Talk Shows

Late Night Shows

By Thomas Tennant, About.com Guide to Talk Shows

The late night format is what most viewers picture when they think of a talk show: comedic monologue, host behind a desk, sidekick, house band and celebrity guests.

Best Damn Sports Show Period
Chelsea Lately
The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Inside the Actor's Studio
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Jimmy Kimmel Live

Larry King Live
Last Call with Carson Daly
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Show with David Letterman
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

Best Damn Sports Show Period

This sports-themed talk show provides a clever twist on the late night format.

Chelsea Lately

Talk show host Chelsea Handler explores the wild world of late night talk shows with her E! network entry, 'Chelsea Lately'. Its mix of interview and topical talk is a bit unique among late night shows. At presently, Handler is the only late night female talk show host in the game.

The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert

One of the few hybrid talk shows out there, ‘The Colbert Report’ mixes political satire with a nightly guest, be they celebrity, politician, author or, in one case, the host himself.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Peabody Award-winning talk show that bills itself as ‘fake news’ while delivering biting political and social satire.

Inside the Actor's Studio

A one-of-a-kind, James Lipton's 'Actor's Studio' is best known for its in-depth interviews and quirky final questions.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The show is an institution, its hosts bigger than life: 'The Tonight Show' is the framework on which every other talk show is built.

Jay Leno Biography

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Former Comedy Central stalwart has real talk show chops, and is gaining ground on the Big Two – Letterman and Leno.

Larry King Live

The longest running program on CNN, Larry King’s show dishes dirt and dives into deep discussion in equal manner.

Last Call with Carson Daly

Breaking through the frontiers of really late night broadcasting, Carson Daly rounds out the talk show day.

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

One of the most underrated hosts on television, comedian Craig Ferguson is bound to make you laugh, make you think, then make you laugh again.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Former 'Saturday Night Live' actor Jimmy Fallon took over 'Late Night' from Conan O'Brien in early 2009. Since then, he has created a funny and hip show that is all his own.