As the bile of partisan politics washes over American life, late-night television has been swept into the combat.
The cancellation of by CBS, the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show on ABC and President Donald Trump’s public demands that they both be fired ignited the recent controversy. It’s raised issues about free speech, censorship and editorial independence. It’s also raised questions about one-sided partisan programming.
When late-night TV emerged as an entertainment powerhouse, shows competed on the star power of hosts and guests. Who had the wittiest monologue, the best skits, the funniest stories? Now the question too often is: Which host matches my political bias?
The late-night genre began in 1954 with “The Tonight Show” — originally titled just “Tonight.” Host Steve Allen established the format we’ve come to know: the desk, the band, the monologue, big personalities on couches and a live audience. Allen’s calling card was an infectious laugh, not a partisan edge.
Jack Paar followed. His “I kid you not” catchphrase became a national punchline. Conversational and literate, he brought on a striking range of guests — Muhammad Ali, William F. Buckley Jr., the Kennedys, Ronald Reagan, even Fidel Castro. These guests were meant to open minds and satisfy audience curiosity.
Paar also had a flair for drama and self-deprecation. Angry at NBC’s format changes, he once quit in the middle of a show. A month later, he returned with a shrug: “I believe my last words were that there must be a better way of making a living than this. Well, I’ve looked… and there isn’t.”
Then came Johnny Carson, the king of late-night television for 30 years. His couch welcomed everyone from Elizabeth Taylor and Don Rickles to Richard Nixon and Martin Luther King Jr. His monologue and skits crackled with humor, and his reaction shots — those perfectly timed double takes — were physical comedy at its finest.
Late-night hosts have always made fun of politicians, as they should; it’s a strength of democracy that they can. But in earlier days of TV, these hosts usually avoided constricting themselves by partisan identification. Those were the days — if not of innocence, at least of a rough balance. As Jay Leno later said, “Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole?”
A recent poll by the Economist/YouGov found that 40% of Americans opposed the cancellation of Colbert’s “The Late Show” and 24% were OK with it. Results were sharply partisan: While 54% of Republicans favored dumping Colbert, only 2% of Democrats did. A mere 9% of Donald Trump voters and a whopping 83% of Kamala Harris voters opposed cancellation.
Asked in the same poll to name their favorite late-night host, those surveyed produced a near four-way tie: NBC’s Jimmy Fallon 13%, Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld 12%, CBS’s Stephen Colbert 12% and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel 11%, with Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart at 8% and HBO’s John Oliver at 5%.
It was no surprise that Democrats put Kimmel and Colbert on top and Republicans lined up behind Gutfeld. Independents leaned toward Fallon. Ideology tracked similarly: Liberals favored Colbert, conservatives picked Gutfeld and moderates chose Fallon.
Keep in mind, these aren’t network ratings, but a simple popularity contest among show hosts.
The most polarized audience belonged to Gutfeld, who drew 30% of Republicans and just 1% of Democrats. Colbert followed with 22% of Democrats and 3% of Republicans; Kimmel drew 23% of Democrats and 5% of Republicans. Fallon’s appeal was broadest — 14% among Republicans, 14% among Democrats, 13% among independents.
Digging into demographics, the poll had Gutfeld leading other hosts among Whites; Kimmel led among Black viewers. Kimmel led with Hispanics and the youngest adults (18-29). Gutfeld led those 65 and older. College graduates preferred Colbert; those without degrees selected Fallon. Fallon and Kimmel did somewhat better with women; Stewart and Gutfeld did slightly better with men.
The future of late-night comedy is uncertain. Social media and podcasts are siphoning its viewers, as political controversy makes audiences smaller and more targeted.
It’s time to remember the value of late-night television that makes room for viewers of every persuasion. After all, who wants partisan hectoring to be the last thing they hear before going to bed?