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The Late Night Wars
are fierce -- and have been since the days of Carson, the then-undisputed King of Late
Night. Now, nobody talks of the current reigning King of Late Night, for late night
is a much more competitive game. Instead, the term is "Late Night
Leader." In those terms, Leno is currently the leader, and has dominated the
late night landscape for several years running.
There are a slew of late night
talk shows on the air. The biggest ones are The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late
Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Politically
Incorrect with Bill Maher -- all of which are featured in this web site. Other
shows currently on the air include Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn and The
Martin Short Show. These are all humor-based, celebrity-interview programs
designed to promote upcoming movies, TV shows, or other creative works, and put viewers in
a good mood before they go to bed.
During the summer doldrums, when the Nets
traditionally air reruns and reality shows, late night instead remains as busy as ever,
with movie stars show-hopping to promote their latest projects. Currently, the three
most popular talk shows for promotional plugs are The Tonight Show, Late
Night with David Letterman, and Late Show with Conan O'Brien. Through
the years, dozens of programs have come and gone; some more successful than others.
You might remember: The Arsenio Hall Show, The Jon Stewart Show, The Magic Hour,
Vibe, The Chevy Chase Show, The Magic Hour, The Stephanie Miller Show, Lauren Hutton
and..., The Pat Sajek Show, Into the Night, and the list goes on.
This section of the site provides some
basic information about the 4 biggest shows in late night.
Days: Monday - Friday
Time: 11.35 pm - 12.37 am
Network: NBC
Location: NBC Studios in Burbank, CA
Host: Jay Leno
Date Started as Host: May 25, 1992
Band: Kevin Eubanks and The Tonight Show Band
URL: http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/
For Tickets: Click here for a
description of how to get tickets, directions, etc.
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope with a brief letter listing the desired date of
taping and three alternate dates to:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Tickets
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523
Days: Monday - Friday
Time: 12.37 am - 1.37 am
Network: NBC
Location: NBC Studios in New York, NY
Host: Conan O'Brien
Date Started as Host: September 13, 1993
Band: Max Weinberg 7
URL: http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/
For Tickets:
NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
Days: Monday - Friday
Time: 11.35 pm - 12.37 am
Network: CBS
Location: Ed Sullivan Theater, New York, NY
Host: David Letterman
Date Started as Host: 1993
Band: Paul Shaffer and The CBS Orchestra
URL: http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/
For Tickets:
To request 2 tickets to Late Show with David Letterman, send a postcard with your name,
address and daytime & evening phone numbers to:
Late Show Tickets
The Ed Sullivan Theater
1697 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Days: Monday - Friday
Time: 12.05 am - 12.35 am
Network: ABC
Location: CBS Television City in Los Angeles, CA
Host: Bill Maher
Date Started as Host: January 6, 1997 (ABC Premiere)
Band: N/A
URL: http://abc.go.com/primetime/politicallyincorrect/pi_home.html
HOST BIOGRAPHY:
Jay Leno, the fourth host (behind Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson) of the
Emmy-winning and top-rated "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," is oft described as
one of the nicest and hardest working people in show business.
Born in New Rochelle, NY,
and raised in Andover, MA, Leno loved making people laugh. One of his teachers
suggested that if he spent as much time studying as he did cracking jokes, he might make
something of himself. Unthwarted, Leno continued to pursue comedy and became one of the
country's premiere comedians, appearing in thousands of shows and hundreds of clubs across
the U.S. and around the world over the last 20+ years. In 1995, he traveled to Aviano,
Italy to perform for the peace-keeping troops in Bosnia. To this day Leno remains
passionate about performing to live audiences and appears regularly in Las Vegas, the
Hermosa Beach Comedy and Magic Club, and in other venues.
Order Leno's
autobiography:
Leno first appeared on "The Tonight
Show starring Johnny Carson" on March 2, 1977. Scheduled to appear that night were
Burt Reynolds and Diana Ross. With his cadre of comedian friends (among them Robin
Williams) wishing him well, Leno had a great first appearance. Starting in September 1987,
Leno became Carson's permanent guest host, establishing himself as a comfortable yet
refreshing alternative.
In May 25, 1992, Leno took over as host of "The Tonight Show," eventually moving
it from Studio 1 to Studio 3 and creating an Emmy and ratings winning late night talkshow.
The official "The Tonight Show" web site describes Leno's "'everyman' style
and personality" as helping him win over millions of fans around the world with his
"personable style and hard-working attitude."
In May 1994, Leno took "The Tonight Show," to New York, taping it on the set of
"Saturday Night Live." The New York show's night club feel appealed to
Leno and led to a boost in his ratings. Following this trip, Leno returned to
Burbank, moved from Carson's expansive Studio 1 to a smaller Studio 3, and built a set in
September 1994 that better allowed for more audience interaction.
Leno fronts NBC's late night franchise,
taping roughly 235 shows a year -- a number far greater than either Letterman, O'Brien, or
Maher. Leno's "Tonight Show" was also the first network program broadcast in
HDTV.
SHOW BIOGRAPHY:
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" premiered September 13, 1993, replacing
"Late Night with David Letterman." All eyes focused on Conan O'Brien, the
then-unknown personality tasked to continue the late night franchise that NBC had built
with Johnny Carson and David Letterman.
Its debut drew relatively strong numbers,
partially because of a curiosity factor. Many who watched it though, felt they were
watching a car wreck in the making. Awkward moments, poor timing, and forced interaction
led to initial bad reviews. Many questioned NBC and Lorne Michaels, the "Saturday
Night Live" executive producer that championed O'Brien's rise to host.
7 years and over 1,000 shows later, O'Brien and his show have earned the
respect and admiration of some of the harshest critics. Entertainment Weekly referred to
"Late Night" as "the most cunning talk show around" and the New York
Daily News described it as "fresh and inventive." "Late Night"
dominates the ratings in its time period, handling beating out "The Late Late Show
with Craig Kilborn," and its predecessor, "The Late Late Show with Tom
Snyder."
Books from Conan's
show:
Today, "Late Night" is known for
its innovative comedy and hilarious sketches, which include "In the Year 2000,"
"If They Mated," "Desk Drive," "Staring Contest,"
"Triumph the Insult Comic Dog," "Pimpbot 5000," "Andy's Little
Sister," and "The Lips." O'Brien and his writers have been consistently
nominated for a Emmy's for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series, and in 1997, won
the Writers Guild Award for Best Writing.
"Late Night" is also known for its engaging mix of eclectic guests and its
acknowledged appreciation for alternative music acts. "Late Night" was
groundzero for network television's debuts of acts like Radiohead, Green Day, Sheryl Crow,
Jewel, and Barenaked Ladies.
HOST BIOGRAPHY:
Conan O'Brien is, of course, host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
NBC christened O'Brien as host on April 26, 1993, taping a new show every Tuesday through
Friday (a repeat is shown on Monday's) in NBC's Studio 6A in New York. He is on contract
with NBC until 2002. In addition, he has a production partnership to develop programming
for NBC.
Honing his comedic skills and talent as editor of the Harvard Lampoon, HBO's "Not
Necessarily the News," "Saturday Night Live," and "The
Simpson's," he also performed skitch comedy with several improvisational groups,
including The Groundlings. In 1989 his work on "SNL" was recognized with an Emmy
Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series.
The Washington Post's Tom Shales describes Conan as "the most intelligent of the
late-night comics" In 1996, People magazine wrote that O'Brien is "one of TV's
hottest properties." Entertainment Weekly also placed him on its list of the "50
Funniest People Alive."
HOST BIOGRAPHY:
Since the 1980's David Letterman has entertained millions of late night viewers,
and critics have consistently praised his inventive and innovative comedic talents. For
his continued contributions, TV Guide named him one of the "50 Greatest TV Stars of
All Time."
Born April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis,
Letterman's first appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" was
November 24, 1978. In total, Letterman had 22 guest appearances and also guest hosted
"The Tonight Show" numerous times.
In February 1982, less than 4 years after his first appearance on Carson's "Tonight
Show," NBC premiered "Late Night with David Letterman." During its 11 1/2
year run, the show picked up 35 Emmy nods and won 5 Emmy's. In 1992, Letterman received a
Peabody award for injecting "freshness and imagination" into "one of TV's
most conventional and least inventive forms."
NBC
had hoped to keep Letterman on its roster, but with Johhny Carson vacating his
"Tonight Show" seat, and Leno succeeding him, Letterman felt shafted, unwanted,
and unappreciated. He felt he deserved the 11:30 pm spot -- a spot he had waited 11 1/2
years to attain. CBS, having also struggled to find a show to begin its on late night
franchise, saw a chance to steal away a talented and proven late night star. Sure enough,
in 1993 "Late Show with David Letterman" premiered on CBS. That same year, it
garnered 7 nominations (the highest nominations ever given to any late night program in
its premiere year).
So many books from
Letterman's shows:
Today, "The Late Show with David
Letterman" is a solid number 2 against NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno."
SHOW BIOGRAPHY:
"Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher" is one of network television's
more provocative and intelligent shows. The program, which originated on cable TV's HBO,
premiered on ABC on January 6, 1997, and has Maher moderate a diverse four-person panel
from all walks of life. Through debates and discussions, guests discuss their thoughts and
opinions about current issues and events.
A few years back, TV Guide named "Politically Incorrect" the "Best Talk
Show on Television." The show has won four Cable Ace Awards (for Best Entertainment
Host and Best Talk Show) and has been nominated for nine Emmy's.
