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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, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — all of which are featured in this web site. Other shows currently on the air include The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel Live! 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 two most popular talk shows for promotional plugs are The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letterman. 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 Martin Short Show, The Stephanie Miller Show, Lauren Hutton and..., The Pat Sajek Show, Into the Night, and the list goes on.

This LateNite section of the site provides some basic information about the three biggest shows in late night.

Leno performing monologue

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Logo

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Logo

 

Has your favorite late night talk show host ever been on a TV Guide cover? Check their covers here.

Images courtesy of NBC Universal.
 
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