussed backstage with some assistant producer. But on "Chelsea Lately," she lets down her hair (so to speak), probably because Handler is a friend outside of the studio. She's even gotten choked up!

Jesus Melgoza, aka Chuy Bravo, has been Handler's diminutive right hand for the run of the show. No word on whether he'll be joining her at Netflix -- TMZ says he isn't -- but in the meantime, fans will have to be satisfied with his recommendations on serving tacos, using Tinder and healthy living.