late-night talk show
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A late-night talk show is a genre of
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
popular in the United States, where the format originated. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It is characterized by spontaneous conversation, and for an effect of immediacy and intimacy as if the host were speaking alone to each of the millions of audience members.
Erving Goffman Erving Goffman (11 June 1922 – 19 November 1982) was a Canadian-born sociology, sociologist, Social psychology (sociology), social psychologist, and writer, considered by some "the most influential American sociologist of the twentieth ...
(1981
''Forms of Talk'' pp.234-160
/ref>Erler, Robert (2010) "A Guide to Television Talk," in Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show, by Bernard M. Timberg Late-night talk shows are also fundamentally shaped by the personality of the host, which constitutes the "trademark" of the show.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010
Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show
', pp.3-4
The late-night talk show format was popularized by
Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
and sidekick
Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...
with ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. Typically the show's host conducts interviews from behind a desk, while the guest is seated on a couch. Many late night talk shows feature a house band which generally performs cover songs for the studio audience during commercial breaks and occasionally will back up a guest artist. Late-night talk shows are a popular format in the United States, but are not as prominent in other parts of the world. Shows that loosely resemble the format air in other countries, but generally air weekly as opposed to the nightly airings of those in the United States. They also generally air in time slots considered to be
prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
in the United States.


History


United States


1940s–1960s

Late-night talk shows had their genesis in early variety shows, a format that migrated to television from radio, where it had been the dominant form of light entertainment during most of the
old-time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...
era. ''
The Pepsodent Show ''The Pepsodent Show'' is an American radio comedy program broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. The program starred comedian Bob Hope and his sidekick Jerry Colonna along with Blanche Stewart and Elvia Allman as high-society crazies Brenda ...
'', which opened each weekly episode with host
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
's rapid-fire, topical and often political observational comedy, was a particularly important predecessor to the late-night format. Early television variety shows included ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...
'' (originally known as ''Toast of the Town''), which aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
Sunday nights from 1948 to 1971, and ''
Texaco Star Theater ''Texaco Star Theater'' was an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave M ...
'' with
Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
, which aired on NBC from 1948 to 1956. These shows aired once a week in evening time slots that would come to be known as
prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
. The first show to air in a late-night timeslot itself, ''
Broadway Open House ''Broadway Open House'' is network television's first late-night comedy-variety series.Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 138. It was telecast live on NBC from May 29 ...
'', aired on NBC in 1950 and ended a year later after host
Jerry Lester Jerry Lester (born Lester J. Goldberg; February 16, 1910 – March 23, 1995) was an American comedian, singer and performer on radio, television and the stage, knows for playing the father of the main characters, Mike Firpo, in the comedy ...
left the show, a combination of frustration with being upstaged by his sidekick Virginia "Dagmar" Lewis, burnout from having to go through a large amount of material in a short time, and the lack of enough television sets in the United States to make television broadcasting in late nights viable. (Lester himself was a last-minute replacement host for up-and-coming 26-year-old comic
Don Hornsby Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...
, whom Hope had recommended to NBC but who caught polio and died less than a week before the show began.) For the next season, the only late-night program on the networks would be NBC's ''Nightcap'', a preview of the next day's programming hosted by
Mary Kay Stearns Mary Katherine Stearns (née Jones; October 27, 1925 – November 17, 2018) was an American actress best known for portraying the fictional version of herself on the sitcom '' Mary Kay and Johnny'' from 1947 until 1950. Career Stearns's career ...
. The first late-night television talk show was ''The Faye Emerson Show'', hosted by actress
Faye Emerson Faye Margaret Emerson (July 8, 1917 – March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show ...
. It began airing on CBS on October 24, 1949, in local East Coast markets before the network moved the 15-minute show, which regularly aired up to 11pm, nationwide in March 1950. In 1950, Emerson also hosted a similar show on NBC called ''Fifteen with Faye'' for about six months before committing the CBS show. Emerson's show was distinguished from her competition on NBC in that she was more openly political; Emerson, an avowed
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
, regularly interviewed political and intellectual figures on her show (among them Soviet leader
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
) in addition to a smattering of vaudeville and variety acts. The first version of ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'', ''
Tonight Starring Steve Allen ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen'' is an American talk show hosted by Steve Allen. It was the first version of what eventually became known as ''The Tonight Show''. ''Tonight'' was the first late-night talk show, as well as the first late night tel ...
'', debuted in 1954 on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. The show created many modern talk show staples including an opening monologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation, comedy bits, and musical performances; it also had some holdovers from the radio era, including a vocal group ( Steve and Eydie, who went on to decades of success after ''Tonight'') in addition to the house band, something that later late-night shows would abandon. By this point, the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
had lifted a freeze on new television stations, which allowed new stations to appear across the country, and television set sales soon grew exponentially. As a result, unlike ''Broadway Open House'', ''Tonight'' proved to be a resounding success. The success of the show led Allen to receive another show, entitled ''
The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,
'', which would compete with ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' on Sunday nights. Meanwhile, hosting duties of ''The Tonight Show'' were split between Allen and
Ernie Kovacs Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was a Hungarian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years aft ...
; Kovacs had defected to NBC from his own late-night show on the then-crumbling
DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being ...
. Both Allen and Kovacs departed from ''Tonight'' in 1957 in order to focus on Allen's Sunday night show. After the two left, the format changed to something similar to ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'' and was renamed ''Tonight! America After Dark,'' hosted first by
Jack Lescoulie Jack Lescoulie (November 17, 1912 – July 22, 1987) was a radio and television announcer and host, notably on NBC's ''Today'' during the 1950s and 1960s; a newspaper source lists his date of birth as May 17, 1912. Lescoulie was also known for h ...
, and later by Al Collins, with interviews conducted by
Hy Gardner Hy Gardner (December 2, 1908 – June 17, 1989) was an American entertainment reporter and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Herald Tribune'', host of ''Hy Gardner Calling'', ''The Hy Gardner Show'', and ''Celebrity Party'', and an orig ...
, and a house band led by
Lou Stein Lou Stein (April 22, 1922 – December 11, 2002) was an American jazz pianist. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Stein joined Ray McKinley's band in 1942. He played with Glenn Miller when the latter was stateside during World War II. Afte ...
performing. The show was not popular, leading to many NBC affiliates dropping the show. The show returned to the original format that year and was renamed ''
Tonight Starring Jack Paar ''Tonight Starring Jack Paar'' (in later seasons ''The Jack Paar Tonight Show'') is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1957 to 1962. It aired during late-night. During most of its run it was br ...
''. The even greater success of the show during Paar's hosting resulted in many NBC affiliates deciding to clear the show. He was noted for his conversational style, relatively high-brow interview guests, feuds with other media personalities (his animosity toward print journalists Ed Sullivan and
Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...
marked a power shift from print to television; Winchell's career never recovered from the damage), and mercurial personality. Paar famously quit the show in 1960 in a dispute over a censored joke, but was allowed to come back a month later. Paar permanently left the show in 1962, citing the reason that he could not handle the workload of ''The Tonight Show'' (at the time, the show ran 105 minutes a day, five nights a week), and he moved to his own weekly prime-time show, which would run until 1965. After Paar's departure, hosting duties were filled by
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
,
Mort Sahl Morton Lyon Sahl (May 11, 1927 – October 26, 2021) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, and social satirist, considered the first modern comedian. Sahl pioneered a style of social satire that pokes fun at political and current event t ...
, and many others. Johnny Carson took over as host of ''The Tonight Show'' in 1962 and the show was renamed ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
''. Carson streamlined the format of the show, focusing more on entertainment personalities, tweaking the monologue to feature shorter jokes, and emphasizing sketch comedy.
Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...
served as Carson's announcer, while from 1962 to 1966, the band was led by
Skitch Henderson Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson (January 27, 1918 – November 1, 2005) was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname "Skitch" came from his ability to "re-sketch" a song in a different key. Bing Crosby suggested that he should use the ...
, who hired, among others,
Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...
. When Henderson left, Milton DeLugg took over. Severinsen assumed the position in 1967 and served as bandleader with the NBC Orchestra. The show originated from NBC Studios in New York City but, as part of Carson's shifting the show toward a more entertainment-oriented program, moved to
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, in 1972. NBC's two other rivals during the early television era,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
and
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
, did not attempt any major forays into late-night television until the 1960s. ABC's first effort at the late-night TV race was hosted by
Les Crane Les Crane (born Lesley Stein; December 3, 1933 – July 13, 2008) was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem ''Desiderata'', w ...
, which pioneered the controversial
tabloid talk show A tabloid talk show is a subgenre of the talk show genre that emphasizes controversial and sensationalistic topical subject matter. The subgenre originated in the United States and achieved peak viewership from the mid-1980s through the end of t ...
format that would not become popular until two decades later. With most viewers not accustomed to the visceral conflict it entailed, Crane's show lasted only six months. Shorter still was ''
The Las Vegas Show ''The Las Vegas Show'' was an American late night television program broadcast in May 1967 on the short-lived United Network. The two-hour-long talk show, hosted by comedian Bill Dana, was supposed to be the flagship program of a planned fourth ...
'', a
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
-based late-night show hosted by
Bill Dana William Szathmary (October 5, 1924 June 15, 2017), known as Bill Dana, was an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He often appeared on television shows such as ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', frequently in the guise of a heavily accented Boli ...
that was the only offering of the United Network that ever made it to air (because that network only had a handful of affiliates, it also syndicated the program to CBS, ABC and independent stations); it, along with the network, only lasted five weeks in summer 1967. Steve Allen himself returned to NBC late night in syndication twice in this time frame, first with a show that ran from 1962 to 1964 and then with a series that ran from 1968 to 1971. ABC added the ''
Joey Bishop Joseph Abraham Gottlieb (February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007), known professionally as Joey Bishop, was an American entertainer who appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series playing a talk ...
'' Show, with
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
as his sidekick, to its late-night lineup in 1967, employing a talk show format, in an attempt to compete against the ''Tonight Show,'' which lasted until 1969. CBS went without late-night TV (the closest thing it would have to a late-night show was its popular late-prime-time variety show ''
The Danny Kaye Show ''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...
'' from 1963 to 1967) until 1969, when it acquired ''
The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...
'' from syndication; Griffin returned to syndication in 1972, and CBS would not air any further late-night talk shows until 1989, instead opting for reruns, lifestyle programs and, later, imported Canadian dramas in the time slot. By the 1960s, NBC had already cornered the market for late-night television viewing and would dominate the ratings for several decades in the future.


1970s–1980s

A number of restrictions on television networks that took effect in 1971, among them a nationwide prohibition on
tobacco advertising Nicotine marketing is the marketing of nicotine-containing products or use. Traditionally, the tobacco industry markets cigarette smoking, but it is increasingly marketing other products, such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco product ...
, the requirement that a portion of prime time be set aside for local stations, and rules prohibiting networks from also acting as syndicators, prompted NBC to extend its broadcast day by an additional hour with programming it hoped would recuperate some of its lost revenue.Tom Snyder on ''Later'', 1994
/ref> In 1973, NBC launched two new programs: a concert series, '' The Midnight Special,'' that aired Friday nights, and a low-cost talk show, ''
The Tomorrow Show ''The Tomorrow Show'' (also known as ''Tomorrow with Tom Snyder'' or ''Tomorrow'' and, after 1980, ''Tomorrow Coast to Coast'') is an American late-night television talk show hosted by Tom Snyder which aired on NBC in first run form from Octob ...
,'' hosted by
Tom Snyder Thomas James Snyder (May 12, 1936 – July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows '' Tomorrow'', on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and ' ...
, that aired Mondays through Thursdays. Both shows aired immediately following Carson's ''Tonight Show'' at 1:00 a.m. ET. ''Tomorrow'' was different from ''The Tonight Show''. For instance, the show originally featured no studio audience, while Snyder would conduct one-on-one interviews (Snyder's guest list was often more eclectic and would sometimes include the intellectuals and cultural and artistic figures that Carson had long since abandoned) with a cigarette in hand. Carson's new contract in 1980 allowed him to cut the length of his show from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, and for a short time, ''Tomorrow'' was moved to an earlier timeslot, to fill the time gap left by Carson's move. NBC felt that Snyder's more conversational style would not bring in enough viewership in the earlier time slot, forcibly changed the show's format to resemble Carson's, and added gossip reporter
Rona Barrett Rona Barrett (born Rona Burstein, October 8, 1936) is an American gossip columnist and businesswoman. She runs the Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization in Santa Ynez, California, dedicated to the aid and support of senior citizens ...
as a co-host. The two did not get along and had an acrimonious relationship on and off the air. The agreement gave Carson's production company ownership of the timeslot following ''Tonight'', which, a year later, Carson Productions and NBC used to create '' Late Night with David Letterman''. When NBC offered Snyder the time slot after Letterman, he refused it, having always been resentful of the forced change in format, and '' NBC News Overnight'', a newscast, took the slot instead, some months after ''Tomorrow's'' final broadcast in 1982. During his tenure as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Carson became known as ''The King of Late Night''. While numerous hosts (
Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own t ...
and Dick Cavett being the best-known) attempted to compete with Carson, none was ever successful in drawing more viewers than Carson did on ''Tonight'', not even ABC's short-lived revival of Paar's show in 1973 using the name ''Jack Paar Tonite'' (though Paar blamed erratic scheduling and his own unwillingness to succeed at the expense of Cavett, his friend and former writer). Much like Paar, Carson became tired of fulfilling the workload of 525 minutes a week, so ''The Tonight Show'' was shortened to 90 minutes and again to 60 minutes in 1980 with 15 weeks of vacation a year. Because of a lack of competition, Carson was free to take time off (by 1980, he was only hosting three new shows a week) and have guest hosts on the show on a weekly basis, and for weeks at a time when Carson was on vacation, including
Joey Bishop Joseph Abraham Gottlieb (February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007), known professionally as Joey Bishop, was an American entertainer who appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series playing a talk ...
(a former competitor of his),
Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...
, David Letterman,
Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
,
Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's '' Enter La ...
,
David Brenner David Norris Brenner (February 4, 1936 – March 15, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author. The most frequent guest on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' in the 1970s and 1980s, Brenner "was a pioneer of obser ...
and
Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
. In his final years, Carson produced new shows only three nights a week with guest hosts and "Best of Carson" reruns the other two nights. From 1983 to 1986, Rivers and Brenner served as Carson's permanent guest hosts. Many in 1986, including top executives at NBC, thought it was possible that Johnny Carson would retire after reaching his 25th anniversary on October 1, 1987, as it was such a logical cut-off point. In the spring of 1986, a confidential memo, between top NBC executives listing about ten possible replacements in the event of Carson's retirement the next year, was leaked. When Rivers saw it, she was shocked to see that she was nowhere on the list despite the fact that she had been ''The Tonight Shows permanent guest host since 1983. In 1986, Joan Rivers joined the brand-new
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
network, where she would host her own late-night talk show, ''
The Late Show The Late Show may refer to: Books * ''The Late Show'' (book), a 2017 book by Michael Connelly Film * ''The Late Show'' (film), a 1977 film * ''Late Show'', a 1999 German film by director Helmut Dietl Music * ''The Late Show'' (Eddie "Loc ...
,'' which competed directly against ''The Tonight Show''.
Clint Holmes Clint Holmes (born 9 May 1946) is a British-born singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer, and TV announcer. Bio He was born in Bournemouth, England, the son of an African-American jazz musician and an English opera singer. He was raised in ...
served as Rivers' announcer while Mark Hudson served as band leader. Carson was incensed that Rivers did not consult him beforehand and never spoke to her again. Brenner also left ''Tonight'' in 1986, although he did so amicably, to launch a syndicated 30-minute late-night talk show called ''
Nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...
,'' which was canceled after one season. Garry Shandling, who had been a frequent guest host in the early 1980s, served as permanent guest host, alternating with Jay Leno, from 1986 to 1987, when he left to focus on his cable show, leaving Leno to be Carson's sole guest host. In June 1987, the very successful ''Late Night with David Letterman'' on NBC expanded from four to five nights per week, displacing the four-year-old ''
Friday Night Videos ''Friday Night Videos'' (later becoming ''Friday Night'' and then ''Late Friday'') is an American music video show that was broadcast on NBC from July 29, 1983 to May 24, 2002. It was the network's attempt to capitalize on the emerging popularit ...
'' to the timeslot following it. ''FNV,'' which had several subsequent format changes, ran until 2002. Carson did not retire in 1987, instead continuing as host until 1992 with Leno as sole permanent guest host. Rivers was fired from ''The Late Show'' in 1987 after abysmal ratings and a battle with network executives, leading to her being replaced by
Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Com ...
. Hall performed extremely well among viewers in the 18–49 demographic; however, Fox had already greenlit '' The Wilton North Report'' to replace ''The Late Show'', leading to Hall hosting his own late-night talk show in syndication after ''The Late Show'' was canceled in 1988. ''The Late Show'' continued with several unknown hosts until its cancellation. Hall's syndicated show, ''
The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...
'', began in syndication in 1988, becoming more popular among younger viewers than Carson. The last network attempt at a Carson competitor, CBS's ''
The Pat Sajak Show ''The Pat Sajak Show'' was an American late-night television talk show that aired on CBS from January 9, 1989, to April 13, 1990. Cast The show was hosted by Pat Sajak, best known as host of the game show '' Wheel of Fortune''. To do the talk sh ...
'', lasted less than 16 months, debuting in 1989 and being canceled in 1990. ABC opted not to compete against Carson with a late-night talk show; in 1980, it produced a pilot of a
Richard Dawson Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 November 1932 – 2 June 2012) was a British-born American actor, comedian, game-show host and panelist in the United States. Dawson was well known for playing Corporal Peter Newkirk in ''Hogan's Heroe ...
-hosted show called '' Bizarre'' (it instead went to series on
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
with
John Byner John Byner (born John Biener; June 28, 1938) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and film career. His voice work includes the cartoon series ''The Ant and the Aardvark'', in which the title characte ...
as host) and, for two years, carried the weekly sketch comedy series '' Fridays''. ABC instead counterprogrammed Carson with a successful
news magazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or new ...
entitled '' Nightline,'' beginning in 1980. Beginning on August 22, 1988, NBC concluded its main programming for the day with a half-hour entry, '' Later,'' hosted by NBC sportscaster
Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...
and airing at 1:35 a.m. Eastern, after Letterman, Mondays through Thursdays. It originated from 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York and bore a strong resemblance to an earlier NBC late-night favorite, Tom Snyder's ''Tomorrow,'' due to its lack of the typical late-night trappings in favor of a low-key but intense concentration upon Costas interviewing a single guest. Costas hosted the program until 1994.


1992–2009

Carson retired as host of ''The Tonight Show'' in 1992 following his 30th anniversary as host. This garnered major media attention and speculation on who would replace Carson. The two candidates were David Letterman (host of '' Late Night'' since 1982) and Jay Leno (Carson's regular guest host since 1987). Leno was eventually chosen, leading to Letterman leaving the network to launch a direct competitor late-night talk show, the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on CBS in 1993. ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' debuted in 1992. Letterman was replaced by newcomer Conan O'Brien as host of ''Late Night''. Arsenio Hall's show lost numerous affiliates after Letterman's debut and his show was canceled one year later. Fox returned to late-night television in September 1993 with ''
The Chevy Chase Show ''The Chevy Chase Show'' was an American late night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Chevy Chase that aired in 1993 on Fox. The series was canceled after five weeks on the air. History Creation and pre-production Fox originally asked coun ...
''. However, due to sagging ratings, disastrous reviews and Chase's embitterment at not being allowed to do the show according to his preferences, the show was canceled the following month. On NBC's ''Later,'' Bob Costas gave way to the host of the cable show ''
Talk Soup ''Talk Soup'' is a television show produced for cable network E! that debuted on January 7, 1991, and aired until August 2002. ''Talk Soup'' aired selected clips of the previous day's daily talk shows—ranging from daytime entries like ''The ...
,''
Greg Kinnear Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including '' Sabrina'' (1 ...
, whose tenure was accompanied by a move to Burbank and toward a more conventional, audience-and-celebrity-driven format. Kinnear parlayed that experience into a movie career and stayed only two years; he was succeeded by a plethora of fill-in hosts for the next four years. Even MTV entered the late-night contest when it debuted ''
The Jon Stewart Show ''The Jon Stewart Show'' is a late night talk show that was hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. The program premiered on MTV in 1993 as a 30-minute daily offering and became one of the network’s more popular shows. Through a series of events t ...
'', hosted by Jon Stewart, which ran until 1995. Letterman initially won the late-night ratings battle but fell behind Leno in 1995; Leno generally remained in first place until first leaving ''Tonight'' in 2009. To combat NBC's ''Late Night'', David Letterman (ironically, its former host) created '' The Late Late Show'' to follow Letterman at 12:37 a.m.; the first host was the one who helmed ''The Tomorrow Show'' in the 1970s and 1980s, Tom Snyder, who hosted the show using the same format as ''Tomorrow'' until his departure in 1999. Yet again, ironically, Snyder was Letterman's predecessor on NBC (see above). ''The Late Late Show's'' second host,
Craig Kilborn Craig Lawrence Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American comedian, sports and political commentator, actor, and television host. Kilborn began a career in sports broadcasting in the late 1980s, leading to an anchoring position at ESPN's '' Sp ...
, followed a more conventional (albeit low-budget) late-night format. He had previously served as host of ''
The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...
'', a late-night satirical news program on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, and upon Kilborn's departure, Jon Stewart replaced him on that cable program. Perhaps one of the most unusual late-night hosts to come out of this boom was basketball player and later entrepreneur Magic Johnson, whose syndicated '' The Magic Hour'' was a major flop and effectively ended any future efforts from anyone else at a syndicated late-night talk show at that point in time.
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
finally re-entered the late-night first-run comedy fray, after an absence of 15 years, in 1997 by placing ''
Politically Incorrect ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
with Bill Maher'' (which had aired on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
from 1993 to 1996) into its lineup after ''Nightline''. Unlike traditional late-night talk shows, ''Politically Incorrect'' was a half hour in length and (following a brief host monologue) featured a panel of four guests debating topical issues while Maher moderated in a comedic fashion. With the new millennium in 2000, NBC's ''Later'' finally got another permanent host after various figures had taken the chair for several years, in the form of a VH1 personality, Cynthia Garrett, who broke the proverbial "
glass ceiling A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Full ...
" by becoming the first African-American female late-night host. Unfortunately, Garrett only lasted a year before NBC canceled the 12-and-a-half-year-old ''Later'' in favor of reruns of the critically acclaimed cult Canadian-produced sketch comedy series, '' SCTV,'' itself a former NBC late-night program that aired Fridays between 1981 and 1983. That action, a temporary measure, was necessitated by the prolonged development of, and negotiations with a host of, a slated replacement show (see below). Many late-night talk shows went off the air in the days following the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
of 2001, while their networks aired round-the-clock news coverage. Letterman was the first to return on September 17, addressing the situation in an opening monologue. The show was not presented in its normal jovial manner, and featured
Dan Rather Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. Rather began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hur ...
,
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
, and a musical performance from
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
. ''Politically Incorrect'' also resumed on September 17 and immediately drew controversy due to remarks Maher and a guest (
Dinesh D'Souza Dinesh Joseph D'Souza (; born April 25, 1961) is an Indian-American right-wing political commentator, author, filmmaker, and conspiracy theorist. He has written over a dozen books, several of them ''New York Times'' best-sellers. In 2012, D' ...
) made concerning the "coward" label given to the terrorists by
President George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. ''The Tonight Show'' returned the following night, featuring
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
and a performance from
Crosby, Stills, and Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, ...
. After NBC's placeholding run of ''SCTV'' at 1:35 a.m. came to an end after a year, the network debuted ''
Last Call with Carson Daly ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with ''T ...
'' in its place in January 2002; Daly was a former
MTV VJ This is a list of people who have been VJs on MTV, the music video channel in the U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North ...
. Four months later, it expanded to five nights a week (from ''Later's'' four), and unlike the other shows on the air at the time, only a half-year's worth of first-run programs were recorded each season. In 2009, Daly dropped the traditional celebrity-driven in-studio template in favor of something of a
travelogue Travelogue may refer to: Genres * Travel literature, a record of the experiences of an author travelling * Travel documentary A travel documentary is a documentary film, television program, or online series that describes travel in general or ...
that carried the viewer to various pop-culture attractions throughout the U.S., along with interviews. Daly survived a brush with cancelation in 2010 and continued the program for nine more years. ''Politically Incorrect'' was canceled due to low ratings in the summer of 2002, after which Maher joined
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and began hosting the similarly formatted weekly series '' Real Time''. ABC then tapped Comedy Central personality
Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, ...
to host a more traditional late-night program, ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
''. From its beginning in 2003 until early 2013, the show aired following '' Nightline'' on ABC's late-night lineup. With ''Nightline'' past its prime in audience size due to the proliferation of cable news, and ABC believing in stronger ratings potential in the timeslot, ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' was moved to 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on January 8, 2013—placing it in line with its competitors, Letterman and Leno. On October 17, 2005, Comedy Central premiered a spin-off of ''The Daily Show'' hosted by regular cast member
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...
, ''
The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
''. The show was structured as a parody of personality-based cable news programs, featuring Colbert portrayed as a
narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism exists on a co ...
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
pundit reminiscent of Fox News hosts such as Bill O'Reilly (political commentator), Bill O'Reilly and Tucker Carlson, among others. Jake Sasseville entered the late-night arena after a self-syndication campaign got him clearance on several ABC affiliates by local general managers in 2008. ''The Edge with Jake Sasseville'' aired after ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' in some markets, reaching a total of 35 million homes, despite the network's concerns. The show went off the air in 2010. Another syndicated show that earned significant clearance in the late 2000s was ''Comics Unleashed'', a panel comedy show that lasted only one season but was seen in reruns for several years afterward. Scotland, Scottish native Craig Ferguson succeeded Kilborn as host of ''The Late Late Show'' in 2005, renaming it ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''. TBS (U.S. TV channel), TBS entered the late-night scene in 2009 when it debuted ''Lopez Tonight'', hosted by comedian George Lopez. On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
''s debut, NBC announced that Jay Leno would be succeeded by Conan O'Brien, in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to cause a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was picked for the show over David Letterman following Carson's retirement in 1992. O'Brien's final ''Late Night'' episode was taped on February 20, 2009. ''Saturday Night Live'' alum Jimmy Fallon took over as host of ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night'' on March 2, 2009. The popularity of late-night shows in the United States has been cited as a key factor in Americans not getting a requisite seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Since 2015, late-night talk shows have competed for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series; prior to then, the genre competed against general variety shows for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series.


2009–present

Jay Leno hosted his final episode of ''The Tonight Show'' on May 29, 2009, with his successor Conan O'Brien, and musician James Taylor as his guests. O'Brien took over hosting duties on ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' the following Monday, June 1, 2009. In September 2009, Leno began hosting a new
prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
talk show on NBC, ''The Jay Leno Show''. It aired on weeknights at 10p.m. ET/PT before late local news and ''The Tonight Show'', and featured sketches and elements carried over from his tenure. The program faced dismal ratings, which also led to complaints from NBC affiliates that it was impacting the viewership of their late local newscasts. On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that ''The Jay Leno Show'' would be moved to 11:35 p.m. and ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' would be moved from 11:35 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. effective March 1, 2010, the first time in its history that the show would begin after midnight in the Eastern Time Zone.''Access Hollywood'' article:
Jay Leno Heading Back To Late Night, Conan O’Brien Weighing Options
.
On January 12, 2010, O'Brien publicly announced in an open letter that he intended to leave NBC if it moved ''The Tonight Show'' to any timeslot after midnight in order to accommodate ''The Jay Leno Show'' at 11:35 p.m. ET. He felt it would damage the show's legacy, as it had always started after the late local news since it began in 1954. After several days of negotiations, O'Brien reached a settlement with NBC that allowed him to leave ''The Tonight Show'' on January 22, 2010, ending his affiliation with NBC after 22 years. Leno began his second tenure as host of ''The Tonight Show'' on March 1, 2010, after the 2010 Winter Olympics, 2010 Tonight Show conflict, but only after major controversy. Leno's second ''Tonight'' iteration was taped at NBC's Studio 11 in Burbank, the former home of ''The Jay Leno Show'', with a modified version of that show's set. After leaving NBC, O'Brien began hosting his new late night talk show, ''Conan (talk show), Conan'', on TBS (U.S. TV channel), TBS on November 8, 2010, after the non-compete clause in his NBC contract had lapsed. In March 2013, news broke that NBC was expected to part ways with Leno for good after his contract expired in 2014, clearing the way for Fallon (whose tenure at ''Late Night'' had found success with a young, culturally savvy audience that was very desirable to advertisers) to take over ''The Tonight Show'' beginning that year, which also marked the 60th anniversary of the franchise. NBC confirmed the change on April 3, 2013. Under Fallon, the show returned to New York City, where the show originated from its 1954 debut until 1972; NBC no longer owns the former The Burbank Studios, company-owned studios in Burbank where Carson and Leno's programs originated (O'Brien's ''Tonight Show'' taped at nearby Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios). On May 13, 2013, it was announced that Fallon's former ''SNL'' castmate Seth Meyers would assume the duties of ''Late Night'' once Fallon moved to ''The Tonight Show''. ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' debuted during NBC's coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in Russia on February 17, 2014, while ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' debuted one week later. 2014 and 2015 saw a realignment to CBS's late night lineup: in April 2014, Craig Ferguson announced that he would leave ''The Late Late Show'' at the end of the year. On September 8, 2014, British actor and comedian James Corden was announced as the The Late Late Show with James Corden, new host of ''The Late Late Show''. His incarnation of the program is modelled more upon British chat shows such as ''The Graham Norton Show'', de-emphasizing the monologue and relying on multiple guests present throughout the show, rather than interviewed individually. Meanwhile, in May 2015, David Letterman retired from ''Late Show,'' ending a 33-year career on late-night TV, and was succeeded the following September by Stephen Colbert—who departed from Comedy Central and ''The Colbert Report'' to host the program. On August 6, 2015, Jon Stewart also retired from ''The Daily Show'' (being succeeded by fellow cast member and South African comedian Trevor Noah), joining ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' as an executive producer and occasional contributor. ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' achieved critical and ratings successes for its News satire, satire of the 2016 United States presidential election, 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign and the Presidency of Donald Trump, presidency of Donald Trump; following the 2018-19 television season, it was the highest-rated late-night talk show overall for the third season in a row, and narrowly beat ''The Tonight Show'' in key demographic (18-to-49-year-old) viewership for the first time since 1994–95. On February 12, 2019, NBC announced that ''
Last Call with Carson Daly ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with ''T ...
'' would conclude after its 2000th and final episode. Daly had already reduced his role on the program, due to his commitments to the ''Today (American TV program), Today Show'' and other projects. On September 16, 2019, NBC premiered ''A Little Late with Lilly Singh''—a new talk show hosted by Indian-Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh. She became the first openly bisexual person and the first person of Indian descent to host a U.S. late-night talk show. All of the late-night shows were forced to behind closed doors (sport), eliminate their studio audiences in March 2020 as a result of measures intended to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States; for most of that spring, shows were either hosted from the hosts' homes, or (in the case of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' and ''A Little Late'') they suspended production altogether, before returning to mostly empty studios in the summer. Singh opted not to continue ''A Little Late'' beyond 2021, and NBC returned the time slot to its affiliates. By October 2021, all late night TV shows (with the exception of ''The Daily Show'' who opted to be permanently without an audience) had full audiences return to their studio.


List of shows in Asia


Armenia

* ''ArmComedy'' (ATV (Armenia), ATV; 2012–present) * ''Late Night with Ara Kazaryan (Ուշ երեկոյան Արա Կազարյան հետ)'' (Armenia TV; 2015–2016) * ''Nice Evening (Լավ երեկո)'' (Armenia 1; 2017–present) * ''Evening Azoyan (Երեկոյան Ազոյան)'' (Armenia TV; March, 2018)


Azerbaijan

* ''5-to-5 (5-də-5)'' (Khazar TV; 2012–2020) * ''Against the good with Ilgar (Xeyrə qarşı)'' (Azad Azerbaijan TV; 2015–2017) * ''Fateh's divan (Fatehin divanı)'' (İctimai Television; 2019–2022) * ''1aztv'' (AzTV; 2019–2022) *''Saturday evening'' (Şənbə axşamı)'' (İctimai Television; 2022–present)


Georgia

* Vano's Show (ვანოს შოუ) (Rustavi 2; 2007–2019, Mtavari Arkhi; 2019-present) is a Georgian version of the American TV program format that has existed since the 1950s and is extremely successful in the United States. * Late Show With Giorgi Gabunia (ღამის შოუ გიორგი გაბუნიასთან ერთად) (Imedi Media Holding, Imedi TV; 2018–present) * Night Show on First Channel (ღამის შოუ პირველზე) (First Channel (Georgian TV channel), First Channel; 2019–present) * Late Show (გვიანი შოუ) (Rustavi 2; 2019)


India

*''Movers & Shakers (TV series), Movers & Shakers'' (Sony Entertainment Television; 1997 – 2012) * ''Koffee With Karan'' (Star One (Indian TV channel), Star One; 2004 – 2019) * ''Comedy Circus'' (Sony Entertainment Television; 2007–2018) * ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' (Colors TV; 2013–2016) * ''The Anupam Kher Show - Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai'' (Colors TV; 2014–2015) * ''Jay Hind!, The Late Night Show - Jitna Rangeen Utna Sangeen'' (Colors TV; 2014-2014) * ''Comedy Nights Bachao'' (Colors TV; 2015–2017) * ''The Kapil Sharma Show'' (Sony Entertainment Television; 2016 – present) * ''Comedy Nights Live'' (Colors TV; 2016) * ''Good Night India'' (Sony Entertainment Television; 2022)


Indonesia

*''Hitam Putih'' (Trans7; 2010–2020) *''Ini Baru Empat Mata'' (Trans7; 2006–2020) *''Bincang Bintang'' (RCTI; 2006-2007) *''Buaya Show'' (Indosiar; 2012) *''Mel's Update'' (antv; 2012–2013) *''Intermezzo'' (MNCTV; 2012-2013) *''Night Project'' (INews, Sindo TV; 2014–2015) *''Sebelas Duabelas'' (Kompas TV; 2014–2015) *''On The Show'' (RTV (Indonesian TV network), RTV; 2014–2016) *''Tonight Show'' (NET.; 2013–present) *''Baim Kagat Jaim'' (RTV (Indonesian TV network), RTV; 2015) *''Just Kiding'' (RTV (Indonesian TV network), RTV; 2015) *''The Rooftop'' (Trans7; 2016) *''Nite Show'' (Metro TV (Indonesian TV network), Metro TV; 2016) *''E-Talkshow'' (TvOne (Indonesian TV network), tvOne; 2017–present) *''Ada Show'' (Trans7; 2020–2021) *''Tukul Arwana One Man Show'' (Indosiar; 2020–2021) *''The Sultan'' (SCTV (TV network), SCTV; 2020–2021) *''Master Show'' (RTV (Indonesian TV network), RTV; 2020–2022) *''OOTD (Obrolan of the Day)'' (Trans7; 2020–2021) *''The Sultan Entertainment'' (SCTV (TV network), SCTV; 2021–2022) *''Dewan Curhat'' (Trans7; 2021–2022) *''TRIG3RR'' (Trans7; 2022) *''Talksik'' (Trans TV; 2022) *''Lunite'' (RTV (Indonesian TV network), RTV; 2022) *''Sweet Daddy'' (Trans TV; 2022–present) *''Heart Of Heart'' (Trans TV; 2022–present) *''The Sultan Empire'' (SCTV (TV network), SCTV; 2022–present)


Iran

* A Few Saturdays with Sina (چندشنبه با سینا) (MBC Persia; 2013–present) *Khandevane (خندوانه) (IRIB Nasim; 2014–present) *Dorehami (دورهمی) (IRIB Nasim; 2016–present) *Mutual Friendship (هم‌رفیق "Hamrafigh") (Namava; 2020–present) *Shab Ahangi


Iraq

*The night with Dadosh (اللية ويه دعدوش) (MBC Iraq; 2019-present)


Israel

*''Haiom balila with Guri Alfi (היום בלילה עם גורי אלפי)'' (Channel 2 (Israel), Channel 2; 30 December 2015–2018) * Back of the Nation ''(Gav Ha'Uma)'' (2010-2020)


Kazakhstan

*''Night studio (Túngi studio)'' (Qazaqstan (channel), Qazaqstan; 2013–2019)


Philippines

* ''The Medyo Late Night Show with Jojo A.'' (The Somehow Late Night Show with Jojo A.) (DZRJ-TV, RJTV; 2005–2007, Q (TV network), Q; 2007–2009, TV5 (Philippines), TV5; 2009–2013, 2015; GMA Network, GMA; 2014–2017, People's Television Network, PTV; 2018, RJDigiTV; 2020–Present) * ''Tonight with Arnold Clavio'' (GMA News TV; 2011–present, Q (TV network), Q; 2010–2011) * ''Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman'' (No Sleeping with the Master Showman) (GMA Network, GMA; 1997–2016) * ''The Tim Yap Show'' (GMA Network, GMA; 2013–present) *''Martin Late at Night'' (ABS-CBN; March 1–May 31, 2013) *''Martin After Dark'' (GMA Network, GMA; 1988–1993, ABS-CBN; 1993–1998) *''Gandang Gabi, Vice!, Gandang Gabi Vice'' (Good Evening Vice) (ABS-CBN; May 22, 2011 – April 12, 2020) *''Tonight with Boy Abunda'' (ABS-CBN; September 28, 2015 – present) *''The Boobay and Tekla Show'' (GMA Network, GMA; January 27, 2019 – present)


South Korea

* ''Saturday Night Live Korea, SNL (Saturday Night Live)'' (TVN (South Korean TV channel), tvN; 2011–present) * ''Journalism Talk Show J'' (KBS1; June 2018 – present)


Tajikistan

*''Tonight'' ''(Имшаб)'' (Televizioni Tojikiston, Tajikistan TV; 2015–present)


Thailand

*''Tonight's the Night'' (Channel 3 (Thailand); premiered on March 5, 2016) * The Daily Show (Channel 7 (Thailand), Channel 7 HD) * Talk Kathoey, Ka-thoey Tonight (GMMTV)


Uzbekistan

* ''MTV Show''
Milliy TV
September, 2016–present)


List of shows in Africa


South Africa

* '' WtfTumi'' on SABC 3 * ''TRENDING SA'' on SABC 3


Algeria

* ''Le Grand Sbitar'' (literal translation: ''The Grand Hospital'') on Nessma then Echourouk TV; 2013–2016


Kenya

* ''The Trend'' on NTV


Madagascar

* '' Takariva mafana an'i Mija Rasolo '' (2014–present)


Morocco

* ''Rachid Show'' on 2M TV (2013–present) Host: Rachid Allali


Nigeria

* ''Highlites with IK'' on Africa Magic Showcase (2014 - 2017) Host: IK Osakioduwa - DRC (Congo) Le Chezfrancis Kakonde show on Antenne A Monday/Wednesday and friday at 23h (19th season) since 2003-2022


List of shows in the Americas


Brazil

*''Jô Soares Onze e Meia'' (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão, SBT; 1988–1999) *''Programa do Jô'' (Rede Globo; 2000–2016) *''Agora É Tarde com Danilo Gentili'' (Rede Bandeirantes, Band; 2011–2013) **''Agora É Tarde'', hosted by Rafinha Bastos (Rede Bandeirantes, Band; 2014–2015) *''Luciana by Night'', hosted by Luciana Gimenez (RedeTV!; 2012–2021) *''The Noite com Danilo Gentili'' (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão, SBT; 2014–present) *''Fábio Porchat, Programa do Porchat'' (RecordTV; 2016–2018) *''Lady Night'', hosted by Tatá Werneck (Multishow; 2017–present) *''Conversa com Bial'' (TV Globo; 2017–present) *''Greg News com Gregório Duvivier'' (HBO Brasil, HBO; 2017–present) *''Que História é Essa, Fábio Porchat, Porchat?'' (GNT; 2019–present)


Canada

*''George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, The Hour/George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight'' (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC; 2009–2012, primetime from 2005 to 2009 and 2012 to 2014) *''Ed & Red's Night Party'' (City (TV network), Citytv; 1995–2008) *''The Mike Bullard Show'' (Global Television Network, Global; 2003–2004) *''Open Mike with Mike Bullard'' (CTV Television Network, CTV; 1997–2003) *''Friday Night! with Ralph Benmergui'' (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC; 1993, primetime from 1992 to 1993) *''Canada After Dark'' with Paul Soles (CBC; 1978–79) *''Nightcap (1960s TV series), Nightcap'' (CBC; 1963–67) *''90 Minutes Live'' with Peter Gzowski (CBC; 1976–1978) *''It's Only Rock & Roll (TV series), It's Only Rock & Roll'' (CBC; 1987) *''The Being Frank Show'' (CHCH; 2010–present) *''Le Grand Blond avec un show sournois'' with Marc Labrèche (TVA; 2001–2003) *''La fin du monde est à 7 heures, La Fin du monde est à 7 heures'' with Marc Labrèche (TQS; 1997–2000) *''En mode Salvail'' with Éric Salvail, Eric Salvail (V (TV network), V; 2013–2017) *''Le Ti-Mé show'' with Ti-Mé Paré (Ici Radio-Canada Télé; 2014–2016) *''Le Show de Rousseau'' with Stéphane Rousseau (V (TV network), V; 2018) *''La semaine des 4 Julie'' with Julie Snyder (V (TV network), V; 2020)


United States


List of shows in Europe


Albania

*"Xing me Ermalin" (Tv Klan, 2016–present) *"6 dite pa Ermalin" (Top Channel, 2014–2016)


Austria

*''Willkommen Österreich'' with Stermann & Grissemann (ORF 1; 2007–present) *''Gute Nacht Österreich'' with Peter Klien (ORF 1; 2019–present) *''Bussi Fussi'' with Rudi Fussi (Puls 24; 2020–present)


Belarus

*''Макаёнка, 9'' (Belarus-1; 2018–present)


Belgium

* ''Gert Late Night'' (VIER, 2017–present) * ''Le Dan Late Show'' (La Deux, 2014-2016) * ''De Laatste Show'' (Eén, 1999–2012)


Bulgaria

* ''Slavi's Show'' (BTV (Bulgaria), bTV, 2000–2019) * ''Azis's Evening show'' (TV2: 2007–2009, PRO.BG: 2009–2010) * ''Ivan & Andrey's Show'' (Nova TV (Bulgaria), Nova TV, 2009–2011) * ''Of stubborn'' (TV7, Nova TV (Bulgaria), Nova TV, 2010–2011) * ''bTV's Late Show'' (BTV (Bulgaria), bTV, 2017) * ''Mavrikov's Show'' (Eurocom, 2018–present) * ''Slavi Trifonov's Evening show'' (7/8 TV, 2019–present) * ''Saturday Night with Donny'' (BNT 1, 2020) * ''Nikolaos Tsitiridis' Show'' (BTV (Bulgaria), bTV, 2020–present) * ''Saturday Night with Mitko Pavlov'' (BNT 1, 2020–2021) * ''Saturday Night with BNT'' (BNT 1, 2022–present)


Czech Republic

* ''Show Jana Krause'' (TV Prima; 2010–present) * ''Uvolněte se, prosím'' (Česká televize)


Finland

*''Joonas Nordman Show'' (MTV3, 2020–present)


France

*''Le Late avec Alain Chabat'' (TF1, 2022) *''On n'est pas couché'' (France 2, 2006–2020) *''Ce Soir avec Arthur'' (Comédie +, 2010–2012; TF1, 2013–present) *''La nuit nous appartient'' (NRJ 12;Comédie +, 2009–2012) *''La Méthode Cauet'' (TF1; 2003–2008) *''Claudy Show'' (France Ô; 2013–present)


Germany

*''Schmidteinander'' (WDR Fernsehen, WDR: 1990–1993; Das Erste: 1994) *''Gottschalk Late Night'' (RTL Television, RTL: 1992–1995) *''RTL Nachtshow'' (RTL: 1994–1995) *''Harald Schmidt Show'' (Sat.1: 1995–2003, 2011–2012; Sky Atlantic, Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Hits HD: 2012–2014), ''Harald Schmidt (TV series), Harald Schmidt'' (Das Erste: 2004–2007, 2009–2011) *''Late Lounge'' (Hessischer Rundfunk, hr: 1999–2005), ''Late Lounge Club'' (hr: 2005–2006) *''TV total, TV Total'' (ProSieben: 1999–2015, 2021-present) *''SWR3 Ring frei!'' (SWR Fernsehen, SWR: 2003–2007), ''SWR3 latenight'' (SWR: 2007–2015), ''Die Pierre M. Krause Show'' (SWR: 2016–present) *''Anke Late Night'' (Sat.1: 2004) *''Sarah Kuttner – Die Show'' (VIVA Germany, VIVA: 2004–2005), ''Kuttner'' (MTV Germany, MTV: 2005–2006) *''Schmidt & Pocher'' (Das Erste: 2007–2009) *''Inas Nacht'' (Norddeutscher Rundfunk, NDR: 2007–2009; Das Erste: 2009–present) *''Die Kurt Krömer Show'' (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, rbb: 2003–2005), ''Krömer – Die Internationale Show'' (rbb: 2007–2011), ''Krömer – Late Night Show'' (Das Erste: 2012–2014) *''Die Oliver Pocher Show'' (Sat.1: 2009–2011) *''MTV Home'' (MTV: 2009–2011) *''Heute-show'' (ZDF: 2009–present) *''Stuckrad–Barre'' (ZDFneo: 2010–2012; Tele 5: 2012–2013) *''NeoParadise'' (ZDFneo: 2011–2013) *''Circus HalliGalli'' (ProSieben: 2013–2017) *''Neo Magazin'' (ZDFneo: 2013–2014), ''Neo Magazin Royale'' (ZDFneo, ZDF: 2015–2019), ''ZDF Magazin Royale'' (ZDF: 2020–present) *''Geht's noch?! Kayas Woche'' (RTL: 2014–2015) *''Promi Big Brother – Late Night Live'' (sixx: 2014), ''Promi Big Brother – Die Late Night Show'' (sixx: 2015–2016) *''Der Klügere kippt nach'' (Tele 5: 2015) *''Luke! Die Woche und ich'' (Sat.1: 2015–2020) *''Boomarama Late Night'' (Tele 5: 2015–2016), ''Boomarama 3000'' (Tele 5: 2017–present) *''Ringlstetter'' (Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR: 2016–present) *''Late Night Berlin'' (ProSieben: 2018–present)


Greece

*''Radio Arvyla'' (ANT1, 2008–2018, Skai TV, 2019, Open TV, 2021–present) *''Ellinofreneia'' (Skai TV, 2008–2011),''Ellinofreneia'' (Alpha TV, 2013–2017) *''Al Tsantiri News'' (Alpha TV, 2004–2016),''Al Tsantiri News'' (Open TV, 2019–present) *''A.M.A.N. (TV series), A.M.A.N.'' (Mega Channel, 1996–1997), ''[A.M.A.N. (TV series)]'' (ANT1, 1997–2000),''A.M.AN. Ta Katharmata '' (ANT1, 2000–2007) *''Comfusio'' (ERT3, 1993–1994),''Comfusio'' (Star Channel (Greece), Star Channel, 1994–1996) *The 2Night Show (ANT1, 2015–present)


Hungary

*''Heti dörgés'' with Géza Villám (Comedy Central (Hungarian TV channel), Comedy Central, 2019) *''Esti Frizbi'' with Péter Hajdú (ATV (Hungary), ATV, 2006–2008, 2016–present; Story TV, 2009; TV2 (Hungary), TV2; 2010–2016 as ''Frizbi'') *''Fábry'' (M1 (TV channel), M1, 2012–2015; Duna TV, 2015-present) *''Heti Hetes'' (RTL Klub, 1999–2012; RTL2 (Hungary), RTL2, 2012–2016) *''Showtime'' with Péter Hajdú (TV2 (Hungary), TV2, 2016) *''Kasza!'' (Super TV2, 2013–2014; TV2 (Hungary), TV2, 2015) *''Esti Showder'' with Sándor Fábry (M1 (TV channel), M1, 1998; RTL Klub, 1999–2011) *''Light Night'' with László Lovász (Prizma TV, 2011) *''Késő este'' with András Hajós (Viasat 3, 2004) *''Magánszám'' with András Hajós (TV2 (Hungary), TV2, 2003) *''Boros-Bochkor Show'' (TV2 (Hungary), TV2, 2001–2002) *''Friderikusz Show'' (M1 (TV channel), M1, 1992–1997)


Ireland

*''The Late Late Show (Ireland), The Late Late Show'' (RTÉ; 1962–present) *The Tommy Tiernan Show (RTÉ; 2017–present) *''Saturday Night with Miriam'' (RTÉ; 2005–present) *''The Ray D'Arcy Show'' (RTÉ; 2015–present) *''The Saturday Night Show'' (RTÉ; 2010–2015) *''Kenny Live'' (RTÉ; 1988–1999) *''Good Grief Moncrieff!'' (RTÉ; 1996) *''Kennedy (TV series), Kennedy'' (RTÉ; 1997) *''Tubridy Tonight'' (RTÉ; 2004–2009) *''Tonight with Craig Doyle'' (RTÉ; 2010)


Italy

* ''E poi c'è Cattelan'' (Sky Uno; 2014–2020), ''Stasera c'è Cattelan'' (Rai 2; 2022-present) * ''Gazebo'' (Rai 3; 2013–2017) * ''Victor Victoria - niente è come sembra'' (La7; 2009–2010) * ''Che tempo che fa'' (Rai 3, Rai 1 and Rai 2; 2003–present) * ''Satyricon'' (Rai 2; 2001) * ''Maurizio Costanzo Show'' (Rete 4-Canale 5; 1982–2009;2015–present)


Latvia

* ''Evening with Renārs Zeltiņš'' (''Vakars ar Renāru Zeltiņu''; LTV1; 17 October 2014 – 18 December 2015) * ''Midnight Show at Seven'' (''Pusnakts šovs septiņos''; 7 November 2014–present) * ''Late Show with Streips'' (''Vēlais ar Streipu''; RīgaTV24, 29 February 2016–present)


Lithuania

*''Gero vakaro šou'' (TV3 (Lithuania); premiered on August 31, 2016) *''Laikykitės ten'' (Laisvės TV)


Netherlands

*''RTL Late Night'' (RTL 4; 2013–2019)


Norway

* '':no:Senkveld med HC og Tommy, Senkveld med HC og Tommy'' - TV 2 (Norway), TV2 (2001-2002) * '':no:Senkveld med Thomas og Harald, Senkveld med Thomas og Harald'' - TV2 (2003-2018) * '':no:Senkveld med Stian og Helene, Senkveld med Stian og Helene'' - TV2 (2018–present) * '':no:Lindmo, Lindmo'' - NRK (2012–present) * ''I kveld med YLVIS, I kveld med Ylvis'' - TVNorge (2011-2016) * '':no:Først & sist, Først & sist'' - NRK1, NRK (1998-2007)(Skavlans first talk show.) * '':no:Skavlan, Skavlan'' - NRK/SVT1, SVT/TV2 (2009–present) (Recorded in Sweden, England and US, broadcast on both Swedish and Norwegian television. The host is Norwegian)


Poland

*''Kuba Wojewódzki (talk show), Kuba Wojewódzki'' (Polsat; 2002–2006; TVN (Poland), TVN: 2006-present) *''Wieczór z Wampirem'' (RTL 7 (Poland), RTL7; 1997–1999) *''Wieczór z Jagielskim'' (TVP2; 1999–2001) *''Szymon Majewski Show'' (TVN (Poland), TVN; 2005–2011) *''Szymon Na Żywo'' (TVN (Poland), TVN; 2012)


Portugal

* ''5 Para A Meia-Noite'' (RTP1)


Romania

*''Chestiunea Zilei cu Florin Călinescu'' (1998 – 2004) (Pro TV; Tele7ABC) *''Noaptea Târziu cu Mircea Badea și Oreste'' (1999-2002) (Antena 1 (Romania), Antena 1) * ''Show de Seară cu Viorel Dragu'' (Comedy Central Extra) (April 3, 2017 – present) * Starea Nației cu Dragoș Pătraru (Prima TV, PrimaTV)


Russia

*''Good Night'' (''Добрый вечер''; Rossiya 1, RTR (РТР); 1997–1998) *''Once in the Night'' (''Однажды вечером''; TNT (Russian TV channel), TNT (ТНТ); 1999–2001) *''Good Night with Maxim'' (''Добрый вечер с Максимом''; Rossiya 1 (Россия 1); 2011) *''Evening Urgant'' ('':ru:Вечерний Ургант, Вечерний Ургант''; Channel One (Russia), Channel One (Первый канал); 2012–present) *''Nightly Herasimets'' (''Вечерний Герасимец''; Dozhd (Дождь) ; 2012–2013)


Serbia

*''24 minuta sa Zoranom Kesićem'' (2013—present) *''Veče sa Ivanom Ivanovićem'' (2010–present) *''Marko Živić Show'' (2007) *''Oralno doba'' (2007-2008) *''Fajront Republika'' (2008-2011)


Slovakia

* ''Adela show'' (Markíza; 2010–2012) * ''Neskoro večer s Petrom Marcinom'' (Jednotka; 2014–present)


Spain

*''La noche se mueve'' (Telemadrid; 1992–1993) *''Sense titol'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 1995) *''Esta noche cruzamos el Mississippi'' (Telecinco; 1995–1997) *''La noche prohibida'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 1996) *''Sense titol 2'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 1996) *''Efecto F'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 1997) *''Sense titol, Sense Vacances'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 1997) *''Crónicas marcianas'' (Telecinco; 1997–2005) * *''La sonrisa del pelícano'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 1997) *''Sense titol, s/n'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 1998) *''La cosa nostra'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 1999–2002) *''La Central'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 2000) *''Maldita la hora'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 2001) *''Abierto al anochecer'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 2002) *''Una altra cosa'' (TV3 (Catalonia), TV3; 2002–2004) *''UHF'' (Antena 3 (Spanish TV channel), Antena 3; 2004) *''TNT'' (Telecinco; 2004–2007) *''Noche sin tregua'' (Comedy Central Spain, Paramount Comedy; 2004–2007) *''Buenafuente'' (Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3; 2005–2007, laSexta; 2007–2011) *''La azotea de Wyoming'' (La 1 (Spain), La Primera; 2005) *''Plan C'' (Telecinco; 2005) *''Ruffus & Navarro'' (La 1 (Spain), La Primera; 2005–2006) *''Noche Hache'' (Cuatro (TV channel), Cuatro; 2005–2008) *''Sabías a lo que venías'' (laSexta; 2007) *''Sálvame deluxe'' (Telecinco; 2009–2017) *''La semana más larga'' (Canal Sur; 2010–2013) *''UAU!'' (Cuatro (TV channel), Cuatro; 2010) *''En el aire'' (laSexta; 2013–2015) *''Se enciende la noche'' (Telecinco; 2013–2014) *''Hable con ellas'' (Telecinco; 2014–2015; also had a brief prime time run in 2016) *''Alaska y Segura'' (La 1 (Spain), La 1; 2015; also had previous prime time runs on La 2 (Spain), La 2 as ''Torres y Reyes'' and ''Alaska y Coronas'' in 2013–2014) *''El último mono'' (laSexta; 2015) *''Late Motiv'' (Canal+ (Spanish TV channel), Canal+/Cero (TV channel), #0; 2016–2021) *''Deluxe'' (Telecinco, 2017–present) * * *''La resistencia'' (Cero (TV channel), #0; 2018–present) *''Las que faltaban'' (Cero (TV channel), #0; 2019) *''Animales nocturnos'' (Telecinco; 2020) *''Los felices veinte'' (Canal Orange; 2020–2022) *''Esto es un late'' (Amazon Prime Video via Twitch (service), Twitch; 2021–present)


Switzerland

*''Night Moor'' with Dieter Moor (Schweizer Fernsehen, Swiss Television; 1997–1999) *''Giacobbo/Müller'' Late Service Public (Schweizer Fernsehen, Swiss Television; 2008–2016) *''Deville'' :de:Deville Late Night, Deville Late Night with :de:Dominic Deville, Dominic Deville (Schweizer Fernsehen, Swiss Television; 2016–heute) *''52 Minutes'' with :Vincent Kucholl and :Vincent Veillon (Schweizer Fernsehen, Swiss Television; 2020-)


Ukraine

*''15 Minutes till Tomorrow'' (''15 хвилин до завтра''; K1; 2011–2012) *''Evening. Pasha. Stars'' (''Вечір. Паша. Зорі''; K1; 2012) *''Crazy Week'' (''Шалений тиждень''; TVi (channel), TVi; 2012) *''Проти ночі'' (TVi (channel), TVi; 2012) *''ЧистоNEWS'' (1+1 (TV channel), 1+1, March 23, 2012 – present) *''Pedan-Prytula Show'' (''Педан-Притула Шоу''; Novyi Kanal (Новий канал); March 10, 2013 – 2014) *''Uteodyn with Michael Shchur'' (''Утеодин з Майклом Щуром''; UA:First (UA:Перший); October 18, 2014 – July 25, 2015) *''Lumpen Show'' (NLO TV, 2015—September 29, 2017) *''ЧереЩур'' (UA:First, 2017) *''The Evening with Nataliya Garipova'' (''Вечір з Наталею Гаріповою''; STB (TV channel), STB (СТБ); March 3, 2018) *''The Evening Show with Yuriy Marchenko'' (''Вечірнє шоу з Юрієм Марченком''; UA:First (UA:Перший); 2018) *''Kondratyuk on Monday'' (''Кондратюк у понеділок''; 5 Kanal (Ukraine), 5 Kanal (5 канал); September 21, 2020–present) *''Fierce Ukrainization with Antin Mukharsky'' (''Люта українізація з Антіном Мухарським''; 4 Kanal (Ukraine), 4 Kanal (:uk:4 канал (Україна), uk) (4 канал); December 18, 2020–present) *''Dizel Night'' (STB (TV channel), STB (СТБ); March 6, 2021–present)


United Kingdom

*''Parkinson (TV series), Parkinson'' (BBC One; 1971–1982, 1998–2004, ITV (TV channel), ITV; 1987–1988, 2004–2007) *''Des O'Connor Tonight'' (BBC Two; 1977–1982, ITV (TV channel), ITV; 1983–1999, 2001–2002) *''Wogan'' (BBC One; 1982–1992) *''Aspel & Company'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 1984–1993) *''Joan Rivers: Can We Talk?'' (BBC Two; 1986) *''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross'' (Channel 4; 1987–1988) *''Saturday Night Clive'' (BBC Two; 1988–1994) *''Clive Anderson Talks Back'' (Channel 4; 1989–1996) *''Tonight with Jonathan Ross'' (Channel 4; 1990–1992) *''The Danny Baker Show'' (BBC One; 1994–1995) *''The Frank Skinner Show'' (BBC One; 1995–1999; ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2000–2005) *''The Gaby Roslin Show'' (Channel 4; 1996) *''Clive Anderson All Talk'' (BBC One; 1996–1999) *''The Late Jonathan Ross'' (Channel 4; 1996) *''The Jack Docherty Show'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 1997–1999) *''Friday Night's All Wright'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 1998–2000) *''So Graham Norton'' (Channel 4; 1998–2002) *''The Richard Blackwood Show'' (Channel 4; 1999–2001) *''The Brian Conley Show'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2000–2002) *''Clive Anderson NOW'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 2001) *''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' (BBC One; 2001–2010) *''V Graham Norton'' (Channel 4; 2002–2003) * ''The Ralf Little Show'' (BBC Choice; 2002) *''God Almighty'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 2003) *''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture'' (BBC One; 2005–2006) *''The Charlotte Church Show'' (Channel 4; 2006–2008) *''Russell Brand's Got Issues'' (E4 (TV channel), E4; 2006) *''The Russell Brand Show (TV series), The Russell Brand Show'' (Channel 4; 2006) *''The Graham Norton Show'' (BBC Two; 2007–2009, BBC One; 2009–present) *''Lily Allen and Friends'' (BBC Three; 2008) *''The Justin Lee Collins Show'' (ITV2; 2009) *''Piers Morgan's Life Stories'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2009–present) *''Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' (Channel 4; 2009–2017) *''Justin Lee Collins: Good Times'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 2010) *''Frank Skinner's Opinionated'' (BBC Two; 2010–2011) *''Paul O'Grady Live'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2010–2011) *''The Rob Brydon Show'' (BBC Two; 2010–2012) *''The Jonathan Ross Show'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2011–present) *''The Last Leg'' (Channel 4; 2012–present) *''The Michael McIntyre Chat Show'' (BBC One; 2014) *''Up Late with Rylan'' (Channel 5 (UK), Channel 5; 2016) *''Alan Carr: Happy Hour'' (Channel 4; 2016) *''John Bishop: In Conversation With...'' (W (UK TV channel), W; 2016–2018) *''The Nightly Show (UK TV series), The Nightly Show'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2017) *''The Russell Howard Hour'' (Sky One; 2018–present) *''The Big Narstie Show'' (Channel 4; 2018–present) *''The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan'' (Channel 4; 2019–present) *''The John Bishop Show (2022 TV series), The John Bishop Show'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2022–present)


Mock chat shows

*''The Dame Edna Experience'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 1987–1989) *''The Word (TV series), The Word'', (Channel 4; 1990–1995) *''Room 101 (British TV series), Room 101'' (BBC Two; 1994–2007, BBC One; 2012–2018) *''Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (TV series), Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge'' (BBC Two; 1994–1995) *''The Mrs Merton Show'' (BBC Two; 1995, BBC One; 1996–1998) *''TFI Friday'' (Channel 4; 1996–2000, 2015) *''Da Ali G Show'' (Channel 4; 2000,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
; 2003–2004) *''Meet Ricky Gervais'' (Channel 4; 2000) *''The Kumars at No. 42'' (BBC Two; 2001–2004, BBC One; 2005–2006, Sky 1 2014) *''This Is Dom Joly'' (BBC Three; 2003) *''The Keith Barret Show'' (BBC Two; 2004–2005) *''Man to Man with Dean Learner'' (Channel 4; 2006) *''TV Heaven, Telly Hell'' (Channel 4; 2006–2007) *''Al Murray's Happy Hour'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2007–2008) *''The Dame Edna Treatment'' (ITV (TV channel), ITV; 2007) *''Carpool (TV series), Carpool'' (Dave (TV channel), Dave; 2010–2011) *''Comic's Choice'' (Channel 4; 2011) *''The Angelos Epithemiou Show'' (Channel 4; 2011–2012) *''All Round to Mrs. Brown's'' (BBC One; 2017–2020) *''This Time with Alan Partridge'' (BBC One; 2019–present)


References

{{TV production Variety shows Television talk shows, Late night television programming Television genres