Samantha Bee explains why she (mostly) puts the planet’s interests ahead of her own

Samantha Bee worked as a correspondent on “The Daily Show” for 12 years before starting her own political satire series, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” in February.

The good timing, what with an election year that just keeps giving and giving, is not lost on Bee.

“It was as though we were geniuses about it,” Bee says. “We’re not the puppet masters of this election season -- I wish that we were -- but we are benefiting from it tremendously. It’s great. Hail Satan!”

She was laughing when she said that. Really. Despite some evidence to the contrary, Bee has not exchanged her soul for supernatural powers. In fact, when balancing her desire for a positive outcome for the planet against her own selfish needs as a comedian, she always, mostly, comes down on the side of the good of humanity.

“I love my show. I want my show to do well,” Bee says. “I struggle every day to find the balance. I love the world we live in. I love this country.” Pause. “I do love my show. So ... depending on the day, normally I think about the country more than I do our show. I’m not saying that wouldn’t change. You know what? It’s fluid.”

In a video interview at The Times, Bee also talks about another kind of balance -- work versus home (doing “Full Frontal” once a week is just enough, she says), as well as her efforts to secure a sponsorship for the upcoming Republican National Convention.

Bee also talks about shyness and finding her comic voice and all other kinds of interesting things, which you can discover by watching the full interview below.

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Samantha Bee of “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” sits down with Times writer Glenn Whipp to talk about her series.

glenn.whipp@latimes.com