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Are talkshows really that big?

JoeZhang

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As a Brit, I have been following with bemusement all of the recent fuss over Leno/O'Brien/Daly - Are Talk shows really still that big in the US?

The thing I find the most staggering is that you have talk-shows that start at 12.30am and even 1.15am! Who's the audience?
 
That big? No, not really. But they used to be, and they are influential.

As to who watches? People who are watching TV and DVR people. I DVR Craig Ferguson every night. He's awesome.
 
They're still big enough to be important to the landscape of television. A lot of people are up very late at night.
 
same here, I dont fully understand it either, for something that seems to air between 11pm & 1am, there is alot of fuss.

Then again UK TV has never been one for late night talk shows, sure have had The Jonathan Ross Show & V Graham Norton (5 nights a week) but its not a genre of TV we have any history in.
 
Well, Americans find it weird that Saturday is a big day for TV in the UK. Nobody watches TV on Saturday here unless it's a football game.
 
If it's any consolation, I couldn't make any sense of the Brit thread about X-Factor and Christmas songs or whatever either.

One thing about the late night shows is that The Tonight Show is (was?) an institution. Carson hosted it for 30 years, Leno for 17 so there's a lot of history there. It was a show people caught before turning in for the night.

Letterman has been doing it for 17 years as well at CBS, and 11 before that after Carson at NBC.
 
If it's any consolation, I couldn't make any sense of the Brit thread about X-Factor and Christmas songs or whatever either.

One thing about the late night shows is that The Tonight Show is (was?) an institution. Carson hosted it for 30 years, Leno for 17 so there's a lot of history there. It was a show people caught before turning in for the night.

Letterman has been doing it for 17 years as well at CBS, and 11 before that after Carson at NBC.

Late night shows are a constant in an ever changing medium.

And I don't usually get to sleep until between 3 and 5am, so I either watch them live or watch them some time during the night on the Tivo.
 
I am wondering if people would watch a female hosting a late night talkshow?...I know I can't stand daytime talk shows at all...ofcourse it is a different format...but they mostly are hosted by women.

[Edit] I think Kristen Wiig(SNL) is funny, beautiful & I watch her if she hosted a late night talk show.
 
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Was Joan Rivers successful during her Tonight Show fill-ins?

I guess there is Chelsea Handler, but she's on E!.
 
As a Brit, I have been following with bemusement all of the recent fuss over Leno/O'Brien/Daly

There is no fuss regarding Daly. Even Carson's Daly's mom doesn't even give a crap about him (I'm just guessing).
 
Are they big? Yes and no. It's the kind of show that you don't necessarily watch every night, sometimes you can go weeks or months without watching, but you always know it's there to provide great laughs when you do tune in. Also you will hear in the news or through gossip about some celebrity making a fool of themselves on the show or a controversial joke that was made. So they don't get huge ratings and not everyone watches all the time, but they fill the perfect time slot when people are just going to bed, so it gives you something light-hearted and comforting to fall asleep to. And that can have a big impact on people.

I remember the first time I saw Conan I was camping with my family. We were staying in a small trailer with a little 13 inch TV, and it felt so late to me (I was only about 10). My dad and I were the only ones up. I remember thinking how much I liked Conan as I fell asleep listening to his voice and the laughter of the audience. Good times!
 
Are they big? Yes and no. It's the kind of show that you don't necessarily watch every night, sometimes you can go weeks or months without watching, but you always know it's there to provide great laughs when you do tune in. Also you will hear in the news or through gossip about some celebrity making a fool of themselves on the show or a controversial joke that was made. So they don't get huge ratings and not everyone watches all the time, but they fill the perfect time slot when people are just going to bed, so it gives you something light-hearted and comforting to fall asleep to. And that can have a big impact on people.

I remember the first time I saw Conan I was camping with my family. We were staying in a small trailer with a little 13 inch TV, and it felt so late to me (I was only about 10). My dad and I were the only ones up. I remember thinking how much I liked Conan as I fell asleep listening to his voice and the laughter of the audience. Good times!

My first time watching Carson was like that. The only times us kids were allowed to stay up that late was when we went camping. We had some great laughs sitting up and watching the tonight show...
 
I never watch talk shows. I think news about the talk shows is bigger than the talk shows. Leno, Letterman, Conan et al are celebrities in their own rights who get fussed over. Plus occasionally their shows make news when another celebrity jumps on the couch. Okay that was Oprah, but you get the idea.

College students watch the post-midnight shows a lot. They don't have to wake up early. :D

The Leno news is big for TV industry reasons - it's a HUGE screwup. Think of it like the auto industy bailout. It's newsworthy when a big business falls on its face.
 
Talk shows are pretty big for the networks because such cheap programming gives a high rate of return.
 
I am also from the UK and after reading all bits and pieces i watched some you tube clips.
I thought the Coco guy was funny found J Leno to be a bit weak.
But i just hated the Letterman show that guy with the sun glasses just stood there and repeated everything Letterman said does he normally do that or did i just watch a video of a bad night?
 
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