Why Late Night TV is Worth Watching

For years it seemed people had a roller coaster relationship with late night TV. Maybe a host said something controversial, a network feud soured viewers' thoughts on particular shows, or maybe they just stopped being funny. My memories of late night TV are vivid. Sure, I didn't get many of the jokes when I was a kid (Some of them were probably not very appropriate for younger viewers.), but I did see how a relaxed setting and easy conversation could make for some good entertainment--sometimes fairly wholesome, other times edgy, but always fun to watch. As I started middle and high school, however, I got bored with it. It was the same every night. A guy in a suit would stand on stage, say a few (sometimes tired) jokes, talk to someone famous, and a band would play. It wasn't until college that I really fell in love with the magic of late night television again.

The undisputed king of late night is Johnny Carson. Liked by everyone and loved by his viewers, Carson was the whole package. For years it seemed that no one would be able to match or even replicate Carson's humor...until SNL alumnus Jimmy Fallon came along to shake up Late Night. As a college student I would watch clips from or episodes of the show on my laptop (usually after my morning classes) while eating my usual panini for lunch or after a bland cafeteria dinner. I felt like I was part of some exclusive club that no one but young people knew about. With the talented band The Roots on stage with him and every night and a group of writers with a wacky sense of humor banging out jokes geared toward a young audience, late night TV seemed new and relevant. When he took Jay Leno's place on The Tonight Show everyone took notice of Fallon and late night TV was reborn. 

Despite having a good run on network television, Conan O'Brien seems to have found even more success with satellite. Clips from the prerecorded parts of his show, like his Uber ride with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube and his conversations with his odd associate producer Jordan Schlansky, have gone viral and prove O'Brien is better than ever. Despite being on the air for over ten years, Jimmy Kimmel's tongue is sharp enough to keep his audience on their toes. Other current hosts include Seth Meyers from Late Night and British actor-turned-host James Corden from The Late Late Show. I'm especially excited to see what he does next. Just watch "Crosswalk the Musical: Grease" on his channel on Youtube. It's exactly what it sounds like: people perform musical numbers from Grease while cars are stopped at a crosswalk in LA. Yes, it is genius and also really funny.

Perhaps the best part about late night TV is that there doesn't seem to be too many rules when it comes to format. Chelsea Handler's show was mainly a bunch of comedians talking about current issues. Andy's Cohen's Watch What Happens Live! is a celebration of pop culture, especially housewives and millionaire matchmakers. With the variety of late night shows on television, there's probably one out there for you. And you don't even have to watch it late at night.

Do you watch late night TV? What are your favorite shows? Let me know with your comments below. :)

-Greer