# What was the best TV talk show of the 1980s?

> Daytime confessionals sat next to late-night absurdity in that decade, and trash TV was born along the way.

*By YPB Team · Published September 25, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-was-the-best-tv-talk-show-of-the-1980s*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Late Night with David Letterman**
   NBC's 12:30 show launched in 1982 that brought ironic, absurd comedy to late night.
2. **The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson**
   Carson's 11:30 institution, at the height of its power in the 1980s.
3. **The Oprah Winfrey Show**
   Daytime show that went national in 1986 and changed talk TV.
4. **Larry King Live**
   CNN interview show that premiered in 1985.
5. **Geraldo**
   Geraldo Rivera's tabloid-style daytime talk show from 1987.
6. **The Morton Downey Jr. Show**
   Confrontational late-1980s talk show that pioneered trash TV.
7. **Live with Regis and Kathie Lee**
   Morning talk show that went national in 1988.
8. **The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers**
   Fox's 1986 late-night launch that rivaled Carson.
9. **The Merv Griffin Show**
   Long-running syndicated talk show that ended in 1986.
10. **Sally Jessy Raphael**
   Daytime talk show known for its host's red glasses.

Tags: usa, 80s, tv shows, talk shows