Favorite Late Night TV Personality

Hackett

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Obviously, there's been a large turnover of hosts in late night programming. I know its still relatively early in terms of tenure for alot of the hosts, so this answer may change as a couple years roll by, but who is your favourite late night guy as of now?

All time, I prefer Conan, but I don't think I have a favorite right now.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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The whole late night thing feels dead and pointless now. Fallon, Corden, and Myers sucked what little life it had left right out of it, IMO (I keep hearing that Fallon has gotten better, but every time I see it, it seems as awful as it was when he started to me). Is even Ferguson gone now?

It's kind of like the whole thing has been completely replaced and made obsolete by Podcasts or something.

For fake news and the sort, I think people like John Oliver, Charlie Brooker, Samantha Bee, and Bill Maher are great.
 
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Hackett

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The whole late night thing feels dead and pointless now. Fallon, Corden, and Myers sucked what little life it had left right out of it, IMO (I keep hearing that Fallon has gotten better, but every time I see it, it seems as awful as it was when he started to me). Is even Ferguson gone now?

It's kind of like the whole thing has been completely replaced and made obsolete by Podcasts or something.

For fake news and the sort, I think people like John Oliver, Charlie Brooker, Samantha Bee, and Bill Maher are great.

Yeah, Ferguson has been gone for about a year now, I believe. Corden was his successor.
 

USC Trojans

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May 17, 2002
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Kimmel for me. Guillermo is hilarious, and he has the better segments.
- unnecessary censorship
- mean tweets

Fallon has gotten better, but most of his bits are just stupid drinking games and who can do the best impressions.

Conan isn't as good as before, so it's between him and Kimmel
 

XX

Waiting for Ishbia
Dec 10, 2002
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None of them

Except when Conan does themed shows and specials in other countries.
 
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BonMorrison

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Jun 17, 2011
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I ****ing love Kimmel. His deadpan, snarky joke delivery always gets me.

I hate Fallon's interviews but I think his skits are fun. Colbert is only okay for me but he's getting better. Love Conan too. Meh on Corden but again, I like some of his skits.
 
Sep 19, 2008
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Conan used to be good but got neutered big time.

It's clearly colbert.

Noah and Wilmore are essentially nonexistent.
 

Dipsy Doodle

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May 28, 2006
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Conan used to be good but got neutered big time.

It's clearly colbert.


Noah and Wilmore are essentially nonexistent.

Yep. Conan in his prime was one of my favourite shows, but after the NBC debacle I think he just wants to maintain a paying gig. Either that or he just got worn down.

Colbert is by far the funniest late night host out there right now. Incredibly sharp guy, and he's gotten much more comfortable outside of his right wing persona since his new show started.
 
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Double-Shift Lasse

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Dec 22, 2004
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The whole late night thing feels dead and pointless now. Fallon, Corden, and Myers sucked what little life it had left right out of it, IMO (I keep hearing that Fallon has gotten better, but every time I see it, it seems as awful as it was when he started to me). Is even Ferguson gone now?

It's kind of like the whole thing has been completely replaced and made obsolete by Podcasts or something.

For fake news and the sort, I think people like John Oliver, Charlie Brooker, Samantha Bee, and Bill Maher are great.

This gets at the heart of the late night question, which is that it isn't the same as it was even as recently as Leno v. Letterman (v. Conan?).

You've got entertainers doing bits, you've got the post-John Stewart news comic/commentary, you've got Kimmel and a couple who are still kinda traditional -- and all of it is measured as much on youtube and social media as it is on actual TV ratings, so the shows are built in such a way as to maximize "sharing".

I'm not bemoaning the passing of an era (although Letterman did begin his late night show while I was in high school, and in college we thought he was the damned edgiest). Nor am I saying that the current hosts are bad. I'm just saying that the question of your favorite late night host is messier than it used to be.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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This gets at the heart of the late night question, which is that it isn't the same as it was even as recently as Leno v. Letterman (v. Conan?).

You've got entertainers doing bits, you've got the post-John Stewart news comic/commentary, you've got Kimmel and a couple who are still kinda traditional -- and all of it is measured as much on youtube and social media as it is on actual TV ratings, so the shows are built in such a way as to maximize "sharing".

I'm not bemoaning the passing of an era (although Letterman did begin his late night show while I was in high school, and in college we thought he was the damned edgiest). Nor am I saying that the current hosts are bad. I'm just saying that the question of your favorite late night host is messier than it used to be.
Letterman is the best to ever do it, IMO.
 

Stories

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Sep 10, 2006
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Oliver and Bee for me are the best--probably because they have a whole week to hone their 30 minute shows.

For one of the daily guys, I really like Colbert's comedy, but I hate that he doesn't get to flex his comedic chops nearly as much as he did on Comedy Central. Although I love that he's embraced the fact he's just a weird dude.

Conan's specials are hilarious. I don't really care for his normal segments, though.
 

Skrudland

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Apr 15, 2004
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Voted Seth Meyers, honourable mention to Larry Wilmore. My favourite is John Oliver but I understand that his show doesn't really fit the definition.
 

Hackett

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Why is John Oliver not on this list? He's my runaway choice.

Out of that list, Colbert I guess.

I kept the list limited to daily programs (4-5 shows a week) on non premium television (which discludes HBO and the sort). Having said that, I may have still missed someone.
 

Hackett

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Conan used to be good but got neutered big time.

It's clearly colbert.

Noah and Wilmore are essentially nonexistent.

I don't know if it's him being neutered. Theres seems to be less of a language filter on his current show than he had at NBC, and he seems to take advantage of it.

But something is just not the same. I still like him but he's not as entertaining. I miss his awkward segments with max, I miss his mock interviews with the moving mouths. Either the show around Conan has degraded significantly or I'm just being nostalgic.
 

zombie kopitar

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I mean I watch Fallon and Corden's popular youtube bits.

But they don't come close to Ferguson or Conan in their prime.
Those 2 you can tell the guests really enjoyed the interview process, now it's all about clever bits because it's now the youtube generation

(And obviously Carson is GOAT)
 

HanSolo

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Apr 7, 2008
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John Oliver is hit or miss for me. Sometimes he's quite funny but other times his rants are preachy and obnoxious. And if I ever forget what year it is I can always watch his show. Seriously the "come on people! It's 2016 and..." is so played out.

Can't watch an entire Conan or Kimmel show. I just don't care enough. But I'll catch highlights in YouTube. Fallon's stuff is all the same now. It was a fun approach for a while but now I don't even want to check the YT highlights.

Don't watch Colbert or Myers at all.
 

Huggy43

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Jan 13, 2016
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Burnaby, BC
Conan was neutered by the fact most of his best bits are NBC intellectual property & he can't use them.

Biased towards Colbert from his CC days. Not the same character but the man is very sharp & very witty
 

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