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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.

  1. Best Damn Sports Show Period
  2. Chelsea Lately
  3. The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert
  4. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
  5. Inside the Actor's Studio
  6. The Jay Leno Show
  7. Jimmy Kimmel Live
  8. Larry King Live
  1. Last Call with Carson Daly
  2. Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
  3. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
  4. Late Show with David Letterman
  5. Lopez Tonight
  6. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
  7. The Wanda Sykes Show

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 Jay Leno Show

Set to debut in September 2009 on NBC, 'The Jay Leno Show' is the first primetime, five-nights-a-week talk show in recent history. It is expected that Leno will keep much of the style he crafted while host of 'The Tonight Show'.

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.

Late Show with David Letterman

The next best thing to Johnny Carson, David Letterman, regardless of network, is the stuff of legend.

Lopez Tonight

'Lopez Tonight,' comedian George Lopez's new talk show on TBS, spends its late-night hour welcoming celebrity guests, live music and comedy acts to a spontaneous outdoor-like party-on-TV.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien is the fifth 'Tonight Show' host since Steve Allen introduced the show in the 1950s. O'Brien takes over for Jay Leno.

The Wanda Sykes Show

Comedian Wanda Sykes' show is a high-energy one-hour show that will feature biting commentary on topical issues and heated panel discussions with recurring personalities. Consider it a mix of 'The Bill Maher Show' and 'Late Show with David Letterman'.

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