Posted on 08/23/2022 3:58:00 PM PDT by Libloather
In July, TBS announced that, after seven seasons, "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" would not be returning, and Desus Nice and The Kid Mero disclosed that their Showtime show, "Desus & Mero," was ending. That news came just months after James Corden revealed that he'd be leaving "The Late Late Show" and about a year after Conan O'Brien decided to say goodbye to late-night after almost 30 years.
If late-night television had a true golden age, we probably passed it sometime in the past decade. After a period of what looked like unchecked expansion, with new late-night shows popping up like wildflowers (or sometimes weeds), the reaper seems to have arrived. Late night's future is now looking much more limited, if not completely grim.
The genre's winnowing arguably began with Jon Stewart's decision in 2015 to walk away from "The Daily Show," which he hosted for more than 16 years. Unlike David Letterman and Jay Leno, who both stayed on well into their 60s, Stewart was only 52 when he stepped away. And O'Brien was only 58.
While Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are still around as network hosts, their ratings have certainly taken a hit, especially among audiences between the ages of 18 and 54. And among the newer hosts who are still surviving, it seems unlikely many will have runs anywhere near as long as the recent legends.
Losing hosts of color, like Nice and The Kid Mero, and Bee, the most prominent woman host since Joan Rivers in the 1980s, is also not a sign of a prospering genre. At least Amber Ruffin, who broke out on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and is now starring in her own show on Peacock, has made a strong start.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
That may have been because Carson... and again, Letterman to a degree... came from more humble backgrounds so far as showbiz goes. That reflected well in the kind of shows that they hosted.
Today's late night is all about celebrities, not "average people who are intriguing". Its hosts ARE celebrities and they make damned sure you don't forget. They represent the worst of stardom and they don't care how repulsive they really are.
I haven't watched a late night show in well over a decade. From what I've heard, I'm not missing anything.
George Burns was always good in standup. Quick wit.
The “Golden Age” of just about everything ended about the turn of this century. Everything else since then has been mere imitation and cruel caricature with an occasional bright spot.
Sometimes if I am awake late and can’t sleep, I watch old Carson clips on YT. Brings back memories of being a kid and listening to my parents watching him and hearing their laughter. Watched some with Rickles the other night!
My parents are still night owls but watch reruns of Pickers or TV preachers. They can’t stand the late night comics.
Late night TV just isn’t funny anymore.
The original Saturday Night Live, when it first came out, was brilliant. Today, just trash.
It was over when Jay Leno retired.
Maybe Carson’s best guest of all was Robin Williams.
Sometimes they are on TCM. I remember watching one from about 1980 with Angie Dickinson and she showed up simply wearing jeans and a casual sweater and she still looked so lovely and gorgeous.
Conan O’Brien could be hilarious
That was back when Ackroyd, Belushi, Curtin, Murray, and the others made fun of everyone and everything. Not some puerile and inane hate show against conservatives and Republicans as it is today.
My thoughts as well. SNL became unwatchable about the same time and now it’s as rancid as the late night shows
Yup..
Fortunately there are reruns of Carson available online.
Jay Leno was pretty good when his regular writers went on strike otherwise he was just OK.
I haven’t bothered watching much tv at all in the past 15 years other than things my children are interested in.
Johnny Carson - Commercials (Pies in the Face)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BPN2mbBSMM
Knight Rider was better in it’s first one or two seasons. And the same with the Dukes in it’s first two or three seasons, especially the episodes filmed on location in Georgia during the first season. Also liked Magnum PI, Bret Maverick (the 1981-82 revival), Simon and Simon, and Remington Steele.
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