The Death & Future of Late Night: How Chasing Trends Ruined Comedy

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Late night used to be a warm place in America's heart. What happened? And what are the core strengths that distinguish the best of these shows, from the formulaic and tired ones?
• Written, & Edited by Zane Berry •
- Tall Skeleton 2020 -
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Tall Skeleton - / tallskeleton | / tallskeleton
Zane Berry - / zane_berry_dp | / zanecberry
Podcast - / zaneberrypo. .

[@tallskeleton]

I just want one person to figure out why I included the Neutral Milk Hotel in the edit Almost every other song in this video has been figured out in the comments

[@colbymackay]

Holland 1945 is about death and war, with an underlying message that the show must go on.

[@tallskeleton]

@@colbymackay no but good guess

[@SimplyPsyke]

@@tallskeleton Wasn't that the show that was played on the final Colbert Show? Edit: I know Colbert is a big fan of them

[@tallskeleton]

@@SimplyPsyke thank you you are officially the first person to comment this

[@majestic._]

@@SimplyPsyke John Colbert likes NMH??? that was unexpected

[@yahboijason6246]

Conan is the only one adapting to the times in this age. He’s going to HBO Max soon, he has great KZbin bits, a very great podcast. He has great humor that even me, a teenager, can crack up to, even tho he’s the oldest person in late night now. Conan is easily one of the best late night hosts of all time.

[@milkcatdog394]

You seem familiar…

[@bjv93]

Conan may be technically the oldest, he's the youngest at heart. Sharper, hipper than the rest, and he still looks physically younger too lmao. Man has barely aged in 28 years lmao. F'ning love coco, man.

[@shmavster4209]

Even though he’s pushing 60 he somehow is more relatable to young people than most Hollywood stars in their 20s

[@taserrr]

Because he's funny, he's a comedian and a writer. That's what makes him funny, not the talk show.

[@AdityaMadduri]

I would say Craig Ferguson amd Conan, the Scotsman and the Celtic Tampon

[@IveGotToast]

What's interesting about Conan is how hes spent so much time highlighting his staff, they've become characters of the show. Jordan, Sona, Aaron, Deon. I enjoy bits with them more than celebrities.

[@muhammadihsan4896]

My guy aaron biert? Blaryt? Blyat? Aaron b-something is my favorite lol

[@fairfight9857]

@@muhammadihsan4896 it’s Aaron Bleyaert lol.

[@rudy2shoes354]

also Andy but if feels like he was more predominant in the late night show rather than on the Conan show

[@AllisonChains64]

How come no one ever remembers Pierre Bernard? He was so creepy and funny lmao

[@gunsmotleyqueen]

Pierr bernard, the interns,

[@dudj438]

Another thing I love about Conan is that his humour appeals to all audiences. I’m 18 years old and absolutely love him, especially his travel segments, my dad, who recently turned 50 also loves Conan. I think no matter how old you are or what generation you are apart, most will find Conan funny

[@rachel_5516]

im 14 and love him sm. he has no age barrier showing true comedy has no age.

[@sunimod1895]

I disagree, his humour appeals to audiences above 12, whereas other hosts appeal to under 12

[@settheory2219]

Is there a chance the track could bend?

[@EliteNormie]

I'm 18 as well! I freaking love him. He's hilarious.

[@oreki9048]

Hes not trying too hard is what I find him appealing and fun to watch

[@joepeake8972]

As an English person I humbly and sincerely apologise on behalf of my country for inflicting James Corden upon the world.

[@andrewwebb624]

The biggest tragedy the British have inflicted on the world, and that's saying a lot

[@christopherporter5472]

Appreciate the apology. You guys have given us plenty of positive entertainment. The bond movies, and 75% of the good actors in movies as well as most of classic rock music. On behalf of America, we forgive your country for the mistake of James Corden.

[@KentuckyWaterfall13]

You guys have good muffins and the best music of all time, but James Corden is almost inexcusable.

[@joepeake8972]

@@andrewwebb624 if we could go back in time and ask India and Africa which they would prefer, the British Empire or Corden... I feel like it'd be a tough call given both count as warcrimes

[@ilovericelol]

It's okay. Harry Potter has made it up for me.

[@bandjolyn]

The biggest difference is Conan is a real human being. The clips of him traveling the world and goofing off with little kids are so endearing.

[@rhetiq9989]

That one bit in Haiti where he's messing around with the school kids is one of the most wholesome bits I've seen on YT in a while

[@karnasingh860]

His traveling bits and clueless gamer segment with Andy is just comedy gold

[@OffPHwnr]

The one where he sang blues songs with elementary kids is the best lol

[@elizabethl2691]

I think Conan’s humor is much more appreciated by everyday normal people and not out of touch celebrities that only come on the show or his podcast to promote something theyre in 😕

[@shrisiva4016]

I love the video when he went to teach one of his staff to drive with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart

[@TheArtofGuitar]

Late Night died with Conan's departure.

[@MsMastress]

Hey! Love your stuff man

[@last5902]

Idk, i only watch late night on youtube and only watch trevor noah that due is hilarious

[@WarningStrangerDanger]

Late Night was only ever good with Craig Ferguson. He managed to bring out the best in guests while holding such genuine irreverence towards popularity that he ended up the most genuine and cool.

[@blackswanaudiostudios3947]

@Energetic Coach Exactly, and the term "political" as it's used in the video is a misleading term. Only someone on the same side as Hollywood would brand it "political", it's propaganda. Ignorant, intelectually dishonest, virtue signaling left wing propaganda from these shows - It's not simply "political". We're not talking about some even handed "lets attack both sides of the issue" kind of deal like it used to be. Two things are clear from the video: That "Tall Skeleton" is a HUGE Conan fan (I still think Conan is a talent, not in Letterman's league but talented) AND....that he is fully on board with the left wing Hollywood political agenda..and he tries to find other explanations for the decline in the video, other than the number one reason: Late night has completely alienated 50 % of the country.

[@zacksmith5963]

Nope .

[@rachel_5516]

conan is it. he is the person who adapted through strikes and struggles, and he is still going. has everything: a successful yt channel and community, and an extremely amazing podcast AND a new hbo show to come out soon. he is the funniest, stupidest guy out there and so many people love him.

[@ToreDL87]

you said podcast twice.

[@TheAluvisify]

you said podcast twice.

[@ToreDL87]

@@TheAluvisify Tautology I see, nice try but no cigar.

[@TheAluvisify]

@@ToreDL87 That's not tautology bud. It's just literal repetition. And I did it as a meme, so not sure why you're responding to me lol

[@ToreDL87]

​@@TheAluvisify Wdym? I'm responding to you because I was notified. "A tautology is a statement that repeats an idea, effectively saying the same thing twice". And inadvertently admitting to Echolalia while trying to cash in meme's on fresh comments = EU Articles 11, 13 & 17 have entered the chat. That's not to say you have to abide by them, idc (but you'll probably make the case that I do anyway).

[@adarsh5870]

I miss Craig Ferguson, Man has so much personality that you want to incorporate bits and pieces into your own.

[@harry-smith404]

I was surprised how little Ferguson needed to talk with guests, any stupid game with paper is enough to have an entertaining talk

[@mosriteminioncause7741]

Craig was the most relaxed natural talk show host. (imo)....Conan was great...but he always had just the smallest, tiny, touch of apprehension with guests.

[@mikechamberlain9558]

Craig and Conan the only 2 that are actually funny

[@shriaaravji]

and stuert @@mikechamberlain9558

[@Davon85J]

@@mosriteminioncause7741Agreed. I think a part of that was that Craig didn’t really play to the audience that much. He still did as you have to with a live audience but when he was one on one with a guest it felt like an intimate convo that you were privy to instead of him playing to the crowd every minute.

[@rubyrock555]

I mean there's a reason why Conan is extremely popular in countries such as Korea even though his show doesn't air there

[@aandwdabest]

In fact a South Korean high school classmate introduced me to Conan O’Brien. He would watch loads of Conan clips on KZbin during the night.

[@harris2898]

Same goes for balkan countries. I love Conan as a Greek and he never aired here either.

[@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr]

I suppose is something common in English classes around the world to be introduced to night shows from the US, I remember watching some.

[@eatatjoes6751]

I feel like Conan just has that face where you could put him anywhere and you can't help but smirk.

[@juleswin7116]

I'm from Myanmar and my friends think I'm out of trend because I'm watching Conan and stand up comedy lololol

[@lynxminx4]

Just a note from an old person- when Conan started he was an extremely awkward interviewer. He grew into the host he became over 4-5 years on the air. Fortunately he got that chance, and fortunately he was able to learn.

[@Iscream4j0y]

Yeah I kinda keep forgetting that people don't universally hate Conan anymore, considering the rough reaction to him for the first few years, and him almost getting dropped

[@lynxminx4]

@@Iscream4j0y He was too different from Letterman. He embraced the artifice of the medium Letterman used to ridicule. It was inevitable Letterman fans felt let down.

[@ArtemisMS]

@@fantasyEXX "Before the internet, pro wrestling was must see TV. Only the most religious zealots didn't watch pro wrestling." TIL I, an atheist, am a religious zealot.

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

True. I remember Larry King ripping Conans interviewing skills as a guest one night. I think Conan took it to heart because I saw him get a lot better at listening after that.

[@gardensofthegods]

@@Iscream4j0y I was watching Conan almost from the beginning and I didn't have a problem with disliking him and I don't know others who did

[@telecastersRthebest]

That’s why Conan has always been my favorite talk show host. His remotes are all gold. Hopefully he continues with his “Conan without borders” segment.

[@Wilco1972]

I know your comment is six months old at this point, and maybe you already know this, Conan was working on a version of Conan Without Borders until the writers strike. The show will eventually be on HBO or HBO Max. Not sure if just one or both.

[@jmdi2703]

Conan is so fake then others

[@ericO141]

I think that Craig Ferguson has to be mentioned more. He was absolutely revolutionary and has the funniest improvised interviews I’ve ever watched. Criminally underrated

[@user-vy3gy6vc3u]

Ferguson made Aquaman relevant

[@mosriteminioncause7741]

Yes!

[@TheTurtle1100]

So basically Conan is just naturally funny and naturally cares for people

[@Enzo_q]

+ he cares about his coworkers and they genuinely like him lol.

[@acdesegurgels8663]

You're just mad that being a right winger isnt commercially viable in the us

[@mandalore1089]

@@acdesegurgels8663 It's usually the lack of empathy that does it.

[@carolinepalmer5821]

@@acdesegurgels8663 Just had to make it a political issue 🤦‍♀️

[@NewWaveEnthusiast]

@@acdesegurgels8663 What.

[@mikehancho2082]

I never really thought about the fact that Conan is the only on that could travel around the world and make people laugh that don’t even speak English or share our culture. Pretty impressive actually.

[@Chestersinthecar]

Him learning Korean is one of my favorite bits

[@seasnow6073]

He pretty famous is south korea, finland and japan actually. One of the talkshow's host that famous worldwide

[@vdoggydogg3922]

He went to Cuba and does not mention how the government oppreses its people.

[@carlweaselbear534]

@@vdoggydogg3922 Why would he do that? I think the reason he goes to countries like Hati and Cuba as well as other countries that aren't as well off as the U.S is because he wants to show people around the world that they're great people in a country that most think are violent and angry. He shows that we can all be connected through laughter. Sorry if this was to long or came off as condescending.

[@klein2042]

Lol remember the Chinese guys that copied his intro?

[@user-lw7rw5wg5h]

Conans an underrated conversationalist imo Seriously good at picking up on different cues and reacting

[@erezzecharia01]

Conan O'Brien is my favorite. He's the greatest of all time. He's funny, very talented, charismatic while also being down to earth and genuinely a nice guy. His chemistry with his guests is excellent. He manages to be funny while also not interrupting and distrupting his guests. The best.

[@LPChipi]

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that Conan is also an incredibly intelligent man. He understands comedy, how to structure it and make it work. On top of that he has razor sharp wit that allows him to place the right comment at the right second and that's why his banter with guests like Timothy Oliphant or Bill Burr is so great.

[@alextallen8019]

But have you seen him and Norm?

[@LPChipi]

@Miles Doyle What the actual fuck

[@gfdchugh]

@Miles Doyle wat da? Bruh I know jesus loves but this is not a place for this

[@profile2047]

@Miles Doyle Creepy

[@thundercocku]

@Miles Doyle stfu, I am not reading all that

[@AmbitionMusic]

Conan is hilarious, still watch his KZbin all the time for a good laugh.

[@mistercatneuschwander9969]

Same. Conan is a lifetime stress reliever.

[@nuttypRofesa]

Same! He's hilarious

[@renaudvillacis8066]

Conan needs a friend ?

[@renaudvillacis8066]

Tbe one where he has burr talking about inanpropriate laughrer was good

[@raven.9550]

hang on wasnt ur discord taken down a few years back because of mods being pedo's

[@michaelw6277]

Big respect to Conan, but Craig Ferguson is the GOAT in my heart. He made it look so effortless and he struck me as completely sincere.

[@Andrew-gk6bn]

Craig is the most well rounded host of all time. Good monologue, he was able to be silly and went to another level when he added Geoff and secretariat and by far the best interviewer. Im still a Conan guy first but Craig was right there as well. I miss those two on late night, I use to look forward every night.

[@shawnure6707]

Norm Macdonald was all of us on the final Letterman episode 😢

[@maxhydekyle2425]

I swear to God, Conan knew that KZbin was coming back in the early 90's when he started. His style and bits have been made for the internet since day one. He also made Team Coco way before the other late night shows started taking advantage of the internet. Another example of Conan always being a step ahead and with the times despite being the oldest host. I'm sad that his late night show is gone, but I'm excited for his HBO Max show and I can't wait to see what he does next. He will be on the cutting edge no matter what he does. Based on this quote from Conan "We have this world now, in this streaming universe, where people can make fewer of something, and I was thinking I’d really like to double down on the things I love, which involves getting out of the studio, which combines a lot of the elements that make me a little different." I'm thinking that the new show is going to be fantastic.

[@kaelthunderhoof5619]

Also Conan's comicon cameos and going around work places are the best thing.

[@vipwanrinkle6439]

he also owns Conaco his own production company so the guy is just a great business man as well

[@KoalaChinguOdd]

Team Coco's youtube channel was originally owned by a fan outside America who clipped short Conan videos. Conan liked it so much and had the foresight to bring it under his company as the official channel to release videos.

[@John_C_J]

He also said something like, they keep trying to put me down, but I keep coming back in smaller and smaller formats.

[@oussamaokbi]

Feels weird to read "being the oldest host" said about conan xD. To me he is the voice of youth in the lateshow format and he only mellowed out by his final season on tbs.

[@matwilliams8012]

Craig was naturally funny, chill and charming. He felt real and when he laughed you knew it was funny. Conan is very much the same, intelligent and very aware of comedy trends. From a UK POV, I’d add Graham Norton to the list. Like the above the BIG difference is Graham brings everyone on at the same time and allows them to play off each other. Most of the best Graham Norton moments come from him sitting back and letting the guests speak. More importantly, he has guests on with personality and genuine talent.

[@winstonfj4174]

graham norton is excellent at his job no doubt. His shows feel natural and you have fun and get to know the guests.

[@5ammy13]

I love Conan the best and then Graham Norton. The interviews are just the best at Norton because of what you said: he has everyone on the couch together.

[@lucg5257]

I literally just wrote a comment recommending him then I scrolled down and saw this lmao

[@iloveyourunclebob]

Craig, Conan, and Graham are my big three, in that order. I still watch old episodes/interview compilations of Craig's on youtube. By the time I got old enough to really care about late night, Letterman was already dusty. Leno was always dusty, but Letterman definitely was getting out of touch too. So, I avoided late night talk shows....until Craig Ferguson. Then I was watching every night live or off the dvr after work lol

[@shane_MK]

Craig's show was absolutely absurd. You never knew what was going to happen next. He was getting a little bit into a rut at the end in terms of doing the same bits, but it was always hilarious and sincere. I was watching Dave and Craig almost every day for years.

[@mjdbaga]

Craig Ferguson should have more featured time in this video, given that he's the definition of the opposite of what the problem is in Late Night today. He's a master at having great conversations. He can be witty, immature, even creepy but all for comedy's sake. His charm with the ladies was remarkable. But most of all, he's the most authentic. His monologue on Britney Spears touched a lot of hearts, and from the comment section, seems to have helped a lot of people. His eulogy with his mom was so heartbreaking. His monologue when with shootings, and when he said "I'm sorry", was very genuine. He even got a Peabody award for interviewing Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which was an amazing interview btw.

[@InternationalSpaceForce]

Conan doesn't have his degree from Harvard for nothing. Man is a pure genius.

[@BoleDaPole]

And he got back when it still meant something

[@helton3425]

Back then they wanted real talent. Not giving out brownie points like these days

[@vavuriv1451]

I love how we skipped Jay Leno completely.

[@ArielGonzalez1]

Fantastic

[@kevin_savoy]

Jay Leno was never funny

[@leviichabod]

Thank goodness

[@kushunadkat9087]

Yup. Not even worth mentioning him here.

[@vavuriv1451]

What he did to Conan and Letterman was unforgivable.

[@hi-ve1cw]

My personal favourite is graham norton. I love the chilled, friendly vibe of his show. Never overshadows his guests, but brings the best out of them and is an excellent listener, witty and seems like a genuine nice guy

[@theerthapk1391]

yess agreee he is my fav too

[@floresj]

I love how he has multiple guests too. You get different questions and reactions from the other celebrities which just make it more interesting

[@darwincity]

The fact he can juggle with many guests at the same time AND not push any of them in the background is a testament to his ability to command a show and its audience, and I'm not particularly fond of the man himself.

[@RobbieB2606]

Norton is easily the best UK talk show host in years. And he only got a brief mention in the vid here, but Craig Ferguson is a god

[@alexeimscruz2893]

Another great favorite of mine in fact Graham's interview sometimes goes to even guests asks each other questions along with him... It's real live chat... That's how Dave does his interviews, the guest is the star of the show, the talk centers on the guest...

[@moxbroker]

I have two words for you. Craig. Ferguson. His late night show pushed the Letterman/Conan style to another level. He’d rip up the pre-interview cards before every guest and just shoot the shit or flirt. In between you had a robot skeleton and 2 interns in a horse costume being ridiculous. Very entertaining and something we may never see again.

[@thepayne7862]

He should have replaced Letterman not Colbert.

[@YouOpaOpa]

Putting Corden after him was such a terrible move

[@WoodgrainBeanie]

Craig Ferguson was the king of forming the show around his personality

[@neonatalpenguin]

Conan still feels like a rebel somehow. He's pushing 60, but you can tell he's still the same nerdy young troublemaker who wrote Marge Vs. The Monorail all those years ago. All the other guys feel kind of... obsequious. Colbert always makes me feel like I'm being disciplined by the Principal. Kimmell has a lot of playground bully energy. Seth Myers and John Oliver are like the class snitches who remind the teacher that they haven't set any homework. Corden is the loud fat campy kid in every single theater class in the world. But Conan is like a fun older kid who introduces you to Monty Python and Tom Waits and skateboarding.

[@lanskyzxc]

lmao, incredible how u nailed every description. literally how i feel about all these guys.

[@zachmorgan6982]

Great word ...obsequious Looking it up now

[@zachmorgan6982]

Conant just authentic n the rest have been swallowed by Woke Liberal sittings. Nothing wrong with being a liberal, I'm a liberal butwhen EVERY JOKE & EVERY SET your just roasting republicans & talking about politics, they talk about these ppl like the aren't human & dont actually live in our country. It just gets old. Ppl turn on comedy to be entertained & get AWAY from BS politics, not to learn more about it.

[@taydrabrookshire347]

Conan is the most human and down to earth of the hosts.

[@neonatalpenguin]

@@jamesgreen1166 Good question. Fallon is a gifted student who you might be friends with, were he not constantly trying to fit in with the cool kids.

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

Craig Furguson to James Corden might be the biggest downgrade a talk show ever got. It's mindblowing that the show went from the best to the worst. How Corden still has the job is beyond me. Must have one hell of a contract. Glad you mentioned Pete Holmes' show. I really loved it and it's a shame it didn't last longer.

[@bhratbrat]

Hell Craig's show won legit journalism awards as well

[@happyclappy1805]

Jimmy Fallon is awful. He should be a train driver , a dentist , a traffic light.Anything that equires no humour or creativity.

[@jonnbridges]

In Corden's defense, and to clarify I don't like his material, when he took the job from Ferguson he's mentioned in interviews his goal was a) Not to do something Ferguson did, make it his own, and b) Have a huge push on "Internet suited" bits. Granted the first point shot himself in the foot when he's now a British "Fallon clone" as the videos says, but with even Conan moving to podcasting and HBOMax there is sense in why Corden is still in the game because he knew what sells (bearing in mind when he joined streaming and trending ideals were still low priorities to executives). Is that original and the best comedy? No. But I admire the business know-how more than other 'lesser' hosts who are stuck in the ways even before that (e.g. soft political late nighters)...

[@darwincity]

To think that Craig Ferguson is seen nowadays as a towering figure of television... Heh, how the medium has fallen.

[@alexeimscruz2893]

Corden is nothing... the Brits hated him for being a fame whore... Fallon is nothing... He got the Tonight Show by default because Conan & Letterman are in a better place other than NBC... Kimmel is almost there if not for his glorification of stupidity from his street side interviews & comedy sketch interview of infamous personalities that bore Kimmel's insults.. Colbert transformed Dave's Late Show to an extension of his political comedy show when what you want is an escape from the troubles brought about by politics... Late Night TV died when Conan Craig & Dave left... it's that simple...

[@ericbrown2666]

I watched Conan some in 2011-2014 when I was in college and my roommates would have it on. The late night format never spoke to me but I’ve recently started to listen to Conan’s podcast and he’s a comedic genius. The thing he often talks about is having bits and shows that are “evergreen.” The problem with topical comedy is that when the news cycle moves on the bits are stale. I’ve been listening to his podcasts from 4 years ago and I can’t get enough. Even if you were to listen to them ten years from now you’d get a laugh. Conan knows what’s funny and gives it to us. He’s a treasure.

[@josueorgoaway]

Anytime you hear Conan laugh … it sounds genuine.

[@seanbradley3675]

Conan is brilliant but also Graham Norton, his multiple celebrities at one time forced reactions and conversations that are unrehearsed and authentic, definitely one of the best

[@Hanayuni]

Graham Norton's show is iconic and he has so much unforced charisma and wit. He truly is one of the best hosts out there.

[@CChissel]

For real, Graham Norton is amazing. His show is always fun to watch no matter who he has on

[@Hanayuni]

@@CChissel Hell yeah! I always discover some really cool people thanks to his talk show (well, mostly the British actors and comedians he has on since I mostly watch American movies and shows ^^)

[@fod1235]

Yes!!

[@ivanagustinortiz5237]

Graham Norton, Craig Fergusson and Conan are the holy trinity of late night show host

[@Immafuggin182]

No one can ever tell me that Conan isn't the best late night host. He's a brilliant comic mind

[@bean181]

Ya he has an energy to connect with all sorts of people snd I think that’s what made him to great

[@johnr797]

Conan and Craig. They're like a full meal, savoury and sweet. One is not better than the other, they're complimentary.

[@daze.d5462]

Yes I think so. His self-deprecating humor is unmatched.

[@PizzaNife]

Letterman for me. Conan right behind.

[@brown9671]

Eric Andre

[@KingDeuces22]

Craig Ferguson is criminally underrated. I watch clips of his show to this day, and he’s by far the GOAT in my opinion. My top 20 list of “almost died laughing to a talk show” are all Craig moments. Dude is a legend.

[@annnnnndrey]

Conan and Letterman were easily my 2 favorite talk show hosts as well. But I find myself missing Conan more as he had such an incredible way of creating natural comedy with everyone. And with Norm, he created such timeless segments.

[@david_8924]

Graham Norton is not a traditional Late Night Host, but I enjoy him far more than the American hosts - besides Conan

[@Mrollllf]

Same

[@wooof.]

He's great fun and I appreciate having all the guests together and interacting with each other

[@rickythomas9698]

@Harvey Smith what?

[@rickythomas9698]

Yep

[@wy4553]

Can't agree more. A lot of people seem to only think about American late night hosts and completely overlook Graham Norton, who absolutely excels at celebrity interviews. Honestly I think he is better at hosting celebrity interviews in a studio environment than Conan. Don't get me wrong, I love Conan but it was always his remotes that I really enjoyed and not the celeb interviews.

[@calla147]

I haven’t seen much talk about Graham Norton. For an hour show he’s simply phenomenal, even in his newer social distanced format. He actually let his guests talk, like Conan.

[@raedaw766]

Graham is on another level that cannot be compared to American TV hosts!

[@ShaDHP23]

Love Norton. We used to watch him all the time growing up at my dad's house.

[@mortemoccasus2412]

Norton is good, but his policy of multiple guests are amiable ofttimes makes lack of individual interaction. Not a bad thing but it is as a talk show and less comedy. Conan without borders did something that every culture praising woke hosts talk of but never step outside. Conan actually interacted with the world, it was really beautiful.

[@DETHMOKIL]

Having all the guests at once letting them talk to each other is a good format. also they give people booze.

[@eninc928]

Norton works because he's in England and can get multiple guests from the same project together allowing them to bounce off each other. Secondly he does one show a week.

[@Judgement_Kazzy]

Pete Holmes was tragically underrated. I still wish his show got a longer run.

[@frankrecinos7158]

His stand up and podcast are pretty good.

[@reef4678]

Seth is the only bearable one right now. He also the only one that knows how to interview British comedians and seems to enjoy their humor. Conan though is the GOAT His podcast is a crazy good and he has chemistry with literally everyone!!

[@tylerk3616]

Conan has always been my favorite. He is legitimately funny, and all around a really nice guy.

[@MadDunhill]

a few people are just born for comedy and Conan is definitely one of them. there's a video of him interviewing his family when he was a teenager and he had pretty much the same exact humor and wit as today. i can't imagine him having anything else for a career.

[@andrewtregoning]

he is a legit comedy genius

[@gardensofthegods]

The AYES have it ! I agree Conan it is !

[@dylanchua5197]

Conan is a legend

[@joliecide]

His bits are still legendary. He brought Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the Masturbating Bear to national consciousness. His employee bits are awesome, and those Jordan Schlansky promos are slices of fried gold.

[@Audrey-on7si]

I honestly clicked on this video just to hear about how great Conan is

[@vignesh0208]

Team coco for life baby 👍

[@harshityadavCamper]

Same!

[@maxhydekyle2425]

Conan and his entire crew were/are the best. I hope he keeps the majority of his crew when he starts his new show. Especially the man who does nothing, but also everything, Jordan Schlansky.

[@strangelyproton5188]

@@maxhydekyle2425 i think Jordan Schlansky joined NBC lol

[@maxhydekyle2425]

@@strangelyproton5188 I would literally cry if that's true

[@louisekarczeski5547]

Finally found someone who expressed my feelings about the Colbert late show. I was a big Colbert Report fan and still watch the Late Show regularly, but i miss his old comic acidity and silliness. I was excited to see him out of character, i've always tought of him as such an original and creative mind. However, the Late Show has been extremely formal from the beggining, and it gets more rigid as the years go by. It has its moments, but i feel like it's getting closer and closer to an interview show. I remember when the show first started, Colbert and Jon Batiste did a segment on New Orleans and it was very funny, reminiscent of the old days, but also fresh. I was excited, thinking the show would follow that path, but it didn't happen. Anyways, i really respect the guy and find him to be one of the funniest out there (listened to his Smartless episode some time ago and cried laughing), just wish the format of the show would allow him to experiment more. May Stephen own his silliness back! (Conan, by the way, is unrivaled. Probably not even human...).

[@christophercole8114]

I believe there have been two definitive reasons why Conan O'Brien is the best of American late night television. The first is he's absolutely authentic. He's never played a character, he's never been backstabbing or manipulative, he presents himself without pretense. I believe that's his biggest draw. Sure he's funny, but he's authentically funny. And after moving from one coast to the other and having NBC and Jay Leno do him dirty, he negotiated payments to his staff and I believe that showed he genuinely cares about people. The second reason is that the biggest part of his style of comedy is absurdist comedy, and that has carried through his entire career. One of the highest ranked, most loved Simpsons episodes is "Marge Vs. the Monorail", where a spoof of "The Music Man" also has Leonard Nimoy in it, and it works. On his initial show he had a lever that, when pushed, played random 'Walker: Texas Ranger' clips with absolutely no context. He had a rubber dog puppet that held a cigar doing "Man On The Street" interviews. Jennifer Garner called him out and he just happened to have a dictionary in his desk to prove her wrong. The great thing about absurd comedy is that it has one of, if not, the broadest appeal to the greatest number of people, but also it's humor that translates well across culture. Political jokes, at best, only land with half of your potential audience, and they're confined to a specific place and time. The biggest exception I can think of to this is the quip attributed to Will Rogers who said "I've never told a joke about the government, I've just reported the facts." I don't believe someone like Stephen Colbert though could tell a joke like that, as it isn't partisan. As for others like Jimmy Fallon, I think he is funny, and I think he is authentic, but the way he presents himself is not. By design it's made to go on social media. The same with Jimmy Kimmel. They're too busy to create something that will go potentially go viral that it loses potential for genuine humor or even real moments. Everything looks like it's been staged whether or not it has. To go back to Jennifer Garner calling out Conan, I believe that was unplanned, but Conan immediately recognized the absurdity of a guest calling out his intelligence on his show with his Harvard degree, called for a producer to bring him a dictionary that, in the edit, he'd pull from his desk, and look it up in the middle of his interview. In other words, it was an unplanned moment that, due to Conan loving absurd comedy, played to one of his strengths and became one of his most famous clips. Apologies for making such a long comment, but I liked what you had to say and I wanted to contribute my own thought to it.

[@NewMitchell-wh3fj]

Also because Conan is so genuinely funny and his interviews are actually fun and interesting, the guests have an actual conversation with him instead of just repeating the same 3 stories and pitches they are doing on 5 other shows this week

[@Babybalugaspirit]

Conan, the only talk show host who went to North Korea, and went to Greenland and troll their weather forecast, and also asked their Parliament if you wanted to be bought by the USA. He actually accomplished a lot more than other talk show hosts LOL

[@Babybalugaspirit]

@@gardensofthegods kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWWZdq1jfsyWb6c

[@Babybalugaspirit]

@@gardensofthegods no worries, I got your back 👍🏻

[@biggieee0620]

@@gardensofthegods I think it's a house/office in the DMZ where NK and SK officers conduct meetings? half of it is NK and half of it is SK and conan crossed the line to NK.

[@gardensofthegods]

@@biggieee0620 yeah I figured that out as soon as I watched this but I had put it in the comment before I even saw it so I'm going to erase that

[@juusojuuso9214]

The Finnish President Conan arc was hilarious

[@Danledz]

How good was ferguson? He performed an ENTIRE show with a hand puppet, never showing his face. Not kidding. And it was one of the funniest things i have seen in late night

[@AinzWoolGown]

Tore and threw the talking points. If it comes up naturally, It comes up. If not too bad. See ya. I love it

[@ave789]

He had so much charisma, especially compared to hosts like Leno or Fallon or Kimmel

[@TaRatTinCan]

He was a true punk of late night

[@R.A.M222]

So does everyone on sesame street

[@koalawithchaingun53]

Man, really appreciate the Pete Holmes shout out. That man is funny and wholesome as hell.

[@BKME19]

Conan was the best. There was a huge shift in Late Night for me when Jay Leno gave Conan The Tonight Show & then rudely took it back. 😭

[@user-tz3hm5ji1h]

Leno didn't "take anything back". Blame NBC for that mess. NBC was who took it from Conan, they then asked Leno to take it back. Leno wasn't really wanting to give it up in the first place, so when they ASKED him to come back, he said "sure". All the hate for Leno is so misplaced.

[@jonasbsj1]

Conan is the best ever because he is the only one who feels like just a normal person having fun. Hell, i feel like i could just have a coffee with him someday...

[@Genious.]

I really love his podcasts and seems like he'd never be a drag to be around. If I'm wrong, then he's a good actor.

[@whengmaingque7208]

Btw i didnt even know he was good at a guitar

[@MaximumCarne]

@@Genious. of course he’d be a drag eventually. Have you heard Sona, his assistant, talk about how annoying he can be? She’ll tell you hahaha. He is human after all. Can’t be perfect 24/7.

[@wilsonsiregar5463]

Craigy ferf still no. 1

[@JoeLoquacious]

@@Genious. OMG GUYS, I just found a SNEAK PEEK OF CONAN ON HBO MAX!!!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGbShYt5j8esh9k…..

[@ashle9034]

That's why I love Graham Norton. He just feels so much more natural than all these other shows. He doesn't need a weirdly forced comedic gimmick and he plays well to the personality of the celebrities. The fact that he can handle and lead a group of randomly put together celebrities always astounds me.

[@Rushfelt33]

I'm glad someone mentioned Graham, I'm not an avid watcher of him or late interview shows in general but whenever I see guests on the GN show, they seem relaxed and the format including other guests and alcohol it just makes good watching.

[@wormwearer9434]

Norton, Ferguson, and Conan are the gold standard of the talk show format for me

[@lipby]

@@wormwearer9434 I'm old enough to remember Carson

[@CloudxBoys]

Okay so…. You you you you you you. All that fool says

[@BigChiken44]

Man, if we will start comparing British TV to American TV it will be like beating 2yo baby 😅 Graham Norton is amazing, British TV in general is so much better than American

[@switchbox239]

Bruh, when I saw Conan in the opening clip for a video titled "The Death & Future of Late Night: How Chasing Trends Ruined Comedy", my gut reaction was "You best not be trashing Conan". Thank goodness.

[@tallskeleton]

gotchu

[@_TonyZ]

I don't think I've ever heard something so dead on accurate about what I've felt regarding the late night shows than this video. I echo your sentiments about Colbert, Letterman, Conan, Falon, Myers, Ferguson, & Kimmel... not just "to the letter", but to the length and emphasis of each pause and inflection in your opinions. It's just amazing to hear what I've felt verbalized so well. Wow.

[@tallskeleton]

Thanks so much for watching and leaving this nice comment I’d like to do some follow ups on the topic when I have time

[@Sefaso]

Conan is like a muscle car from the late 60's: He's built different. Better.

[@flacjacket]

'60s muscle cars are terribly built, wtf you talkin' 'bout?

[@Sefaso]

@@flacjacket The material, cars now are pure plastic in comparison.

[@astgfrallah771]

Mashallah

[@flacjacket]

@@Sefaso '60s American cars were made of poorly fitting low grade steels that began rotting away in less time than modern cars are covered under warranty. Their odometer only have 5 digits because they were not expected to last 100k miles. Most modern cars can easily last 200k+. Think about how many cars from the 90's you still see on the road today and compare it to how few cars from the 60's were still on the road in the 90's. Metal isn't inherently superior to plastic, it depends heavily on grade, execution, and application.

[@Sefaso]

@@flacjacket Weird how you don't see 1 Prius on Fury Road, since George Miller asked only for cars whose bodywork could've realistically stand those conditions.

[@laudefrancois6273]

I remember watching an episode of Conan Without Borders where Conan went to Haiti. He was on public when a mob of angry Haitians came saying that Americans were only showing the bad side of their country. I was genuinely scared in those moments for Conan when I was watching and if I were in that position, I'd be terrified. But Conan was able to handle the situation and was even able to turn the commotion around, made them calm and even hugged some of them. He's not just a comedy genius but also a great human being.

[@deepdivin]

Conan and Letterman will die legends, not just in comedy but life. I hope we get many more years out of them both.

[@holzbruch296]

Any chance to do an update on this video? I feel like there has so much more happened in late night and it'd be interesting to see how much some of those shows have (or haven't) evolved since this was made. Especially the part on how the hosts behave and their style in doing interviews or monologues compared to internet-based shows (like Hot Ones or maybe Lettermans Netflix show) would be great.

[@josephyang4997]

The lack of authenticity was probably why many of us preferred the quarantine versions of the show. They were much lower in production value and the hosts had to rely on themselves to be interesting.

[@tallskeleton]

conan with less production value at times is even funnier

[@dustytheloneranger]

Colbert's return to studio has been disappointing to say the least. I hope Seth does something revolutionary or just never goes back to an audience. Can't wait to see what Conan has in store

[@josephyang4997]

@@dustytheloneranger Conan retired from TV. Although his podcast may continue?

[@dustytheloneranger]

@@josephyang4997 podcast is still going strong. just waiting on the new show for HBO Max

[@OdaKa]

Except Seth Myers. His show was even worse, lol. Well, I couldn't stomach enough of it to get through an episode pre-quarantine, so I guess it did get better. The constant Trump bashing and horrible jokes, execution, and the way he acts out the jokes to try to make them funny is just so painful, but the Tracy Morgan interview with him is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[@Thulgore]

Conan helped so many careers it's insane. How many interns have gone on to actual hollywood careers for instance. It's a crazy number. It's obvious how loyal he is and how much he cares about his crew. As a viewer that shit matters to me, a lot.

[@atlasdata7739]

He sustain financially and has interest in the lives of all his employees. You cannot hate that guy. He bully them sometimes but we all know it's a joke.

[@dntthe88]

Even his assistant has become a known figure and cohost of his podcast. He's got an eye for talented people and the ability to bring that out of them

[@Wabajak13]

@@atlasdata7739 especially when he brought his fired crew along with him on tour after the whole tonight show debacle.

[@dadgonegamer2654]

2000s Conan and even Letterman is still funnier than anything Corden, Fallon, Kimmel, and Colbert could put together if you locked them all together in a room and told them to create one good late night show.

[@madisxn314]

playing In the Aeroplane over the Sea over a montage of Colbert was a nice touch

[@DonZeedle]

Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson were always the best in my eyes. They were naturally funny and didn't necessarily "need" writers despite having them. Their guest interactions seemed more "genuine" than others and the jokes they used towed the line of absurdist humor that I always thought was funny.

[@Andoroid]

Those are the same reasons Letterman (from the 80s-mid 90s) is my all time favorite talkshow host Even when he got older he still remained my favorite until he retired with Conan and Craig tied for second. Now I consider all three to be the greatest late night hosts ever Seriously, check out his 8th anniversary special. It's a perfect example of why Letterman is as legendary as he is. (Though with the caveat that his style of humor isn't for everyone, as goes for every talk show host)

[@eddiefraser4373]

Craig is great

[@edison700]

Craig Ferguson with Robin Williams is some of the funniest television I've ever seen. Rest in peace you sweet man

[@thepayne7862]

One of my favorite things Conan did on his late night show was when he did a new year's eve countdown for the Central Time Zone.

[@jesuschrist7833]

Craig was great but he wasn’t a late night host. He was in the Late Late night show.

[@hushwonder2070]

Would've loved if you brought up Graham Norton. It's long form conversation where all the guests of the night are there right from the start. It's an amazing show and Graham Norton handles himself much like David Letterman or Conan.

[@ParanoidOwlet]

This! Graham is a such a talented host

[@pacorka9943]

Totally agree!!

[@shalahuddinumar3386]

Yes, and also Jonathan Ross, that is one funny bloke too

[@sooperd00p]

I can't watch Graham Norton. I don't even know if its any good. That couch looks extremely uncomfortable. All the guests look like they need a massage.

[@MKen112]

@@sooperd00p it’s fantastic, seen all the current talk show hosts and graham is miles clear of any of them

[@Lizzie-ve7kt]

Conan is the greatest because he’s able to seamlessly react to the moment. If he has a more laidback or straight laced guest he’s always willing to play the fool and be hilariously kooky or over the top, one of the reasons why his remotes are GENIUS and pieces of comedy I will gladly rewatch multiple times, whereas if he has a really over the top guest or another comedian on his show he’s more than willing to play the straight man and let them do their thing. I love Conan in any and all contexts and mediums, which to me, is the mark of greatness.

[@dordly]

I've always loved Conan, his wide range of good humor even just through the way he reacts to things and how he connects with his guests like friends pretending to be professional is a big reason why he's the only late night comedy/talk show host I watch.

[@joyandpeacefullaughter5307]

This is why Craig Ferguson left and reiterates he will never come back. I'm glad he made his money and bounced.

[@yonkokaidokingofbeasts2553]

The best to ever do it imo

[@greendaleforever]

YUP!

[@dramsac17]

I do wish we still had someone doing what he was doing

[@gunrodoplu]

I have this impossible dream to watch all episodes of his show. So many crazy shit happening, so funny.

[@mauvemaven]

I miss Craig Ferguson!

[@baronharkonnen7894]

Sean evans is a rising star. That dude carries an entire channel and almost got every guest off guard with his genuine inverviewing skills and utmost dedication to well researched questions, while most talk show hosts take up shitty anecdotes and treat their viewers as dumbfucks.

[@CatharticCreation]

@@bK2pa hard disagree. sean's not really a late night guy and is no conan in terms of humour but the questions and general good vibe coming from him is enough to make the show as popular as it is. it's not just the hot sauce shtick. he has a huge fanbase because of HIM. the questions are the driving heart of the show and are enough to carry it. (and the hot sauce of course, but i think the entertainment factor would be there either way)

[@beardupbeerdown7355]

Hot Ones is just one part of a late night show. The gimmick game.

[@williamshaw3rd]

Just trying to figure out why he's in the thumbnail with no direct mention in all of this?.. 🤔

[@lstrumpet2052]

Sean Evans is a journalist, not a writer/comedian.

[@IgnorancEnArrogance]

I love Hot Ones with Sean Evans, but a good late night type host can't rely on the same gimmick every night.

[@bellyOfaTiger]

Conan was such a warm host. I can't remember who she was, but you could tell she was visibly uncomfortable, and instead of pressing her, Conan moved the conversation along without cracking too many jokes and involved her in the conversation and she gradually got more relaxed throughout the interview. Conan is the type of person I like to hang out with because I'm extremely introverted, too. And I hate when people ask why I don't talk much. Conan will probably be the last great late night talk show host for a while.

[@dominaiscna]

I personally only got into Late Night talk shows in quarantine, and during that time, I started religiously turning in to Stephen Colbert, Seth Myers and Jimmy Kimmel. I felt like that period of time, where everyone was at home just trying to navigate their new situation, was really fun and authentic - especially the bits of some hosts including their family in skits or intros. It felt really personal, casual and fun because of it.

[@abhishekkhandkar]

John Oliver is not a talk show host. He's a satirical journalist. Edit : Apologies to the content creator. I was being a moron to critic you about something inconsequential. It's a good video keep it up.

[@FakingANerve]

100% agree.

[@jonnyanderson3042]

I dont understand why hes in the thumbnail and the graphic in the vid it makes it look poorly researched.

[@anp1609]

ya his show is a weekly segment unlike the other shows on the list

[@beaniepq]

Same with Desus & Mero, not sure why they're there either?

[@mikearchibald744]

Oliver is a host, not a journalist. He was a satirical journalist while on the Daily Show. And when I saw him parroting all the mainstream media garbage on Venezuela then I knew he wasn't much different than the others.

[@ariloveshouse]

Conan is the only one who has actual fans while the rest of them just have viewers

[@prabhleenreen3594]

damnnnnnn thats a distinction right there

[@KH-lw5ze]

NAILED IT.

[@vivaleroca7511]

That's actually really accurate.

[@kevonseymourks2790]

That’s… actually the perfect way to describe it. Like the man said NAILED IT.

[@Astro_Guy_1]

That's a lie dude. They have more than enough fans, look at the reactions of people when they meet Jimmy fallon and the like. Theres tons of criticism but your "zinger" was just a completely false assumption.

[@ZachryMedearis]

I am in utter shock that I watched this on your channel about six months ago when I was watching Conan clips and looking for video essays about why the current late-night hosts don't stack up. It was just another video essay on a topic I enjoyed. It wasn't until now that I realized the person who made the incredible H3 video essay also made this. You have improved your style over the past few years and the crossover is insane.

[@tallskeleton]

Ah thanks so much Zach! A lot of my video essays actually include clips of the subjects of my other video essays haha not intentionally but because these are just things I’m genuinely a fan of and so my go-to media references inevitably have some cross over. Thanks so much for watching two of my videos! I have some more essays in the works although nothing as long/big for a whole

[@xenidus]

I think Seth Meyers is one of the funniest and honest hosts ever. He treats his team with so much respect, and his interviews are incredibly heartfelt and considerate. Also his "Corrections" online only weekly bits are some of the greatest bits of comedy I've ever seen.

[@xenidus]

Aaaaand.... I just got to the part with Seth Meyers. I'm glad he got a call out!

[@natevirtual]

To me the ones that stand out from the bunch are Craig Ferguson, Conan, and perhaps Graham Norton. They have different styles and do not follow popular trends, so as to not become predictable, like the other hosts. Also, I loved it back when you had no idea which party 'X' comedian supported, the line was blurred by humor, successfully.

[@KevinWidesouls]

Trump essentially provided current late night hosts with an option, but most made the wrong choice. He’s easily the most enticing, unique, absurd, peculiar, etc politician we’ve seen in the modern era, and the late night shows got lazy and decided to derive their humor from that. It produced ratings for a time, and some of it is genuinely funny, but it’s so incredibly over saturated and got old fast. Having a monologue with some jokes about trump works. And because trump is different, maybe a few extra jokes compared to prior presidencies isn’t a bad thing. But having multiple hosts running a 10-20 minute segment/lecture on Trump EVERY NIGHT as if they’re the daily show is insane (not to mention, the actual daily show makes the same mistake by focusing way too much on him too). And what a lot of people don’t seem to talk about is the odd juxtaposition this creates with the celebrity guests. You have Colbert doing a 15 minute segment on why Trump sucks and is some existential threat, and then 5 seconds later has some lame contrived convo with a celebrity that is plugging a new movie. If you’re going to be preachy about Trump, at least continue the tone of that and ask real questions to the celebrities too. Make the entire show preachy and serious instead.

[@robotdowney]

These 3 are my top too

[@natevirtual]

@@KevinWidesouls yeah, your comment made me realize we truly need a Dick Cavett show in this day and age. People need to reason instead of repeating nonsensical statements.

[@natevirtual]

@Meadow Pinkelle PLUS, Craig really should've hired Kristen Bell as his sidekick.

[@justdope1963]

I also like Seth Myers, but totally agree. They're great.

[@DownUFO]

I got sick to my stomach when I saw the clip of Fallon, in which him and John Oliver are playing some game involving asking questions to an Amazon Alexa, and John started actually doing something both smart and hilarious when he was making it explain Amazon’s dystopian treatment of workers, but then Fallon shut it down suuuuuper fast. Like, that’s what comedy is about, John was roasting the hell out of a powerful entity using their own product and making the executives uncomfortable, but then the “comedian” Jimmy Fallon had to cut off the bit because it wasn’t safe. At that moment I lost all respect for Fallon, like I don’t even see him as a thinking/feeling person anymore, especially seeing as I’m a low wage manual laborer and I know that he’s the kind of guy that would stick up for the suits.

[@romanramirez7847]

Fallon has always been a suck up.

[@johnr797]

You are saying at one point you had respect for Fallon?

[@DownUFO]

@@johnr797 Eh on SNL he had his moments.

[@johnr797]

@@DownUFO fair enough

[@mateorios1636]

Wikibear has a Rival

[@zegasi1274]

let's be honest, Conan and Craig were one of a kind, their wit is amazing and they know how to work with guests each one in a different way. but let's not forget about Conan's backstage bits with his staff where he gets along with them in a weird way, especially his assistant Sona who talks shit to his face or that Jordan shlansky dude those bits are always hilarious.

[@davidnolde4598]

What's the name of the song at then end of the video?

[@tallskeleton]

Everlong by foo fighters

[@davidnolde4598]

Thank you, not remebering it was killing me@@tallskeleton

[@CBright7831]

Jimmy Kimmel continues to use Trump in his monologue every night despite the fact that it's been 177 days (as of this writing) since Joe Biden became President. I'm like, "Can you talk about anything else?!"

[@johnr797]

No. The answer is no, he can't.

[@soconoha8495]

Not allowed to make fun of Biden. Have to maintain the narrative against Trump in case he decides to run again.

[@CBright7831]

@@soconoha8495 - It's gonna be a long four years, but I'm sure Kimmel's YT audience will eat it up. "BWAHAHA! He just made another Trump joke. That'll show that him. WE LUV U, JIMMY!"

[@serdirtbagoftheleft4045]

@@soconoha8495 i just wanted 4 years of Larry David doing Bernie Sanders

[@avruvimtu2204]

Jimmy Kimmel is a Jew.

[@carryonalex]

Conan has nailed it. And quarantine Conan is the best lol

[@tallskeleton]

his joel mchale interview the other day had him firing on all cylinders

[@ArielGonzalez1]

i think low budget conan is really good (considering also how good LNwCOB was)

[@anthonygordon9483]

Conan left TBS on top. He still will be doing Conan Without Borders on TBS which will be 30 mins long instead of 10 to 15 mins. And he has his show coming to HBO Max on top of His Podcast. So he is making great career moves. Ever since Conan left NBC you can tell he has been wanting to have more control of his own content. Even when he went to TBS, he was able to obtain all his NBC IP content due to the breach of contract NBC fullfilled. When he went to TBS all his content was syndicated under TeamCoCo and TBS paid for it. Which is why you always heard Conan compain to Jordan about spending under his own budget. Cause he literally pays for everything. Now that he is leaving TBS he will have Multiple IP's under his own brand.

[@ptungol1115]

May I slide into consideration, “NBC Writers’ Strike Conan” That’s the best Conan’s been.

[@cypherusuh]

@@ptungol1115 that's when he just walk around the studio by himself and broke something, wasn't it? His solo works are insane tbh. But his peak IMO, is when he's collabing with other comedian, like Bill Burr or Kevin Hart.

[@gwaand]

Ferguson is the most underrated host of all time

[@coolcat8b]

l wish you would have talked more about Craig Ferguson. For me, he was the epitome of the talk show host. Every night, it felt like going for a quick visit to an old friend, never knowing what to expect. He was funny, sexy, warm, sometimes over the top, sometimes profoundly sad. He took us on adventures in Paris and Scotland, down his own memory lane. He built incredible friendships with recurring guests, which we had the privilege to be part of (at least it felt that way). Along the years, so many inside jokes were created (organically, never forced) and became part of his show, simply because he allowed them to happen. I miss him (as many many more do I'm sure) and I wish he would come back. If you ever get to read this Craig, thank you for all the wonderful moments you created.

[@k.3675]

I'm glad conan is still experimenting and has moved on to a different type of medium. As an early gen z and a non english speaker, Conan has a way of tickling various type of people like me. His humor is universal and timeless. You can watch old clips of his frantics and still laugh. He's smart and acts stupid. Genius! Man, i love conan to bits. Team Coco all the way.

[@tallskeleton]

one of my favorite old clips of his is "kermit gets shot"

[@northstar7459]

I never really had an interest in conan, I still don't, I actually liked the political comedy from colbert and Kimmel, my favorite show is last week tonight though

[@Andyhoffman98]

My favs were Conan, Ferguson and early Letterman. They could be political but it felt smart not regurgitated.

[@ashg7219]

Absolutely.

[@ArielGonzalez1]

indeed, all of them did political jokes more than once and they felt like political jokes because that is how they targeted them... not as some sort of moral speech...

[@andreimileti]

Totally agree, though late Letterman had his moments. Colbert is the most depressing figure to me. He had probably the last great American satire airing regularly on television. It was clear early on in the late show that he didn't quite have his bearings yet, but he still had some of that biting satire peeking through. But when he handed the showrunner baton to someone else, it was the beginning of the end. And I watched CONSTANTLY still, living in denial and appreciating Colbert's genuine talents as a performer. Here's the thing, I do hate Trump. And I have to admit, a lot of the bits did work. Most didn't, but there were just enough for me to put the clips on as comfort background. But the badness of the bad bits started to add up. I never thought the Russians were involved. And I never thought the Dems were a great political party, just preferable to the genuine psychosis of the Republicans. But Colbert shitting on Scorsese for his Marvel takes, implying Marty was racist too in one bit because Black Panther "has more black people" than Scorsese's films, was the final straw. I realized Colbert was totally consumed by corporatism and desperately searching for ratings. And just a propagandist for the DNC. And Conan isn't guiltless in this either... he is still clearly a neoliberal who loves Democrats. He's a rich Harvard kid, after all. And hell, he interviewed Hillary on his podcast. And let's not be in denial either... he's a pretty bad performer. Great jokewriter and fantastic in remotes/interviews, but I don't think I ever laughed once during his monologues. He's a writer, not a standup. Still, he at least seems to find hanging out with celebrities to be pretty stupid in general and has a genuine curiosity for learning and exploring, as exemplified by what is the best travel show since Bourdain. Above all, he's self-deprecating, which he shares with Craig and Dave, and is the key for why they're the best of the most recent Good Era that's pretty much dead.

[@BM-ff6oq]

@@andreimileti hmm the part about Conan monologue not being funny is strange.. Conan especially on his previous show had very funny monologues granted I don’t look at them as it being his jokes more of his writers. He’s funny in skits and remotes so I don’t think he’s a bad performer at all he killed it at the WHCD. But yes he’s apart of the elite DNC group in some form he also had Obama on his show

[@andreimileti]

@@BM-ff6oq I'll concede to that point, I was referring more to his TBS monologues which i tried to watch but couldn't do it (though i admit they were kinda fun to watch drunk). During his earlier days, I was a kid, and my dad didn't like him for whatever reason (my dad is very working class and dry and I don't think liked his headier, witty, and self consciously goofy stuff) so I didn't see much of Conan. Though we both loved Letterman, and he might've been the master of making you laugh at bombs. Tbf it must be excruciatingly hard to do a solid 10 five times a week so even the current ones, I kinda have to give them credit for even trying. But what made Dave, Conan, and Craig great is that they were constantly trying to deconstruct the format in interesting ways whereas the others are trying to keep a dead art alive (with Colbert arguably being the best at it). On another note, I think a flaw the video doesn't mention is that all the bad talk shows today are trying too hard to make the host likeable. I'm not sure where it comes from, but it must be connected to the tendency of films/TV currently to have morally upright main characters, even when they're antiheroes; otherwise, Twitter will attack protagonists for not sharing their values. (I can't think of any piece of mainstream film or TV post 2016 where there was a lead character whose flaws were that they were racist or sexist... contrast that to Social Network and Wolf of Wall Street or Sopranos and Mad Men). Dave and Craig were both KINDA dickish. Not enough to make you hate them, but just enough to vicariously shit on whatever dumb topic or celebrity they're talking about or to. Conan, I believe, is probably the nicest person in real life, but he's vicious toward himself, with most of his riffs making him the butt of the joke. Even when he's shitting on Jordan, the bit is still, partially, that Conan's own dickishness is too over the top for this poor producer. Hell, even Carson would smoke and bring Rickles on to rip the guests to shreds. My only hypothesis for why this is happening is that capitalism is eating itself, taking on fewer and fewer risks to maximize profit and keep the wheels on this dead car going instead of losing it all on something that's high risk and high reward for the culture.

[@snozer6966]

I love how in the Corden clip at 4:00 even the audience is struggling to release a pitty chuckle

[@tallskeleton]

The Amazon prime joke you told was during 2020 when the only people in the audience were his own staff members there was no studio audience to be clear I made this video during 2020

[@AWiseOrange]

Conan is definitely a man who is great at transferring to different ways of comedy and show writing

[@xghostsniper1179]

Craig fergusion was one of the best late night show hosts, he just made it fun and unique, before James cordon took over his show and before the more corporate orientated shows took over trying to follow trends and a strict script

[@doinitwell67]

You are so correct. Craig Ferguson was my favorite hands down. Conan a close second.

[@thisismagacountry1318]

James Corden ruined Craig's show.

[@howo357]

I came to the US for college not knowing much English but I found the comedy of Craig’s and Conan really entertaining. Colbert report after the Daily show was also a must watch for me in college. Colbert became unfunny after taking on CBS job. Conan is the only one I watch now. I’m subscribing to HBO because of him.

[@Varsityathelete61]

@@doinitwell67 I absolutely agree 👌

[@EverythingN.Nothing]

Agreed. Craig Ferguson and Robin Williams together is comedy GOLD. Robin said himself it was nice to be "free range again". The lack of script allowed Robin's ridiculous talent to shine.

[@madeyez]

Great job highlighting Conan with Bill Burr. Probably the single best example of how the interaction between a host and guest should be on a talk show.

[@nayannbg6314]

And Bill Burr with Stephen Colbert is completely opposite of that, first video of Colbert I had seen on Bill Burr binge and hated that guy from that day

[@sofianebl9927]

@@nayannbg6314 Bill burr directly addressed it on the show with Colbert, nobody laughed after he told a hilarious joke, so he said : these are not my people.

[@gaiusjuliuspleaser]

That bit about Oprah and how 'she stood on the heads of those little people' is forever etched into my brain.

[@KantHarmen88]

I love bill Burr. But common.... Norm

[@zondervonstrek]

I always feel that Steven Colbert was told by an agent "Your not really funny, so just just fake funny with an ironic and sarcastic twist." He responded "Yes, I know exactly what all those words mean and will ask no further questions."

[@bigaspaulo]

*So* glad you gave Craig Ferguson his roses! I miss his show so much, and watch KZbin clips from it all the time. I also agree that Seth Meyers is the best, most compelling late night host of the current crop.

[@LighthouseHorror]

This was so well done. Totally agree with this. Letterman & Conan were the best without question. There's a genuineness that Conan has, and I've always just had a feeling he's a decent person. His tribute to Norm was truly touching, and it kind of confirmed my thoughts that there are two separate branches to comedy currently, and people like Norm, Letterman & Conan are on the side I respect and admire. Well done on the video!

[@benja_maulo]

Craig Ferguson is another that gets overlooked. IMO he’s the best to ever do it

[@leoalcaraz6153]

He was spot on about Conan he was just the best from goading bill burr on or taking his assistant to buy a car and his Conan without boarders he was able to connect with his fans and his guest

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

OMG Conan is so capital B boring. You guys need to get some overseas comedy lessons, standup and panel shows in Europe is lightyears away in quality.

[@LighthouseHorror]

@@AndreyRubtsovRU get outta here hah! Conan is hilarious! Who do you like in Europe? I'll check 'em out

[@jimmymcnulty5079]

Norm was so great. His podcast, Norm Macdonald Live is GOAT

[@terrorstalker]

Easiest comparison is when the late night host has animals on. Kimmel runs away, Fallon keeps trying to crack jokes and doesn't pay attention. Conan starts hugging them and shooting jokes from the hip while still listening to the speaker. Dude's in a league of his own

[@brunamota8865]

colbert had jackson galaxy on the show with kittens and it was so cringyyy. he was 'insulting' cats and making very low hanging fruit type of jokes. 🤢

[@defectivepikachu4582]

conan tends to get a bit carried away too tho but yeah overall better than everyone else

[@johno195]

I like how you included Everlong at the end when it was a quasi handoff from Letterman to that new duo. That was the last song played on Letttermans show

[@dunderheadgood]

i’m a teenager, and i love conan’s work. there’s something so endearing about comedy that’s just wacky and genuine. it’s not that young people don’t like late night, it’s just that no hosts understand young people don’t want shoehorned references to things suits think young people like. we just want a person who can make people laugh with him

[@acutelilmint8035]

lol ellen and kimmel are great at doing cringe stuff like that. not authentic at all. also its too woke and political.. conan had a lot of silly skits.. so he was really loved internationally - when he went tot korea there was masses of fans.. - there’s no fans of any jimmys there.. or cordons. it shows that conan’s humour is universal

[@dunderheadgood]

@@acutelilmint8035 i agree! i don’t think there’s anything wrong with politics in late night, but a lot of it is presented without humor 😅

[@sznio]

The thing about Conan is, the main part of the show - the interviews - are not funny. When he just goofs in his office, goes on a tour, or bullies Jordan Schlansky, then he has the chance to do the funny. There's no comedy in interviews.

[@dunderheadgood]

@@sznio the interviews are the best part of the show if the guests are good, imo

[@CountryLifestyle2023]

Agreed, but I am in my 30s lol Most late night shows aren't funny, and don't provide enough discourse to make up for the lack of comed Conan is a gem.

[@Potatoincrime]

In Ireland we have a late-night talk show called "The Tommy Tiernan Show" where the host doesn't know who the guests are and has to ask them questions on the spot. It works really well and makes people tune in every week. I believe at one stage it has more people tuning in than our longest running talk show "The Late Late Show" which shows how much people like it. It really freshens up the old formatting, plus Tommy Tiernen also being a comedian makes it so enjoyable when he knows a guest and they're pretty much having a normal conversation. I'd definitely give it a watch.

[@MrWadeBarrett]

Lol you really believe that he doesn't know which guests are coming?

[@Potatoincrime]

@@MrWadeBarrett Not in the newer episodes, but I think in the first season he definitely didn't know.

[@begformiuiruma257]

The Late Late Show used to be a really incredible platform with Gay Byrne, but Tubridy is just so bland and I rarely hear anyone talk about the show and it's guests. It's more of an old people show that rides off of it's historical importance and popularity. Irish TV has always been behind the mark anyways to be honest, very few exceptions imo but I'm not too fond of it in the first place.

[@delacaravanio]

@@MrWadeBarrett Well, he probably doesn’t. It’s not a late night show, it’s prime time (one episode a week; Saturday nights). The segments aren’t long. The guests aren’t celebrities promoting something, instead they’re regular people with interesting lives and the host is a celebrity (famous standup who has matured into a more philosophical routine). It would not work on regular US network TV as it’s often boring, but as the TV channel that puts it out here is a public service broadcaster, so isn’t totally reliant on advertisers, it can therefore gamble. PBS could make it.

[@Inevitablyinconsidered]

Tommy tiernan is a genuine comedic genius though and the wit that man has is beyond enviable would be very hard to replicate under american televison constraints and with a host that was anything less than the genius that is tommy, saw him only a few weeks ago and he was hysterical.

[@johnpoiuz4662]

You know what? This is one of the best summaries of shows like this. Literally watching this for the fifth time, and will do more. Great job, dude.

[@MegaMan-bs3oy]

Conan wrote for SNL and Simpsons in its prime. I mean what more proof do you need that the man is a genius?

[@joelscb]

He’s a harvard grad too

[@billymays1761]

Exactly, I grew up on Conan humor before I knew who he was.

[@tom4150]

He wasn't a main writer. On his show he is goofy and not that funny.

[@jukkaramo3351]

@@tom4150 He never said that, so what´s your point.

[@sindri1447]

@@tom4150 I barely ever laughed at the first 2 seasons of Simpsons. That show isn't as funny as people would have you believe either. It got funnier over time and then lost it's luster within the first 10 season mark.

[@UltraAlex2000]

"how corporatism ruined comedy": oh you mean like music, art, videogames, social media, movies, TV shows, politics and much more? No way, I did not see it coming.

[@tallskeleton]

Those Minions bananas be hittin

[@samplager4482]

@@tallskeleton I LOVE MINIONS

[@tobiramasenju6290]

@chobopanda dont forget food 😂😂😂 that made me lol so hard

[@roughhabit9085]

Marketers seem to have the mentality that entertainment needs to be directed at extroverts which is a recipe for mediocrity.

[@brown-eyedcheese5440]

Capitalism...

[@CT99234]

Really interesting. Would recommend a documentary on the history of late night shows that was on the Sky documentary channel in the UK.

[@rebeccamccoy2346]

You’ve hit the nail on the head with Colbert. I am so finished with him and I loved his old persona.

[@TheBrooklyntree]

Team Coco has started posting Scraps, which are largely outtakes from rehearsals, and they're hilarious and endearing, and demonstrate Conan's humanity, brilliance, and connections with his team. The Scraps support your point about the importance of authenticity - they're incredibly authentic (more than we've ever seen), and that's a large part of what makes them amazing.