The Big Picture

  • Late-night comedy has shifted with new hosts and formats, including Taylor Tomlinson's unique game show-style series.
  • Jimmy Fallon's comedy lacks bite, but still provides a fun and light-hearted show.
  • Stephen Colbert has emerged as a leading late-night host, showcasing his serious discussions and heartfelt talks with guests.

Late-night comedy has undergone a dramatic shift in the past few years with the exits of David Letterman, Jon Stewart, and Conan O’Brien from the late night desk. Stewart then returned, only to have his show, The Problem With Jon Stewart, canceled by Apple TV + when he refused to censor his views. We saw the arrival of many fresh faces, turning the late-night wars into a fractured battle waged on many fronts, from TV ratings to YouTube views. In the last year, many of those newer names have lost their shows, however, as Trevor Noah left The Daily Show and James Corden said goodbye to The Late Late Show. We also lost Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and Desus & Mero. Most recently, Taylor Tomlinson took over James Corden's slot with her new series, After Midnight.

We are no longer in the heated era of Letterman and Jay Leno. The competition now is friendly, with everyone seemingly a fan of their counterparts. For half a decade, the negative energy was turned instead toward Donald Trump and politics in general. For some hosts, that became their entire brand. Others have tried to hold on to the light, feel-good comedy of days gone by. But all of them have looked to create their own identity in the world of comedy. The field is smaller than it used to be, but every name below is great in their own way. Here are the best late-night talk show hosts ranked from worst to best.

7 Taylor Tomlinson, 'After Midnight'

Taylor Tomlinson on 'After Midnight'
Image via CBS

Taylor Tomlinson is sadly the only woman on the list. Amber Ruffin could easily be here as well, but her Peacock show, The Amber Ruffin Show, rarely airs. Tomlinson goes last on the list, not because of her talent, but rather the fact that she's the new kid on the block. Taking over for James Corden leaving The Late Late Show, the rebranded hour after Stephen Colbert's The Late Show was only taken over by Tomlinson's After Midnight on January 17, 2024. There is a lot of promise here because After Midnight isn't your typical late night show of monologue followed by celebrity interviews. Instead, it puts its guest in a game show format. (After Midnight used to air on Comedy Central in the 2010s as @midnight with Chris Hardwick as host.) With Tomlinson's sense of humor (she has put out three Netflix standup specials), the revival can go even further.

6 Jimmy Fallon, 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'

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Image Via NBC

Once again, the nice guy finishes last. After helming Late Night for five years, Fallon became the host of The Tonight Show in 2014. He has become the object of much criticism over the years, from his less-than-stellar interviewing skills, his annoying habit of laughing too often when there’s not even a joke, and the awkward way he tried to tiptoe around the Trump presidency. Fallon is a terrific performer, which is what made him so popular on Saturday Night Live, but there’s no bite to his comedy. Still, if you prefer a simpler monologue and fun games, a good time can be found.

5 Andy Cohen, 'Watch What Happens Live'

Andy Cohen smiles on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen'
Image via Bravo

Next to Jimmy Kimmel, no one has been at their gig longer than Andy Cohen, who has hosted Watch What Happens Live since 2009. Cohen has done it all. He's been a news producer and appeared on news shows as well. Many may know him as the host of Real Housewives (where he's also the executive producer), and he once even hosted a revamped Love Connection. Watch What Happens Live is his where he shines best. The show started as something small that you'd find on a weekend, before becoming a daily weeknight event. It's a more intimate show, as Cohen doesn't sit behind a desk, and he is more concerned with keeping it light with celebrity talk and guests. With Cohen, the show only continues to get bigger,

4 Jimmy Kimmel, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

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Image Via ABC

Kimmel is the longest-tenured veteran on the list, having hosted his ABC show since 2003. The former star of Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Man Show has seen his act evolve from a more immature sense of humor to something, that while still funny, can also be very serious. Several times the host has shed tears on camera, whether it be about the latest American tragedy or his young son’s health. He was also one of the loudest voices against Trump. That doesn’t mean he’s lost his sense of fun. The quick wit with his guests that always keeps viewers on their toes is still there, as well as his popular segments such as “This Week in Unnecessary Censorship” and “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets.” And no matter what’s happening in the world, his feud with Matt Damon will not die.

3 Seth Meyers, 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'

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The former Saturday Night Live cast member succeeded Fallon in 2014. His years of co-hosting “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey prepared him for the world of late night. His show sputtered at first but found success in the ever-popular “A Closer Look” segments and "Day Drinking," the latter of which sees him, well, drinking during the day with everyone from Kelly Clarkson and Lorde to Will Forte and Ina Garten. Similar to what Jon Stewart did every night on The Daily Show, or what John Oliver now does every Sunday, Meyers picks a subject fresh in the news and spends fifteen minutes dissecting it. This is when he’s at his best, tapping into what made him so successful at SNL. While Meyers’ show is a mostly political one, it’s not bitter. There are lots of laughs to counter the cynicism. Meyers’ interviewing skills, while not having reached the greatness of a Colbert, create interesting conversations with every guest, whether it be movie stars or world leaders.

2 John Oliver, 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'

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Image via HBO

The longtime The Daily Show correspondent and once fill-in host debuted on HBO in 2014 to much acclaim. He is the one most like his old boss and confidently carries Stewart’s torch. Each episode has the usual covering of whatever happened in the news last week, but the meatiest part is the main segment where for twenty minutes or more, Oliver focuses on one subject. It could be something everyone is talking about such as COVID or Critical Race Theory, or it could be the less covered subjects like the power grid and union-busting.

No matter what’s on his mind, the viewer is guaranteed not only to laugh but to learn a lot as well. His takedowns and calls for action pack a more powerful punch due to the immediacy caused by his one-episode a week format. It lets the issues linger in our psyche, rather than being replaced by something else the next night. That approach has succeeded, as Last Week Tonight has won several Emmys for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, and in 2024 was crowned the winner for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series.

1 Stephen Colbert, 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'

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Image Via CBS

The leader of the pack in ratings, Colbert was already a late-night powerhouse from his The Daily Show days and his decade-long run on the Emmy-winning The Colbert Report. Replacing one of the all-time greats in David Letterman in 2015 became a more difficult task than most imagined, as he and the country struggled to leave his grumpy conservative shtick behind. It was during the Trump years that Colbert took off, finding his voice by simply being himself. He became the nightly voice of reason vacated by Stewart. His interviews match the intensity of his monologue. He can joke around with the best of them, but it’s his serious discussions with journalists and those in the know, as well as his heartfelt talks with the likes of President Biden to Andrew Garfield about their shared loss, that make Colbert the best in the game.