Since the dawn of television, the talk show has been a regular staple of pop culture. There have been too many household names that have graced that late night stage — Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Arsenio Hall and, of course, the godfather of late-night television, Joe Franklin. Whether you tune in or not, you know them all very well.
The subject of late-night television in general has fascinated me from a very young age. As a child, my bed time was very early, and I can vividly remember being entranced by the term "late-night." It thrilled me to imagine a whole world separate in itself operating while I was asleep. Late-night talk shows embody that wonder still to this day. It's a chance for us to regroup after a long and stressful day and reflect in a way. It's a chance for us to laugh, cry, be moved or be shocked.
Sure, all that hokey sentimental stuff is part of the wonder of late-night talk shows, but for the vast majority of the public, it's the guests. Every star under the sun has graced the late-night stage. Some have made history on the stage, some have made mistakes, but most of all, they have reminded the public that they're people just like us. Sometimes it's hard to imagine today's stars as actual people. It seems like a dumb phenomenon, but most people fall into the notion of seeing stars as larger than life. Late-night talk shows remind us that, yes, those in the spotlight are real, and they have REAL problems and REAL experiences.
Another staple of the late show is the musical acts. To play on late-night is a make it or break it step in a band's career. You could see a veteran act that you're familiar with, or you could see your new favorite band that you've never heard of. Even more than that, house band music has been holding hands with the late-night acts since it began. The World's Most Dangerous Band, The Max Weinberg 7, Cleto and the Cletones and The Tonight Show Band are just a few of the bands that slave every show playing on the spot, never a note missed.
If that isn't enough for the versatility of late show, it also is the birth of some of comedy's biggest names. Acts like Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Poehler, countless SNL alumni and many other names got their start on late-night. If you really think about it, late-night embodies all the wonderful things about pop culture: comedy, music and current events. Another small subsection of late-night television is the spook show. Horror hosts like Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs have brought cliché and niche horror to the masses with humor and grace. I may save that subject for another article, though.
Late-night television has and will always be one of the purest forms of entertainment. It's a place to go when the day is through, and it's an atmosphere of complete comfort. A lot of late show icons have been hanging their hats lately, leaving room for a new generation of hosts. And that's part of the charm it's a business of generations and generations of entertainment and the family tree will continue to evolve throughout the years.
