Top 16 Late-Night Talk Shows of All Time

Network institutions, cable upstarts, and premium-channel satirists all vie for the crown, from monologue-and-couch classics to deep-dive comedy that reshaped the format. Cast your vote!

1. 1
   The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

   Carson's 30-year reign that defined American late-night television and set the template every host followed.
   1000pts
2. 2
   The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

   Fallon's viral-clip-friendly NBC show built around games, sketches, and musical bits.
   1000pts
3. 3
   The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

   Colbert's sharply political CBS successor to Letterman, a ratings leader in the current era.
   1000pts
4. 4
   Conan

   O'Brien's TBS show that gave him a scrappy, digital-savvy second act after The Tonight Show.
   879pts
5. 5
   Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

   HBO's weekly deep-dive comedy show that turned long-form investigative satire into an award magnet.
   789pts
6. 6
   Late Night with Seth Meyers

   Meyers's NBC show anchored by the incisive 'A Closer Look' political segments.
   789pts
7. 7
   Real Time with Bill Maher

   Maher's HBO panel show blending monologue, interviews, and a roundtable debate.
   789pts
8. 8
   Jimmy Kimmel Live!

   ABC's long-running late-night staple known for viral pranks, celebrity bits, and topical monologues.
   684pts
9. 9
   The Late Late Show with James Corden

   Corden's CBS show that spawned the viral Carpool Karaoke phenomenon.
   684pts
10. 10
    The Colbert Report

    Colbert's satirical Comedy Central spin-off skewering punditry in a blowhard persona.
    560pts
11. 11
    Late Show with David Letterman

    Letterman's irreverent, deadpan CBS show that reinvented the genre with Top Ten Lists and Stupid Pet Tricks.
    560pts
12. 12
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien

    Conan's absurdist, character-driven NBC show that became a cult favorite for a generation.
    410pts
13. 13
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    Ferguson's loose, improvisational CBS show famous for its robot skeleton sidekick Geoff.
    410pts
14. 14
    The Dick Cavett Show

    The intellectually curious late-'60s and '70s show famed for its long, substantive interviews.
    410pts
15. 15
    The Daily Show

    The satirical Comedy Central news show that made fake news must-watch, defining under Jon Stewart.
    228pts
16. 16
    The Arsenio Hall Show

    The trailblazing early-'90s syndicated show that brought a younger, more diverse energy to late night.
    228pts