The Rise and Fall of Late Night EXPLAINED

The Dawn of Late Night (1948)

As Americans welcomed television into their homes after World War II, there was a demand for friendly entertainment. CBS first experimented with adapting radio discussion shows for the new format with the housewife-targeted “Vanity Fair” in 1948. They then brought Art Linkletter to the screen in ‘52, and ran “House Party” on daytime for 27 years. But every Sunday, many spent the night catching up on pop culture and music with “Toast of the Town.” After the title was changed to “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1955, it became one of the most sought-after platforms in entertainment. NBC competed with “Texaco Star Theater,” which earned host Milton Berle the moniker “Mister Television.” Networks quickly wised up to the market for visual vaudeville with a charismatic presenter. If such shows could successfully close out primetime Sunday night, why not every weeknight? Thus, the late-night timeslot was created to house comedy variety shows. The sun may have set on the vaudeville craze, but that’s right when this new genre was warming up.

Early Late Night (1949-53)

Late night talk shows started like many great entertainment institutions: with overlooked women. Starting in 1949, CBS and NBC filled 15 minutes of the new timeslot with “The Faye Emerson Show.” The witty showcase of entertainers and musicians lasted just one season, but established the hosting skills that would earn Faye Emerson the nickname “The First Lady of Television.” One can just as easily call her “The First Host of Late-Night.” Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Lester and Dagmar got more attention for NBC’s “Broadway Open House,” though the one-hour chaotic cavalcade also ran for one year. Still, it was successful enough for network president Sylvester “Pat” Weaver to continue these costly experiments in variety programming. Dagmar headed the short-lived spin-off “Dagmar’s Canteen.” And two years later, Weaver found his legacy with “Tonight.”

Monopolizing the Genre (1954-62)

Musician, comedian and writer Steve Allen was practically a one-man variety show. He was certainly the right man to turn NBC’s “Tonight” into an institution, even with a nightly runtime of 105 minutes. Over the course of three years, Allen bantered with the likes of Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Duke Ellington and Roy Rogers. Celebrities and political figures were eager to engage him in natural dialogue that humanized them with their fanbase. Of course, guest hosts like Ernie Kovacs showed that the brand was hot enough to survive with a new face. From ‘57 to ‘62, Jack Paar presented from the same studio as Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theater.” His personality was such an asset that when he decided to step down from “Tonight,” NBC gave him “The Jack Paar Program.” This late-late-night show aimed to globalize the host’s brand, presenting imported film clips like one of a band of four youngsters from the humble English town of Liverpool. NBC perhaps put more stock in “Tonight’s” hosts than the show itself, while rival networks offered no rival programming. That all changed with Johnny Carson.

The King(s) of Late Night (1962-1972)

Despite CBS canceling “The Johnny Carson Show” over low ratings, NBC took a big risk bringing him onto the newly rebranded “The Tonight Show.” The risk more than paid off. The show was retooled to precede celebrity interviews with Johnny Carson delivering a stand-up comedy monologue on current events, often followed by a skit. Beside him was his trusty announcer Ed McMahon to enhance the routine with banter and his distinctive laugh. The show was a hit, soon landing recurring guests like Sarah Vaughan, Eva Gabor and Woody Allen. It also launched the stand-up careers of George Carlin and Joan Rivers. Starting in 1964, other networks finally joined the trend. ABC had “Nightlife” with Les Crane, then “The Joey Bishop Show.” CBS revived NBC’s short-lived daytime show with Merv Griffin for a new timeslot to usher in the 1970s. ABC followed suit by reformatting “The Dick Cavett Show” for the end of the day. Cavett and Griffin would lead late-night in New York City quite successfully. Meanwhile, the undisputed “King of Late Night” moved the genre westward.

Refining the Format (1972-1979)

After ten years in the RCA Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” was one of the biggest programs on TV. It was thus relocated to NBC Studios in Burbank, California, to be closer to the Hollywood superstars. The move was also credited with triggering a mass migration of aspiring stand-up comics to Los Angeles. Everyone wanted to sit across from Carson, from the world’s biggest stars to the animals of celebrity zoologist Jim Fowler. Back in New York, CBS dropped “The Merv Griffin Show” to first-run syndication, and later briefly acquired Dick Cavett before he took his bow in 1975. NBC was so dominant in this genre that news anchor Tom Snyder could host the more seriously topical “The Tomorrow Show,” following Carson, from ‘73 to ‘81. The franchise was not only a singular force on late-night, but was cultivating TV’s stronghold in Hollywood. This would of course open the doors for the genre in subsequent decades, with few shows sticking the landing.

The Fall of the King (1980-1992)

By the 1980s, there was still no competing with NBC’s late-night bloc. “Tonight” continued establishing big names like Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld. Jay Leno was such a hit that he substituted Carson in more than 300 episodes. After Snyder left “Tomorrow,” “Late Night with David Letterman” kept audiences laughing on NBC. And there they stayed after the launch of “Later with Bob Costas” in 1988. Elsewhere, “The Merv Griffin Show” ended in ‘86, while the syndicated “Thicke of the Night” and CBS’s “The Pat Sajack Show” failed historically. But it was at this time that NBC began strategizing around the prospect of Carson retiring after his 25th season. They considered many potential successors for “Tonight,” but precariously excluded popular guest host Joan Rivers. She thus took the new network Fox up on their offer to become the first female late-night host since 1952. Although “The Late Show with Joan Rivers” didn't last long, fill-in host Arsenio Hall, the first Black presenter of the genre, had an iconic run on syndication from ‘89 to ‘94. By then, Carson had decided to leave “The Tonight Show” after three decades at the top. On May 22nd, 1992, some 50 million homes watched the King of Late Night’s final show. The question now was of who could possibly claim his throne.

Letterman, Leno & Conan (1992-93)

It was widely assumed that “Late Night” host David Letterman would move into the earlier timeslot as “Tonight’s” fourth main host. Instead, the honor went to frequent guest host Jay Leno. Even Letterman was frustrated by this, accusing Leno of making a backroom deal with NBC. It wouldn’t be until the 2021 docuseries “The Story of Late Night” that this was confirmed. Having had a bitter relationship with NBC executives anyway, Letterman switched sides. CBS launched “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 1993, finally giving the “Tonight” franchise a formidable foe. He was replaced on “Late Night” by acclaimed comedy writer Conan O’Brien, who bounced off the screen with energy and surrealist humor that quickly endeared audiences. It took them longer to acclimate to Leno, but the personable charisma was accepted as a worthy successor to Carson. But was he the new King of Late Night? It’s generally agreed that there were now three competing for audience favoritism, with their networks’ full support. Letterman personally co-created his follow-up program “The Late Late Show,” which brought Tom Snyder back to CBS in 1995. The reliable veteran was still no match for the vibrant O’Brien, or “Conan,” as he was popularly known. He, Leno and Letterman would own the night for 30 years, but not without further competition.

A New Industry (1993-2009)

Pop culture’s heightened edge and alternative content in the ‘90s invited a boom in talk shows. Network shows with Dennis Miller, Chevy Chase and even Magic Johnson were more like bombs. At least Miller found the right platform for his lewd intellectualism on HBO, although “Dennis Miller Live” was a weekly affair. Basic cable had more means than premium to sustain the nightly format. MTV’s “The Jon Stewart Show” was the first cable program of its kind in 1993, followed by Comedy Central’s politically-charged “The Daily Show” three years later. Jon Stewart himself began anchoring the nightly news parody in ‘99, becoming a leader in political satire. The first host, sports commentator Craig Kilborn, held his own on CBS as the host of “The Late Late Show” until 2004. So too did his outrageous successor, Craig Ferguson. The networks knew they had to adapt to the Internet age’s competition for viral recognition and youth appeal. The writing became punchier and more gag-driven. In 2002, NBC replaced the “Later” franchise with “Last Call” with the radio DJ Carson Daly. Late-night now had something for everyone, though not so much for ABC. Their nightly adaptation of Comedy Central’s “Politically Incorrect” was canceled after host Bill Maher criticized U.S. foreign policy in the wake of 9/11. Jimmy Kimmel of Comedy Central’s “The Man Show” would be his raunchy replacement, eventually establishing himself as the fourth superstar of network late-night. He turned out to just be the first in a new crop.

“The War for Late Night” & Its Aftermath (2009-14)

In 2009, Conan O’Brien ascended to the desk of “The Tonight Show,” while Jay Leno received a primetime talk show to save NBC’s scripted drama budget. This deal years in the making seemed perfect for all parties. But with “The Jay Leno Show’s” poor ratings and reviews, NBC decided to put it on late-night with a reduced runtime and push “Tonight” to midnight for the first time ever. In protest of this artistic and professional insult, O’Brien left the network and returned his show to Leno. His follow-up “Conan” would become a staple of the cable network TBS. But “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” remained on borrowed time, whereas the new host of “Late Night” was the talk of the town. Beloved for his wholesome energy and modest charm, “Saturday Night Live” vet Jimmy Fallon was handed the reins of “Tonight” in 2014. Two months later, David Letterman announced his retirement after hosting “The Late Show” for 22 years. “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” ended that December. It was a turbulent five years for late-night, exposing network cynicism and the fragmentation of audiences due to DVR and the Internet. The following years would be even more turbulent.

The Political Era (2015-)

Late-night talk shows have long been growing more politically engaged. Aggressive satire of current affairs was big on the cable format, and was a signature for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” by the 2010s. So when NBC gave “Late Night” to Seth Meyers, best-known for anchoring the “Weekend Update” segment on “SNL,” he had unprecedented freedom with his progressive political commentary. CBS echoed this by giving “The Late Show” to Stephen Colbert, who spoofed conservative media as a correspondent for “The Daily Show” and host of the spin-off “The Colbert Report.” Mostly political monologues would be half of their show. That would be the heart of Comedy Central’s left-leaning “The Jim Jefferies Show” and Fox News’ right-leaning “The Greg Gutfield Show.” For a time at least, there was still escapism in the fun-loving and politically neutral “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Actor-singer James Corden adapted the friendly group skit and discussion format of British chat shows during his stint on “The Late Late Show.” Well, neutrality fell out of fashion after celebrity businessman Donald Trump’s election to President of the United States in 2016. His heated antics and feuds with public figures were great fodder for political satire. Oftentimes, talk show hosts were very serious about their opinions. Shows that used to bring Americans together were now dividing them among supporters, critics, and those who just didn’t want to end the day with more politics. Ratings plummeted further under controversy and the Streaming Age’s devastating impact on American television’s network system.

Looking Dark (2020-24)

Late-night was struggling with programming and cultural relevance going into the 2020s. After 17 years of cult fandom, NBC replaced “Last Call with Carson Daly” with “A Little Late with Lilly Singh.” She lasted less than two years. The newcomers sure didn’t stand a chance with the state of the whole entertainment industry. From 2020 to ‘23, the COVID-19 pandemic forced talk shows to drastically reformat to accommodate health and social distancing guidelines. All the while, the American public grew more cynical about whom they trust as nightly guests in their home. This escalated as the “Late Late Show” franchise ended amid allegations of toxic behavior behind James Corden’s wholesome image. The replacement “After Midnight” quietly ended after two seasons, when Taylor Tomlinson decided that hosting her own talk show wasn’t the right career move. And if fans sought the wisdom of talk show legends like David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart, they could be found on podcasts and streaming. In fact, weekly talk shows like HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” were gaining more attention in pop culture. Lockdown may have ended by 2023, but this industry was still in crisis. In 2024, all network late-night shows shifted from a five-night weekly schedule to a four-week.

Good Night? (2025-)

Mainstream discourse over late-night’s declining ratings, backlash and unprofitable budgets peaked after Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025. It all began with his civil suit against CBS’s parent company Paramount Global over defamatory coverage on “60 Minutes.” Stephen Colbert referred to the $16 million settlement as a “big fat bribe” during a monologue. And on July 17th, 2025, he announced that he would be leaving “The Late Show,” with no replacement. This sparked widespread accusations that Trump directly violated freedom of speech. Did the head of the U.S. government demand the show's cancellation as part of the Paramount settlement? Did he threaten to axe their $8 billion merger with Skydance Media? Many also suspect Occam's razor. The No. 1 show on late-night was still losing CBS $40 million annually, publicly criticizing its employer, and putting them at legal risk with powerful private citizens. Keeping Colbert just doesn't make good business sense. But ending the franchise after 33 years announces the end of an era, at best. Could CBS be signaling the end of a format they and Faye Emerson began in 1949? It's far less likely that this means the end of valuable commentary, comedy and fun. Market oversaturation and declining demand have threatened talk shows ever since Johnny Carson mastered the art. They have always been and always will be a leader in television's evolution, no matter when audiences tune in.

If you’re in the area and would like to talk late-night, come by in the comments below.