Go behind the scenes of 'Chelsea'

CULVER CITY, Calif. — In case you haven't heard, Chelsea Hander's new talk show, Chelsea, launches on Netflix Wednesday. Paste BN  took a trip to Handler's new set to get the scoop on what she's got planned.

A curious approach

Handler is ready to talk about everything, from the Electoral College to her recent trip to Russia. Even though The Avengers are dropping by, expect broader conversations, too. "My old show was so one-dimensional, so what I really want to do is be as multi-dimensional as you are in real life," said Handler. "I read tons of books, I read the paper, I want to know more about art. … It shouldn’t be about one thing every single day. I want people to turn on the TV and go, 'Oh, God, what is she going to do tonight?' You never know what’s going to happen."

A set that feels like home

"I wanted it to feel comfortable," Handler said of the sleek, Bel-Air vibe, her couch and a bar. "I wanted several spaces so there's movement. I can get up and walk around. I don't want marks to stand on." Her favorite feature? A cocktail table that spins. "It's good for drinks and it's good for bodies," she cracks.

On the competition

Handler says she doesn’t watch her competitors. “I never watch comedy, because I don’t want to be derivative and I think it's very easy to mimic someone accidentally,” though she calls Samantha Bee's Full Frontal “ very refreshing, because she’s a woman and it’s a whole different take” on news coverage.

But generally, "I feel so different from all of those guys, whether or not it’s because I’m a woman. There’s just a completely different feel. This is Netflix. Things are going to be messy and my hair and makeup is going to be done in between shots... I’m not going to look perfect every single second."

And the conversation about women being funny? It's done, she says. "It's time to stop talking about women in comedy. We’re here. It’s happening! On to the next subject. Can we vote now? Jesus," she says.

How she's changed

E!'s Chelsea Lately "was like a fraternity house," she says. "So we were silly and stupid all the time, playing practical jokes on each other, and it was nonsense." These days Handler, in boss mode, is less easily rattled. "You really need to have calm people about you. and you need to be calm. You can’t freak out. You can’t throw tantrums. There were probably a couple times in my last show where I lost it, or I got upset to the point where I would cry," she says. "I’ve grown up a little bit ... in the time that I’ve spent off camera, calming down."