The Most Beloved Late Night Talk Show Hosts in History

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He’s been called the father of late night television long enough and often enough that it’s almost become cliché. There are several generations alive today who never watched his program. Nonetheless, no host would exist today without Johnny Carson. He’s the beginning and end of late night, an across the aisle favorite; the people’s champion, if you will. Following his storied forbearers, Steve Allen and Jack Parr, he began hosting The Tonight Show in 1962, which became an institution by the 70’s and remained so until his retirement from the gig in 1992. Although he was loved by (nearly) everyone, it’s well known that Carson could hold a grudge. But that didn’t stop him from making a rare apology for a mean skit that displeased Mr. Rogers. 

In her storied career, Joan River’s stint in late night is now slightly underrated, or rather, overlooked. She was beloved on Carson and served as the permanent guest host from 1983 until 1986—when she became the first host of The Late Show on the then-new network called Fox. River’s firebrand style of comedy earned her total admiration from her fans and peers, but she had push back against rankling, uptight executives who constantly tried to destroy her professional life. Never one to back down or stay somewhere she wasn’t treated properly, River left for greener pastures after a short stint on the show, still remaining an adored television personality until her passing in 2014. 

The spiritual son of Johnny Carson, David Letterman proved that you didn’t need to particularly like your guests to be loved by your audience. Through thick and thin, Letterman has stayed a respected figure in comedy and late night by fans, comics, and insiders alike, even as his interest in things like rehearsal waned over the years. Call it the Allen Iverson effect. Of course, Letterman’s desire to do the bare minimum when it came to preparation only made his legend that much greater. 

The ratings for The Late Show began to falter soon after its inception and had several unremarkable hosts after Rivers left the program. Towards the end of the show’s run, they had a young replacement come in: Arsenio Hall. Hall did so well that they ordered 13 more episodes, even though the time slot had been filled by a different program already in pre-production. This unexpectedly positive send-off for what had amounted to a failed experiment (with two very bright bookends in Rivers and Hall) paved the way for the momentous Arsenio Hall Show, which returned in 1989. The show went on to have many successful seasons and enduring iconic moments, like when former President Bill Clinton appeared on the broadcast and played the saxophone in sunglasses while campaigning in 1992.

The first truly meta late night program of its time, The Larry Sanders Show ran from 1992-1996 on HBO. It was a creation of the late Garry Shandling, an already beloved comedian who had previously served as the guest host on The Tonight Show. The program was not only influential for sitcoms to come (30 Rock owes a great debt to The Larry Sanders Show), but it also served as a sort of spinal tap for the late night genre as a whole. The show’s critical acclaim led to the channel’s golden years, demonstrating the rich cultural importance of late night talk shows in Western culture over the last half century. It was truly remarkable that a show about making a show could delve so deeply into the critical and creative consciousness using the late night structure as a storytelling tool, and simultaneously act as a delivery system for topical humor.

Jon Stewart is the only late night host on this list whose program was on cable television. By the time Stewart left The Daily Show (in 2015), his name was synonymous with the show itself, despite the fact he wasn’t its original host. Finding his voice over the course of a decade and several election cycles, Stewart became a much more important voice in the American landscape than anyone could have predicted. His mannerisms were so ingrained into his loyal audience that eventually a knowing look could substitute for a verbal joke, and the crowd would roar in hysterics as if he had delivered his classic (and hilarious) whip-smart commentary or deployed one of the show’s trademark graphic puns. 

The youngest host on this list—and the only one still working in prime time—Jimmy Fallon is a relative newcomer and by no means a legend in his young but storied career. After becoming a marquee player on Saturday Night Live, Fallon left the sketch comedy show in 2004 and returned to NBC 10 years later to become the host of The Tonight Show. Unlike the biting Letterman, Fallon exudes joy and enthusiasm without any sense of irony, and is backed by the iconic hip-hop group The Roots who also often serve as the band for musical guests. Aside from treating his guests with reverence and having the coolest house band on television, Fallon’s bits are noticeably more loving and silly and often feature games. He generally doesn’t trick people into being the butts of his jokes, but when he does it’s more of a goof, and all parties leave smiling.