Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Well the big 4 to me are Leno, Letterman, O'Brien, and Kimmel. Maybe there are some others that people like in North America or elsewhere. To me Conan is the best.
He interacts best with the audiance and is often hilarious
in the guest interviews. He is going to take over from Leno
but I wish he could stay in his current time slot. He is going to have to water-it-down when he takes on The Tonight Show.
I do enjoy headlines and jaywalking on Leno but overall Conan is the best in my books.
Anyone have a preference as to their favorite host or are there any funny and/or interesting late night talk show stories?

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

With few exceptions, Conan's bits are far superior.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I would guess some of you would know these Carson moments.
Guest : Raquel Welch - Brings cat on stage. Asks Johnny if he would like to pet her pussy. Johnny says yeah but you better move your cat.

I think this following one made the guest get up and leave but I can't confirm it for sure:

Guest: Arnold Palmer's wife.
Johnny asks her what she does to wish her husband good luck before his golf game.
She replies "I kiss his balls"
Johnny retorts "That must make his putter stand on end."

Great for its day and age. Only Johnny could get away with that in those days. Ultimately he is the greatest ever.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

The lady was Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Raquel Welch..

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The lady was Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Raquel Welch..

[/ QUOTE ]

What is interesting about that is some think it was Raquel and some think it was Zsa Zsa. There are others who claim it didn't happen at all. From what I can tell there is no definitive proof as apparantly the tapes from those shows were erased. It is an urban legend? Dunno.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I watch Jay and Conan the most, but each have their pros/cons

Jay
Pros : Most, but definately not all the time, he has "better" (more popular, current, A list) guests.
Cons : Not as funny as Conan, more mild, but he has his moments

Conan :
Pros : Funny. Really funny.
Cons : Again, the guests could sometimes be better, but he makes it interesting either way.


Conan on Quantum Physics
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lady was Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Raquel Welch..

[/ QUOTE ]

What is interesting about that is some think it was Raquel and some think it was Zsa Zsa. There are others who claim it didn't happen at all. From what I can tell there is no definitive proof as apparantly the tapes from those shows were erased. It is an urban legend? Dunno.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've wondered that myself, but thought I was a crackpot for doing so. I've never seen anyone relate it as Welch, but have seen the anecdote countless times. However, I've never met anyone who saw it, and I've never seen it in any of the many reruns of old Carson shows I've seen. I've wondered before if it's just a fun story.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I watch Jay and Conan the most, but each have their pros/cons

Jay
Pros : Most, but definately not all the time, he has "better" (more popular, current, A list) guests.
Cons : Not as funny as Conan, more mild, but he has his moments

Conan :
Pros : Funny. Really funny.
Cons : Again, the guests could sometimes be better, but he makes it interesting either way.


Conan on Quantum Physics
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I laughed out loud. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I think Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's first appearance at the Westminster Dog Show was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life. It was one of the classic, "F*ck you, I'm outta here, there's no way you're gonna make me follow that!" situations for the next guest out. I don't envy any poor dumb sucker who has to try to live through being next in line after a slaughter like that.

Conan by himself, too, is so bright and zeroed in on the moment that he can pretty consistently wake celebrities up out of their slumber and surprise them that they're dealing with a real person for a change, and that this might even be fun.

I even forgive the misery of his nightly monologue -- everyone's sucks, it's the nature of the beast.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Also, I like how he interacts with the audience members, I remember once, there were these 3 guys from (Finland?) and they kept cutting the cameras back to them, and including them in the monologue. Jay doesn't really stray the cameras away from the stage often, only when it's a pre-planned bit.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I watch Jay and Conan the most, but each have their pros/cons

Jay
Pros : Most, but definately not all the time, he has "better" (more popular, current, A list) guests.
Cons : Not as funny as Conan, more mild, but he has his moments

Conan :
Pros : Funny. Really funny.
Cons : Again, the guests could sometimes be better, but he makes it interesting either way.


[/ QUOTE ]

this makes Conan a better host. it does not, however, mean that Leno couldn't have a better show. do you see the difference?

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I watch Jay and Conan the most, but each have their pros/cons

Jay
Pros : Most, but definately not all the time, he has "better" (more popular, current, A list) guests.
Cons : Not as funny as Conan, more mild, but he has his moments

Conan :
Pros : Funny. Really funny.
Cons : Again, the guests could sometimes be better, but he makes it interesting either way.


[/ QUOTE ]

this makes Conan a better host. it does not, however, mean that Leno couldn't have a better show. do you see the difference?

[/ QUOTE ]I sway toward Conan more, Jay could have a better show, the best guests don't always mean you have the most entertaining late show.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I don't trust anyone who prefers Leno over Letterman.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

The thing is, though, Leno used to be better and Letterman at one point used to be much worse, really looking dejected and lifeless all the time. There was a time when I would have picked Leno.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lady was Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Raquel Welch..

[/ QUOTE ]

What is interesting about that is some think it was Raquel and some think it was Zsa Zsa. There are others who claim it didn't happen at all. From what I can tell there is no definitive proof as apparantly the tapes from those shows were erased. It is an urban legend? Dunno.

[/ QUOTE ]

It did happen. It's on The Best of Johnny Carson DVDs(or something like that.) I've seen it several times. It's also been shown on a few Blooper type of shows and I think it's been on a show called Best Talk Show Moments.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Leno is [censored] painful with the constanst Lewisnsky jokes.

I'd say Jon Stewart>Colbert>Kimmel>Letterman>Fergu son>>>>Leno

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I'd agree if you took Kimmel and Ferguson out and threw them into a grease fire.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Always with the 1-liners, Blarg

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Kilborn was the best.

I could watch Leno for an hour and the score would be Groans 5,345,765 Laughs 0.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Daaaaaaaaaaaavid leeeeeeeetterman.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Alan Thicke.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lady was Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Raquel Welch..

[/ QUOTE ]

What is interesting about that is some think it was Raquel and some think it was Zsa Zsa. There are others who claim it didn't happen at all. From what I can tell there is no definitive proof as apparantly the tapes from those shows were erased. It is an urban legend? Dunno.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've wondered that myself, but thought I was a crackpot for doing so. I've never seen anyone relate it as Welch, but have seen the anecdote countless times. However, I've never met anyone who saw it, and I've never seen it in any of the many reruns of old Carson shows I've seen. I've wondered before if it's just a fun story.

[/ QUOTE ]


Snopes 'Pussy Quipped'

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I really want to answer Garry Shandling here.

Anyway, it's Letterman for me, he does make me laugh occasionally. I find Leno painful to watch. Jonathan Ross is pretty decent if you're in the UK.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Old school: Letterman (NBC days)

Current: Conan

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

They are all pretty dumb [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img].

Letterman is better than Leno but I don't know, his schtick with Paul Schaeffer can be painfully boring. maybe I just tune in on off nights. Sometimes it's like they have nothing to say at all and they are just trying to kill time.

I skip Jay and go right to Conan. He is really goofy with his guests.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Conan, not close.

Letterman in 2nd

Headlines rules all, though.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Both Conan and Leno do something similar. Leno does the headlines, Conan does print ads he passes off as real. Sometimes they probably are, but they probably make up almost all of them. Conan's bit is as good as Leno's, but he doesn't do it near as often and he doesn't have a whole nation sending him ideas for free, like Leno does, so the bit isn't as open-ended as Leno's.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

leno seems like a nice guy who is sort of corny. Conan is a goofball. Remember when he did that thing with Andy, where they looked into the future?

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

IN THE YEAR 2000!!!!!

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Yeah, I miss Andy.

Those year 2000's are especially good with Mr. T. Conan rescued Mr. T from the dead the way Tarantino rescued Vinnie Barbarino.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
leno seems like a nice guy who is sort of corny. Conan is a goofball. Remember when he did that thing with Andy, where they looked into the future?

[/ QUOTE ]

Conan still does this, pretty frequently actually. He just uses his guest for the night instead of Andy. I love "in the year twooo thousaaaaand"

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Conan is by far the best. He isn't as rigid as Letterman and doesn't feel as scripted as Leno. Also, he did an entire episode in claymation. Or how about the one where the entire studio audience was under the age of 9. Great stuff.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Letterman by far. His humour is far more in line with mine. Leno is really cheesy and Conan is just annoying, like he thinks the louder he talks the funnier he is. Dave seems really laid back, dark humour. And I like his banter with Paul..

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I like the fact that Dave is laid back. I just think sometimes his banter with Paul is pretty dumb.

I get the impression that both Dave and Leno are tired of interviewing people. Watching them pretend to be interested in the questions that they are asking is painful.

Like last night when Leno was interviewing Reese Witherspoon. The questions he asked her were just going nowhere.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Like last night when Leno was interviewing Reese Witherspoon. The questions he asked her were just going nowhere.

[/ QUOTE ]Complimented on the way she looks/talked about some odd family/friend story/small talk seasoned with a bit of dry humor?

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I rarely watch Leno but I agree that Letterman seems tired of it all.

However, his interview of Paris Hilton a few days ago was as good as anything from the old days. He made her squirm.


Clip:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSxHYK_wfs

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

The only thing I hate about Letterman (and the reason I didn't watch his show for years) is Paul Shafer. I absolutely hate him. He ruins the show for me. All those stupid little intermission songs... makes me want to throw [censored] at the TV. The banter between Paul and David is fine... but the songs... OMG why.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

I think they're all pretty bad. They make the same tired jokes and have really bad bits. None of them can hold a candle to the real comedic geniuses like Johnny Carson or George Carlin.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

George Carlin didn't host a talk show and Carson seems tremendously overrated. I watched him daily for many years and don't think I ever laughed at a single joke in one of his monologues, and everybody else I know had the same experience. It was actually somewhat amazing, as if he were going for a world record or something. That saying that even a busted clock is right twice a day comes to mind. But with Johnny, his monologues were never funny. He was okay as a host, though, but often struck me as a little removed, and at times seemed to barely pay attention to this guests and not be too respectful to non-celebrity guests. He could also be very cold to comics.

Re: Late night talk host.- Who\'s the best?
 

Letterman all the way. His at times "odd" humor just works for me. Conan is also pretty good, and I'll admit I also like Jimmy Kimmel at times. Leno, though? Ugh.....