Late Night Wars (11:30)

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:10 pm

Predict who the winner will be by 2016.

Fraxon! · **Joined:** 22 Aug 2004 **Posts:** 40603

Colbert

Kid Nemo · 05 Apr 2011

As of now,I'd say Fallon by a hair.
But if Fallon falters and Colbert conjures up a better show...might be a reversal of the Leno/Letterman saga.

RobertSwanderson · 01 Jan 2007

i really think that Colbert will keep the older Letterman audience and bring his younger demo over from Comedy Central. I asked a younger guy today how long Fallon had before his song and dance became a nostalgia act. He said he was already a nostalgia act.

I think Colbert's interview skills and quick wit will give him the edge.

Steve · 21 Oct 2004

The only thing I'm worried about with Colbert -- once he drops his antagonist schtick, is the "real him" kind of boring?

Joe Mayer · 21 Jun 2006

I agree with Steve in regard to Colbert. I have no idea how he will be without the schtick. Fallon makes great use of social media and seems to resonate with a multi-generational audience. Kimmel being the only host in LA is going to give him access to guests that neither Fallon nor Colbert will have while they will be fighting over them. Currently Fallon is stomping his competition though.

Quote:

In his Seventh Week, Jimmy Fallon Continues to Generate Elevated Ratings
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/0 ... gs/252955/

In its seventh week, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” continued to generate elevated ratings, up versus “Tonight’s” results for the same week last year by 46% in adult 18-49 rating, while time-period rivals on ABC and CBS were down versus the same week last year.

For the week, Fallon topped CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” in adult 18-49 rating by an 87% margin (with a 1.18 rating vs. a 0.63) and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” by 79% (1.18 vs. 0.66). In total viewers, Fallon outdelivered Letterman by 22% (3.829 million vs. 3.148 million) and Kimmel by 46% (3.829 million vs. 2.627 million).

Bolgani Gogo · 11 Aug 2004

I'm going to miss The Colbert Report. I've really no interest in late night talk shows, so I doubt I'll follow Cobert past his debut episode.

Jilerb · 26 Jan 2009

Wow. THIS. Exactly. +1

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

Leterman's final show date announced: May 20, 2015.

Rick Lundeen · 04 Oct 2004

Colbert is an incredibly talented guy that can reinvent himself and has shown he can in the past. He sings, dances, acts, can do drama or comedy and has played very different characters in Strangers with Candy as well as the Colbert Report.

If there's a problem, it won't be him. more likely, the powers that be will undoubtedly try and convince him to just mimic the same thing all these other guys are doing, which is still mimicking Carson. If it's yet another clone of all the rest, yeah, that won't be good. I'd love to see him reinvent the late night format.

Jilerb · 26 Jan 2009

Jimbo wrote:

Leterman's final show date announced: May 20, 2015.

Umm, what? Isn't Colbert going to take Letterman's place as soon as the Colbert Report ends? I thought they would happen simultaneously. So, there's a down time for Colbert and Letterman goes on for a few more months?

Holy erroneous assumption, Jilerb :paranoid:

RobertSwanderson · 01 Jan 2007

Rick Lundeen wrote:

the powers that be will undoubtedly try and convince him to just mimic the same thing all these other guys are doing, which is still mimicking Carson.

I wish this was the case but Fallon and Kimmel are pretty far from Carson. Fallon is all about being a performer and Kimmel is more of a Letterman clone than a Carson clone.

Rick Lundeen · 04 Oct 2004

I'm talking about coming out in the suit and tie, doing the monologue, band playing, sits at the desk, does a bit, has a guest, another bit, another guest. They've all done their little tweaks on the formulas but it's the same as Carson and really, I guess Allen and Parr were doing it before Carson but Johnny set a new standard. Letterman used to stretch the limits back during his Late Nite days as he leaned more toward Allens' schtick and Ferguson has tried to alter things a bit but it's all repetitive to me now. I'd just like to see something very different.

Steve Kipling · 18 Jan 2006

I think i started losing interest in these kind of shows when i started watching Larry Sanders. After that, it was like you could see how fabricated everything is.

Rick Lundeen · 04 Oct 2004

That's a very good point. They did a good job of pointing out the BS behind the scenes that the creatives have to deal with, as well as how insane the creatives were! I don't think I've looked at them the same since.

Brandon · 05 Mar 2007

I haven't enjoyed late night television since Letterman was on NBC and then later Conan's first few years. Before that Carson was great of course....but I am underwhelmed by most of the current stuff.

Bobson Dugnutt · 31 Jan 2005

Colbert's transition will suffer the same fate as Conan O'Brien. Everyone online loves him. LOVES him. But they won't make the effort to actually watch him, which is what commercial television requires.

Jimmy Fallon has actually managed to retain those old Leno viewers, while adding his own (admittedly, small) audience. He's winning now. He will continue to win next year.

Jimmy Kimmel is a nonstarter.

dustydan · 10 May 2009

The 11:30 part threw me off at first. For nearly 40 percent of the country, our late night wars start at 10:30.

Late Night Wars (11:30)

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