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Shows Like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

If you were moved by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, will enjoy these picks that questions the purpose and weight of our choices while delivering 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.

Late Show with David Letterman
6.4

Late Show with David Letterman

1993

David Letterman uses mature humor to appeal to his audience in this weeknight series, which gets its music from a house band led by Paul Shaffer. Among the show's most-famous segments are the Top Ten List and Stupid Pet Tricks, the latter of which subsequently led to an additional recurring segment called Stupid Human Tricks.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
7.8

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

2014

A half-hour satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.

Conan
7.1

Conan

2010

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

The Daily Show
6.4

The Daily Show

1996

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

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.

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.

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.'

More Shows Like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Saturday Night Live
7.0

Saturday Night Live

1975

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.

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.

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.

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 Colbert Report
6.9

The Colbert Report

2005

The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.

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 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.

Have I Got News for You
7.1

Have I Got News for You

1990

Hilarious, totally-irreverent, near-slanderous political quiz show, based mainly on news stories from the last week or so, that leaves no party, personality or action unscathed in pursuit of laughs.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.4

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.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
5.9

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

2016

Samantha Bee breaks up late-night's all-male sausage fest with her nuanced view of political and cultural issues, her sharp interview skills, her repartee with world leaders and, of course, her 10-pound lady balls.

Mock the Week
7.0

Mock the Week

2005

Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.

Talking Dead
7.2

Talking Dead

2011

Host Chris Hardwick discusses episodes of the AMC television series The Walking Dead with guests, including celebrity fans, cast members, and crew from the series.

Why These Shows Are Similar

These recommendations share core qualities with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015): 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 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

See full details for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)

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