The late-night talk show has given rise to some of the most memorable comedians as well as some of the more engaging interviewers. Many have even been both, with their shows beaming into homes across America since 1949 to become one of the stalwarts of television as we know it.
While often featuring a monologue and a series of interviews with celebrity guests, the form has evolved in new directions with different hosts leaving their imprint on the medium. Some have no guests at all and instead talk directly to the audience, carrying the entire show by themselves.
It should be noted that, despite its appearances, late night television is often very structured and not as organic as we may have been led to believe. It has led to many stagnant and occasionally lifeless shows that just go through the motions. This means there are many shows that have been intentionally left off this list as it is instead focused on the best of the best. With that in mind, here are the best late night talk show hosts to ever do it.
Conan O'Brien
When Conan O’Brien recently closed out his TBS show for the last time, there was an outpouring of support for the host and for good reason. He was and is an icon of the medium, proving himself to be the unabashed king of late night. The former Simpsons writer is still planning to take on a new weekly show on HBO soon, though that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be given all the praise now. He is one of the most versatile of joke tellers and the most tactile of interviewers, making each monologue land in addition to ensuring each conversation with his guests sings.
He also has shown a good eye for how to take his act on the road, giving us some of the best remote segments of any late-night show. Be it the Olive Garden or locations around the world, Conan is always an entertaining travel guide. There is no one that quite manages to make the most out of every new segment like he can. He can consistently think on his feet, rising to every occasion. Case in point, when Kumail Nanjiani recently canceled literally right before a taping was set to begin, that didn’t stop the host from making one of his best-ever shows. He is really one of a kind, a presence we all have missed and will welcome when he returns.
Jon Stewart
Speaking of a comedic presence who recently made a return, Jon Stewart was one of the most memorable voices in late night. One of the more politically focused hosts on this list, Stewart’s run on The Daily Show was fearless and demonstrated a willingness to confront the failings of leaders. He gave voice to our collective frustrations about all that was, and still is, going wrong with the direction of our world. He gave some of the most tough interviews to those who needed to face some tough questions. He reinvented what could be expected from late night and showed that there could be some deeper observations to be found amongst the laughs.
There are still clips of his show that remain resonant and relevant today, a testament to Stewart’s prevailing relevance as a comedic voice. This remains true even as his most recent efforts, including the misjudged movie Irresistible and his vastly different new show, haven’t been quite as sharp as many would have liked. There was a good while where Stewart was on a near-flawless run of shows, making for a show in late night that was wholly his own. He was a deeply dedicated and compassionate voice, giving his all for all his years of shows.
Arsenio Hall
A comedian who made his own way in late night history, Arsenio Hall proved he could carry a show all by himself. Hall was initially given a 13-week run on The Late Show before leaving to work on Coming To America with Eddie Murphy. Using the goodwill and popularity he built up with his short stint, the comedian then launched The Arsenio Hall Show where he found a real niche that hasn’t ever quite been filled since. It did end up seeing declining ratings that lead to its cancellation, though for a good while it remained one of the must see shows of his time at its peak.
Reaching a younger audience than most other late night shows at the time, Hall was an energetic and fresh voice that leaned into making a show that was as fun as it was entertaining. He also conducted some of the most interesting interviews you’ll see in the form. Whether it was his genuine conversation with beloved children’s show host Mr. Rogers or his adversarial grilling of rapper Vanilla Ice, Hall was always engaging with some genuinely interesting guests with a dedication to digging deeper into what it was that he cared about.
John Oliver
A veteran of The Daily Show, which he even hosted for an extended period of time while Stewart was away, John Oliver changed the game when it came to what a late night show could be. The comedian shifted to focusing on deeper issues, drawing upon investigative journalism to bring light to some of the often absurd but no less frightening challenges of modern life. Tackling topics from unchecked voter suppression to the catastrophic governmental failing to address the pandemic, Oliver brought an unflinching willingness to confront the severe problems facing the country.
Often joking that this focus makes the show quite dour, Oliver does a strategic job of balancing jokes with the information he is providing. This ensures he can be remarkably comprehensive for the short amount of time that he has, usually around a half hour. There are moments where the conclusion Oliver offers to the problems might not fully express how more radical solutions are needed. However, there is still no one quite as committed to bringing issues to light in the late night comedy format as he has been over the several years he has been on the air.
Johnny Carson
Credited as being the one who started it all when it came to late night, Johnny Carson didn’t even really want to do it when first offered. It is one of those moments where, had he not ever agreed to host the show, the entire landscape of late night might not even exist at all without him leading the way. After some convincing, he would eventually become the one who led the way into helping shape the form and approach of programs for decades to come. He had a prevailing wit and charm that made him endlessly funny even when looking back on his material now.
He also was a solid interviewer, knowing when to let his guests get room to talk where all he needed to do was sit back and listen. That is something, regrettably, not enough late night hosts have taken from him. Still, Carson did inspire many other great comedians to follow in his footsteps and take the form into new directions. Had he not first taken the stage and invented much of what we know about what it is to be a late night host, there most certainly wouldn’t be anything quite like the late night television we see today. An unintentional trailblazer who never set out to make something new like he did, that is exactly what Carson did.
Seth Meyers
The former SNL writer and host of Weekend Update, Seth Meyers has carved out a respectable place in a crowded late night field. In addition to having good comedic chops from a long history of being a writer, Meyers also knows the right time to listen to those he interviews and give space to other comedians to pull off their own jokes. He has done many collaborative sketches that are missing from other late night shows. White Savior: The Movie is still one of the more funnier bits to come out of late night in a while. Meyers also can do more serious yet still funny conversations, such as a lengthy interview with his friend John Mulaney about his intervention and path to recovery. It was one of the most revealing and fascinating interviews seen in late night in a good while, a testament to his compassionate commitment to listening.
When he was isolated during quarantine, he embraced the silliness of doing a show out of his own home and made the most of the restrictions. Meyers also has the more biting and focused recurring segment known as A Closer Look that sees him not pulling any punches on looking at the rampant hypocrisy of our politics. In addition to his more serious observational humor, Meyers is also known for being willing to embrace the goofiness and absurdity of his show. That is seen in his day drinking segments where he basically uses the show as an excuse to get drunk with celebrities. Is it possibly a ploy to use your job this way? Is it still fun and a testament to his willingness to let loose without taking himself seriously? Absolutely.
Amber Ruffin
Speaking of silliness, this list would be remiss without including the immensely goofy and still unendingly charming comedian that is Amber Ruffin. Full of energy and a sharp wit, her show is joyously fun even as it is fleeting in its once a week time slot. She had previously worked with Meyers as a writer and now has been given her own show that is a joy each time it comes on. With a comedic style that fluctuates between the zany and incisive, Ruffin is endlessly versatile in the ground she covers in her show. Meyers serves as a producer on the show that has allowed Ruffin to flex her own comedic muscles she’s been honing over her already impressive career.
Her most recent Halloween episode is a testament to that, going from the more standard opening monologue to a series of sketches that are unique for their willingness to lead into being just downright bizarre that still leave you in stitches. Ruffin didn’t have it easy as she started her show without an audience during the pandemic, though rose to the challenge with ease. Now with audiences back in the studio, the show is worth checking out whenever you get the chance as it moves into its second season with hopefully many more to come.
Stephen Colbert
Playing a character that upended the late night formula, Stephen Colbert started out on Comedy Central with his show The Colbert Report after working with Stewart on The Daily Show. Playing a character that satirized conservative political pundits, Colbert kept a remarkably straight face even as he had to say the most ridiculous of things. The manner in which he would always stay in character is incredibly challenging as there were very few if any times that he broke over the course of his more than thousand shows. He was essentially doing a performance all the time in every single moment. It required real focus and layers of performance that make it one of the most noteworthy of all time.
The interviews he conducted also became performances in their own right, with the comedian keeping guests on their toes as they couldn’t ever quite get a read on where he was going to go next. Though Colbert has since taken over The Late Show, it will always be his original satirical character that is his best work. His new show isn’t bad by any means, it just lacks the same punch and energy that his original show had. The craft in each comedic beat in his monologues and segments were unparalleled, making it a program that will never be able to be replicated due to its unique presence in the late show landscape.
Craig Ferguson
If you take nothing from this list, it is that we lost a great late night show host when Craig Ferguson left his slot on The Late Late Show in 2014. He grew a small, but loyal following that was drawn to the chaotic energy he brought to late night. Challenging what such a show could be, Ferguson flaunted the rules by doing things like having a robotic sidekick named Geoff and a fake horse as a key component of his show. If that could give you any indication of the way the comedian approached his hosting duties, you really have no idea. With many of his interviews going on wild tangents and seemingly going off script, a refreshing element of his show, you never knew quite what you were going to get when you tuned in.
In later years, as his show and clips have found new appreciation on YouTube, praise for just how subversive the show could get has only grown. There is just nothing quite as weird and wacky as a Ferguson show, ditching the formality of a pre-interview to instead go all in on the spontaneity that could be available to the medium. It is something that is deeply lacking from shows currently. There also was his prevailing compassion that set him apart from many of his colleagues who relentlessly went after those like Britney Spears without any sense of what impact they could have. One of Ferguson’s most compelling and memorable monologues was him reflecting on his role as a comedian with a goal of challenging himself as well as others to be better. There are easy targets to be had when ridiculing those struggling, but the richer jokes comes from finding deeper humor that pokes fun as those in power. That is part of Ferguson’s legacy that has only grown since he went off the air, leaving a comedy void that has never been filled.