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Shows Like Late Night with David Letterman

For those captivated by Late Night with David Letterman, should consider this hand-picked list which questions the purpose and weight of our choices all while offering targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this a deeper look into what makes these stories stick.

Mood Breakdown
Runtime Cluster

Standard feature-length experiences.

Viewer Fit

Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.

Top Picks

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
7.2

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1993

Stepping into the late-late slot vacated by David Letterman, Conan O'Brien stars in a show that far outdoes its competition in sheer strangeness. Along with the celebrity interviews and musical numbers typical of late-night talk shows, this program make frequent use of odd walk-on characters and frequent "visits" from celebrity guests.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
6.8

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

2005

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson, who is the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise. It follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup, airing weekdays in the US at 12:37 a.m. It is taped in front of a live studio audience from Monday to Friday at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California, directly above the Bob Barker Studio. It is produced by David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated and CBS Television Studios. Since becoming host on January 3, 2005, after Craig Kilborn and Tom Snyder, Ferguson has achieved the highest ratings since the show's inception in 1995. While the majority of the episodes focus on comedy, Ferguson has also addressed difficult subject matter, such as the deaths of his parents, and undertaken serious interviews, such as one with Desmond Tutu, which earned the show a 2009 Peabody Award.

Conan
7.2

Conan

2010

A late night television talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
6.0

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

2009

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show airing weeknights at 12:35 am Eastern/11:35 pm Central on NBC in the United States. The hour-long show premiered on March 2, 2009, and is hosted by actor, comedian and performer Jimmy Fallon, an alumnus of Saturday Night Live. Hip hop/neo soul band The Roots serve as the show's house band, and Steve Higgins is the show's announcer. The third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman, the program originates from NBC Studio 6B in the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. The show typically opens with a brief monologue from Fallon, followed by a comedy "desk piece," as well as prerecorded segments and audience competitions. The next segment is devoted to a celebrity interview, with guests ranging from actors and musicians to media personalities and political figures. The show then closes with either a musical or comedy performance. The show frequently employs digital media into its comedy, which has become crucial to its success. Fallon has been appointed to become the next host of The Tonight Show, where he will succeed the current host Jay Leno at the conclusion of the 2014 Winter Olympics, with fellow SNL alum Seth Meyers slated to replace Fallon.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
7.1

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

2009

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fifth installment of The Tonight Show, hosted by Conan O'Brien. It aired from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, succeeding The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and ended when Leno returned to the role of Tonight Show host.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
6.2

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.5

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
5.9

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.

More Shows Like Late Night with David Letterman

The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

Comedy Bang! Bang!
6.2

Comedy Bang! Bang!

2012

Based on Scott Aukerman’s popular podcast of the same name, COMEDY BANG! BANG! cleverly riffs on the well-known format of the late night talk show, infusing celebrity appearances and comedy sketches with a tinge of the surreal. In each episode, Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by bandleader, one-man musical mastermind Reggie Watts, to reinvent the traditional celebrity interview. Packed with character cameos, filmic shorts, sketches and games set amongst an off-beat world, COMEDY BANG! BANG! delivers thirty minutes of absurd laugh-loaded fun featuring some of the biggest names in comedy.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
6.9

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman

2018

Late-night TV legend David Letterman hosts an intimate talk show featuring insightful conversations and fun-filled excursions with notable figures.

Celebrity Juice
6.6

Celebrity Juice

2008

The outrageous comedy panel show hosted by the irrepressible Keith Lemon. Each episode sees top celebrities going head to head in a series of hilarious rounds unlike any other panel show.

Comedy Central Presents
6.8

Comedy Central Presents

1998

These half-hour specials showcased some of the best up-and-coming comedians of the moment. The show was a pivotal stepping stone for many of today's stand-up stars.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
7.1

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

2012

Jerry takes his comedy pals out for coffee in a selection of his classic automobiles. Larry David sums it up best when he says, 'You've finally made a show about nothing.'

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis
7.5

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis

2008

Host Zach Galifianakis conducts comical celebrity interviews sitting with his guests between two potted ferns on a sparse set, in the awkward style of low-budget community access cable channels.

The Graham Norton Show
7.2

The Graham Norton Show

2007

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on around the world that week. The guests poke fun and share their opinions on the main news stories. Graham is often joined by a band or artist to play the show out.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
6.0

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

2001

Jonathan Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band.

The Jim Jefferies Show
6.6

The Jim Jefferies Show

2017

Each week, Jefferies tackles the week’s top stories from behind his desk and travels the globe to far-off locations to provide an eye opening look at hypocrisy around the world. Featuring interviews, international field pieces, and man on the ground investigations, Jim tackles the news of the day with no-bulls**t candor, piercing insight and a uniquely Aussie viewpoint.

The Eric Andre Show
7.9

The Eric Andre Show

2012

A comedic talk show from an alternate reality featuring unstable hosts, a variety of celebrities—both real and fake—and unusual studio action.

Blunt Talk
6.8

Blunt Talk

2015

A British newscaster moves to Los Angeles with his alcoholic manservant and the baggage of several failed marriages to host a sanctimonious talk show.

Why These Shows Are Similar

These recommendations share core qualities with Late Night with David Letterman (1982): Comedy and Talk themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of Late Night with David Letterman.

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