7 months and a mule

Today's blog is going to be one big

Question of the Week:

The lowest-rated of the major broadcast networks is trying to turn things around by personally offending and eventually losing their best late-night talent. While the proverbial chips continue to fall, all of the network late-night hosts are sniping at and laughing at each other (especially the ones who still have jobs). So, the QotW is: how would you rank the late-night hosts/shows?

My take:

Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show: I've watched and loved Conan for years, and when he moved to The Tonight Show at 11:35, I was stoked (though also a bit conflicted because of number two on my list). Now, only seven months later, it seems he's done at NBC and may not have a place to land, though FOX is evidently interested. Conan's comedy is occasionally silly or even immature, but I think that worked perfectly on Late Night because it was late at night and now works well at any time because our cultural sense of humor has seen a significant shift in that silly and immature direction. (South Park, Family Guy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, even The Office all fit that description to a degree.) Conan has also reunited with Andy Richter since moving to The Tonight Show, and I've decided I like the dedicated sidekick much more than the sidekick/band leader that most late-night shows have gone to in the past 20 years. If that's not enough, Conan also wrote for The Simpsons when it was still getting its legs. Wherever Conan ends up, I'll be watching.

Late Show with David Letterman: I often consider Letterman's humor to be old-man humor. I don't know why – maybe because he's always seemed old. Regardless, I've loved Letterman since I was young. He's weird and perhaps a bit narcissistic though still self-deprecating, but his flaws and mistakes – of which there are many – usually make him seem more human and more likable rather than the opposite. Obviously his Top Ten list is a cultural icon at this point. Whenever I actively watch the shows at 11:35, I usually switch between Letterman and Conan. By the way, Letterman is lapping up this current controversy. He's been vindicated.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: After a brief period of fandom, I lost interest in Jimmy Fallon's career, but tried to keep an open mind when his show premiered in March of last year. That was not immediately rewarded. I remember in the first few weeks even Fallon would get so angry at his monologue jokes that he would take them into the stands and ask audience members if they could do any better. That's since become more of a reward for audience members than I suppose a punishment, but it points to both the immense shoes Fallon had to fill (Conan's) and the early mediocrity of the writing. The show has improved, fairly dramatically, since those opening weeks, but it's still not great. Fallon is a decent though still inexperienced interviewer, the monologue is usually about half funny, and his audience involvement pieces are actually pretty good. But, the best part about the show is easily the house band: The Roots.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Other than during its premiere week, the most I've seen of Jimmy Kimmel's show is on ESPN. So, basically Kimmel gets this spot because of his sports references. I also give him a lot of respect for calling Leno out on Leno's show. I also liked Kimmel's work on Comedy Central, though I doubt I'd appreciate it much now. Either way, I've entered territory of shows that I don't watch very often, so these decisions are bit less informed.

Last Call with Carson Daly: Carson Daly isn't very funny. I get the feeling that both he and Jimmy Fallon were given late-night shows based more on their connections in show business rather than on their comedic ability. For the first few years, Carson's show was obviously unfunny though still attempted to be. However, the last time I watched it (maybe a couple months ago), it seemed like the show had taken a dramatic though genuinely positive turn. Carson had gone away from the traditional hosting-behind-a-desk-with-a-couch thing and was doing a more of a LA-tour-guide-with-great-musical-guests-and-very-personal-interviews-thing. I liked this new format, as it seemed to mesh much more with what Carson is good at: spotting and getting to know musical talent. I actually promised myself I'd watch more of his show, but it's on so late.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: I've tried to watch Ferguson, but I don't like his humor at all. I turned it on the other night knowing that I would write this blog, and he was hiding underneath the camera holding a fox puppet in the camera's view. The fox was talking. I tried to pay attention. It wasn't funny.

Jay Leno: I've also never found Jay Leno to be funny. His best segment seems to have always been the funny headlines segment, which is specifically not written by his staff (since they use actual funny headlines). My understanding of late-night history is that Leno's popularity only surpassed Letterman's because of one important interview with a freshly-hookered Hugh Grant. I tend to object to that decision by the American people. Regardless of his funniness, Leno has consistently appeared as the villain in late-night wars to me, first when he essentially stole The Tonight Show from Letterman (chronicled in the HBO film The Late Shift) and now as he essentially steals the show again from Conan.

Wanda Sykes gets a blue ribbon for participation.