Shows likeJimmy Kimmel Live!andLate Night With Seth Meyershave been cementing comedians as household names for decades, but that era’s running down to the last few grains in its hourglass. Manytalk show hosts’ previous projectshelped them make a name for themselves, but comedians like Jimmy Fallon and James Corden never commanded nearly as much fame until becoming faces of late-night television. Hosts such as Stephen Colbert already had significant fanbases, whereas hosts like Seth Meyers have taken respectable fan populations from past projects and turned them into significantly larger fandoms of their very own.
There have been so many late-night talk shows over the decades, all with slightly varying formats and unique recurring segments, that coming up with an objective list of thebest talk show hosts on TVcan be a monumental task.Talk shows partly work because their format appeals to viewers who watch for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to learn about a guest’s new project, enjoy a humorous breakdown of recent headlines, or simply appreciate the various comedic segments different hosts include. But a recent trend suggests that format no longer appeals as broadly to the networks, and we may be seeing the final late-night talk show hosts of our time.
Late-Night Talk Shows Are Getting Canceled – But Not Being Replaced Or Greenlit
Networks Seem Content To Wipe Their Time Slots Clean
When CBS canceledThe Late Late Show with James Cordenin 2023, it was a nearly historic decision. It was one thing to cancel the show after years of decreasing revenues in the face of the host’s rising salary, butthe decision not to even replace Corden as host meant ending a show that had run for just over 28 yearswhen including the tenures of previous hosts Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, and Craig Ferguson. In its place, the network promised a new late-night offering starring stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson. This, however, would turn out to be a short-lived experiment.
A reboot of Chris Hardwick’s@midnight, Tomlinson’sAfter Midnightwas a panel game show rather than the straightforward talk show it replaced. Although the show did well enough to receive a third season greenlight,CBS canceledAfter Midnightwhen Tomlinson departed to focus on her stand-up.Tomlinson hoped CBS would replace her with another comedian to keep the show going, stating, “I really wanted CBS to replace me, because I just think there are so many amazing comedians who would have done a great job with this show.” Their decision to instead cancel it altogether speaks to a growing trend.
Plenty Of Veteran Late-Night Hosts Believe They’re The Last Bastion Of Their Era
Jimmy Kimmel And Seth Meyers Don’t Foresee A Long Future
Rumors thatJimmy Kimmel is retiring fromJimmy Kimmel Live!began after the host suggested in a 2024 interview that he may not renew his contract after the remaining two years run out. Kimmel’s personal and professional reasons for retiring are intertwined, and they technically have more to do with his goals for the future than they do with the industry. Essentially,Kimmel’s considering retirement because he’s done being the center of attention and wants to try new creative projects. In the meantime, however, he’s been earnest that he sees the sun setting on late-night talk shows as a medium.
Kimmel believes that shows likeThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonandThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertcould be gone in as little as ten years. It’s hard to imagine a talk show veteran like Colbert being shown the door, but his involvement as executive producer did little to saveAfter Midnight. AndJimmy Kimmel isn’t the only talk show host who feels the genre’s once-strong hold on the public is wavering. When asked his own take on whether Kimmel’s predictions might contain a grain of truth,Late Nighthost Seth Meyers toldVariety:
“Unless some major sea change happens, I don’t think there’s going to be a whole new wave of network hosts, in the way there always has been. Nobody understands this business and this format better than Jimmy Kimmel, so when he talks about it, I tend to share his opinion. I feel very fortunate about when I got in – both at ‘SNL’ and with ‘Late Night.’ But it does bum me out that other people won’t have exactly this opportunity. Then again, when you think about podcasts, they have just as big of a reach as we ever had. Interesting voices are always going to use the technologies they have at hand to find an audience. So, if you’re a great lover of the institution of late-night talk shows, there’s probably some sadness in your future. But if you love funny people telling funny jokes and talking to people in interesting ways, that’s always going to be available.”
Seth intends to continue in the industry for as long as NBC will have him, but the faltering popularity of the format might make that career decision for him.Stephen Colbert’s ratings onThe Late Showare some of the few that didn’t drop between 2023 and 2024, despite the 2023 writers’ strike preventing most shows’ averages from being dragged down by traditionally low summertime ratings.Jon Stewart’s return on Monday nights helped boostThe Daily Show’s ratings by a significant margin, but more traditional talk shows fared less favorably. As for why, Meyers might have hit that nail on the head already.
The Format’s Unique Accessibility Has Fueled Its Increasing Popularity
Image via Max
Podcasts became saturated the moment the true crime fad took off, but they’ve only grown in popularity since then. WhenConan O’Brien Must Go’s season 3 renewalwas confirmed ahead of season 2’s release, many assumed Conan’s successful turn hosting the Oscars had something to do with it. ButConan’s popular Max travel series was initially greenlit in part due to the success of the former talk show host’s podcast,Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. O’Brien likely could have had his own show again whenever he wanted, but he’s far from the only comedian to jump on the podcasting train.
Comedians have embraced podcasting in such numbers that it’s not uncommon to see influencers launch podcasts after a mere handful of videos go viral. The more well-known comedians and comedic actors to launch podcasts include names such as Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes (all three on the same podcast), Bobby Lee, Duncan Trussell (whose podcast was adapted into a Netflix series), Tom Segura (currently managing at least two podcasts), and Marc Maron. EvenSeth Meyers plugs his podcastFamily Tripson every single episode ofLate Night.
Guests Who Used To Do Late-Night Talk Shows Are Also Choosing To Appear On Podcasts Instead
Politicians Don’t Appear On Talk Shows Nearly As Often Anymore
In his interview withVariety, Seth Meyers noted thatpoliticians tend to favor podcast appearances over talk shows these days, and he’s very clear on why he doesn’t necessarily disagree with that choice. It’s easy to understand, when looking at why people enjoy hearing guests on podcasts in the first place. It’s a choice between listening to rappers like Snoop Dogg and N.O.R.E. shoot the breeze at a casual pace for hours on podcasts likeDrink Champsor watching them check off a bullet list of questions in a few minutes before a talk show’s next commercial break.
Bluntly, podcasts provide guests more time to speak and listeners more time to appreciate what they’re saying. If the format’s popularity continues to grow,podcasts could jeopardize daytime talk shows in addition to their late-night counterparts. This will be easier to assess by the network’s response if rumors aboutThe Kelly Clarkson Show’s cancelationturn out to be justified. In the meantime, fans of shows likeLate Night With Seth MeyersandJimmy Kimmel Live!may want to soak up all they can. It might not be long before finding comedy in the same format becomes a much more difficult task.
