Jimmy Kimmel is the best late night host and has the best show.
And he has the best sidekick. I just love Guillermo Rodriguez.
I started recording Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers a few months ago and I’ve been going back to watch them. Jimmy Kimmel is the only monologue I ever laugh at.
And he has guests I like and music I like too.
I didn’t try Stephen Colbert because I already know he’s not my jam.
Sorry Stephen, nothing personal.
I agree that Kimmel is the best currently. Letterman and Carson if we’re including “used-to”.
Barth Gimble & Jerry Hubbard Fernwood 2 Night.
David Letterman, followed by Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett. Never got to see Steve Allen on the Tonight Show but did watch his afternoon talk show for a while and he’s up there. Who are these other guys from the OP? Never heard of any of them.
Craig Ferguson.
What-No love for Chevy Chase?
I never got into Johnny Carson. Most of his humor was a bit clunky to me. I loved Dick Cavett, but he couldn’t interview a woman to save his life.
I watch Colbert. I watch snippets from Kimmel and Meyers if someone directs them to me. Cannot stand Jimmy Fallon.
Craig would be the first to insist that he’s not running a real show and that it was just practice for the ‘good ones’. His iteration of the Late Late Show was really more of an exercise in performative flirtation—not that there is anything wrong with that.
My ranking in the post-Carson era would be early Letterman (i.e. Late Night with David Letterman) before he made it clear that he was really just bored with the majority of his guests closely followed by Conan O’Brien in any venue. I guess if you were to shake the rest and see who rises to the top Kimmel would be somewhere in the froth along with Arsenio Hall. Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno are down at the bottom unsuccessfully trying to outfunny each other by laughing at their own jokes.
He was…better than Paula Poundstone?
Stranger
Paula Poundstone got all four Monkees to reunite on her stage.
All the more reason she’s in the lower third. Poundstone was (is) a pretty good comic but a terrible host.
Stranger
Which is why I liked it best. There was no pretense that any of it was anything other than a goof.
Craig’s monologue was usually really good. That’s worth a lot to me.
Of the current set, I’d give it to Seth Meyers. His Closer Look section is sharp, witty, and very insightful. He does quality interviews, plus he has Amber Ruffin on his team. He’d be fun to go day-drinking with.
Colbert is next on my list. I’m not a fan of shows with sidekicks like the Jimmys have; they drag the shows to a screeching halt. Fallon is especially terrible so much so that I use the line from Monty Python: “Get on with it!” Plus his stupid celebrity games are so, um, stupid.
Well played!
I’d say Craig Ferguson (he did live out the absurdity of “talk shows”, but his monologues and conversations with guests were surprisingly insightful).
Currently, Colbert (hey, that’s where I get my “news that didn’t make the network news”).
Followed by Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmeland James Corden.
I do enjoy Fallon… if the other two at 11:30 are reruns.
This is my pick, too!
And don’t forget Happy Kyne and the Mirthmakers!
Conan O’Brien is my all-time favorite late night host.
I’m sure it’s a very nice suburb of DC.
I can’t pick just one, and it depends on my mood which I prefer on any given day. My list, by category:
Best Family-Oriented, Self-deprecating Humor Host: Johnny Carson (Carson’s Tonight Show also had the best house-band).
Best Hip, Self-deprecating Humor Host: Conan O’Brien.
Best Wacky American-Humor Host: (a tie) Steve Allen and David Letterman.
Best Wacky British-Humor Host: Graham Norton.
Best Intellectual Wit and In-depth Interview-style Host: Dick Cavett.
Best Shameless Celebrity Plug Hosts: most of the others.
This is kind of off topic but do any other late shows other than Colbert have guests who are politicians, political commenters/news people, federal staffers, and writers? That is what I like most about his show. I don’t watch any others so I don’t know.
I loved the Colbert Report and followed him to The Late Show. I was ready to be disappointed but ended up being blown away.
I used to be obsessed with Conan but when Andy left I got bored with his show. Could never get back into it.
I don’t know why I never got into Craig. My brother was obsessed. Seems like I shoulda been into Craig but I’m not.
He’s a funny guy and hardly fades into the background, but memorable moments from his show are always the guests talking and interacting with one another. He’s very talented at making his guests feel comfortable and drawing them out.