# Guests don't stay around anymore on late night tv

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 10, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930 "2014-10-10T05:20:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/41 "2014-10-12T01:12:09Z")

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Here is a nice clip from a recent Graham Norton where Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and Hugh Bonneville(I think) are having a great time.

If you watch the whole episode, you can see Bill give Matt Damon a subtle “thumbs up” to indicate what fun it has been being on this show.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/42 "2014-10-12T01:16:41Z")

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> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> Every talk show host has a few regulars that show up when they need to fill in a spot. Letterman had Tony Randall and currently has Regis Philbin. And Craig Ferguson has Kristen Bell and a few others I’m forgetting. He even takes her with him on his overseas shows.

And that’s exactly the reason I felt Kristen Bell was not very busy for a while, and why I felt so good when she started getting a ton of work again.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/43 "2014-10-12T15:28:49Z")

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> [@randwill](#):
>
> Letterman’s show was the first one I’m aware of that dismissed the guest after their segment ended. Rarely the first guest sticks around. Recently Denzel Washington stayed for Lenny Kravitz spot, but that was mostly because they are good friends.

Guests would sometimes notice this and ask Dave why they botherd having two chairs? Dave’s running gag answer was always: “Two words: Siskel & Ebert” (until Siskel passed away at least…)

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/44 "2014-10-12T16:34:27Z")

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> [@randwill](#):
>
> If Tony Randall turned up on Letterman without anything specific to promote it was usually because another guest had cancelled. Randall lived in Manhattan and he was always game to come over to the Ed Sullivan Theater if he was needed. Plus he could be counted on to be witty and engaging for 7 minutes.

And when they offered to send him a car, he would tell them he didn’t need one. He took the subway.

> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> Here is a nice clip from a recent Graham Norton where Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and Hugh Bonneville(I think) are having a great time.
> 
> If you watch the whole episode, you can see Bill give Matt Damon a subtle “thumbs up” to indicate what fun it has been being on this show.

[Uh, here is the clip.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqWsAyoHiAo)

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