Late-night television in the United States is the block of television programming intended for broadcast after 11:00 p.m. and usually through 2:00 a.m. Eastern and Pacific Time (ET/PT), but which informally can include programs aired as late as the designated overnight graveyard slot.
By definition, late night programming begins on the Big Three television networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) at or shortly before 11:35 p.m. ET/PT, after the conclusion of local late-evening newscasts on their owned-and-operated and affiliated stations; late night programming on other broadcast networks, including Fox and PBS, and cable television channels start at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Some streaming services (such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video) have ventured into the late-night talk format at various times in recent years, though these programs are in-format-only, given that episodes are often released before the start of the designated time period.
The following is a list of programs that are currently airing or have previously aired during the late night daypart on American television networks and streaming services.
Current Broadcast Network Program title Format Duration Days Time (ET) Currenthost(s)/anchor(s) Debut Length of runABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! Talk show 60 minutes Monday–Friday Jimmy Kimmel January 26, 2003 Nightline Newsmagazine 30 minutes Monday–Friday Byron Pitts,Juju Chang March 24, 1980 World News Now Overnight newscast 90 minutes Andrew Dymburt,Rhiannon Ally January 6, 1992CBSComics Unleashed with Byron AllenComedy panel30 minutes x 2Monday–Friday Byron AllenSeptember 22, 2025Funny You Should Ask Comedy panel/game show30 minutes x 2Monday—Friday Jon KelleyMay 22, 2026 CBS News Roundup Overnight newscast 60 minutes Monday–Friday Jessi Mitchell May 29, 2024NBC Saturday Night Live Sketch comedy 93 minutes Saturday 11:30 p.m. Varies by week October 11, 1975 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonTalk show 60 minutes Monday–Friday Jimmy Fallon February 17, 2014(Franchise: ) Late Night with Seth Meyers Seth Meyers February 24, 2014(Franchise: ) Early Today Overnight newscast 90 minutes Monday–Friday Nikki BattisteSeptember 9, 1999PBSAmanpour & CompanyWorld affairs; topical discussion60 minutesMonday–FridayChristiane AmanpourSeptember 10, 2018 Retro TV Off-Beat Cinema Midnight movie showcase 120 minutes Saturday Constance Caldwell,Tony Billoni,Jeffrey Roberts October 31, 1993Cable/satellite Network Program title Format Duration Days Time (ET) Current host(s) Debut Length of run Bravo Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Talk show 22 minutes Sunday–Thursday Andy Cohen July 16, 2009 Comedy Central The Daily ShowNews/political satire;talk show 30 minutes Monday–Thursday Jon Stewart (Mondays), guest hosts (Tuesdays–Thursdays) July 22, 1996 Fox News Gutfeld!60 minutes Monday–Friday Greg Gutfeld May 31, 2015Fox News Saturday NightSaturdayJimmy FaillaJune 3, 2023 Fox News @ Night Current affairs; Political commentary Monday–Friday 12:00 a.m. Trace Gallagher October 30, 2017HBO Real Time with Bill Maher News/political satire; talk show Friday Bill Maher February 21, 2003 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver News/political satire; talk show ~ 33 minutes Sunday John Oliver April 27, 2014Streaming Service Program title Format Duration Release day Time (ET) Current host(s) Debut Length of runNetflix My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Talk show 44–58 minutes Friday Streaming David Letterman January 12, 2018 Everybody's Live with John Mulaney 57–59 minutes Wednesday 10 p.m.,Streaming John Mulaney March 12, 2025
In keeping with the broadcast-night convention used for late-night television in the United States, programs beginning at or after midnight are listed under the previous day’s broadcast date.
Past Broadcast networks ABC The Les Crane Show (November 9, 1964 – February 25, 1965) – interview/tabloid talk format with audience questions ABC's Nightlife (March 1–November 12, 1965) – talk/variety series serving as a reformatting of The Les Crane Show; originally featured rotating hosts, before Crane returned as host in June 1965 The Joey Bishop Show (April 17, 1967 – December 26, 1969) The Dick Cavett Show (December 29, 1969 – January 1, 1975) Wide World of Entertainment (January 8, 1973 – October 22, 1982, retitled ABC Late Night in January 1976) – originally a block of comedy/variety programs, talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett (The Dick Cavett Show) and Jack Paar (Jack Paar Tonite), documentaries and specials; reformatted as ABC Late Night in 1976, featuring reruns of ABC prime time shows (such as Soap, The Love Boat and Starsky & Hutch) In Concert (November 24, 1972 – April 25, 1975) – aired Friday nights Jack Paar Tonite (January 1973 – November 1973) - hosted by former NBC Tonight host Jack Paar Comedy News (January 1973 – summer 1974) - satirical news program with an ensemble cast including Robert Klein, Mort Sahl, and Joan Rivers Good Night America (1973 – 1975) – newsmagazine hosted by Geraldo Rivera Fridays (April 11, 1980 – April 23, 1982) – sketch comedy series The Last Word (October 1982–April 1983) – hosted by Phil Donahue and Greg Jackson One on One (April–August 1983) – hosted by Greg Jackson Eye on Hollywood (August 1983–July 1986) – entertainment news/interview program ABC Rocks (June 22, 1984 – August 2, 1985) – music video program; aired Friday nights Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (July – September 1986) – reality/documentary series, hosted by Robin Leach; aired simultaneously on ABC and in syndication The Dick Cavett Show (September 22 – December 30, 1986) – revival of his earlier ABC series, aired Tuesdays and Wednesdays Jimmy Breslin's People (September 1986 – January 1987) – aired Thursdays and Fridays Monday Sportsnite (June – August 1987) – sports discussion program; hosted by Al Trautwig; aired Monday nights Into the Night Starring Rick Dees (July 1990 – July 1991) ABC In Concert (June 7, 1991 – September 11, 1998) – second run on ABC, aired Friday nights ABC In Concert Country (June 4 – August 10, 1994) – country music-focused spin-off; aired Saturday nights Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (January 7, 1997 – July 15, 2002) – topical panel talk show; moved from Comedy Central Nightline Up Close (July 8, 2002 – January 24, 2003) – ABC News spin-off of Nightline, featuring one-on-one interviews conducted by Ted Koppel; temporary replacement for Politically Incorrect following cancellation due to Maher's comments about the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks The Alec Baldwin Show (March 4–December 29, 2018) Celebrity Family Feud (September 17, 2025 — September 22, 2025) - with Steve Harvey. ABC aired repeats of the prime-time game show while Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended due to the controversy over remarks made during Kimmel's monologue following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
CBS The Faye Emerson Show (October 24, 1949 – June 22, 1951) – 15-minute chat show, began as an East Coast program before expanding to the full network, airing three nights a week, by March 1950; Emerson also concurrently hosted a show on NBC for several months in 1950. The Merv Griffin Show (August 18, 1969 – February 11, 1972) The CBS Late Movie (February 14, 1972 – September 20, 1985) – originally formatted as a weeknight movie showcase; began incorporating reruns of CBS series as well as some first-run British imported series during the block's timeslot in 1977 CBS News Nightwatch (October 3, 1982 – March 27, 1992) – overnight topical discussion program; hosted by Harold Dow, Christopher Glenn, Karen Stone, Felicia Jeter, Mary Jo West (1982–84), Charlie Rose and Lark McCarthy (1984–90); various hosts were used from 1990 to 1992 CBS Late Night (September 23, 1985 – January 6, 1989, October 30, 1989 – March 29, 1991) – reformatting of The CBS Late Movie block featuring reruns of CBS series, imported and first-run programs; block was replaced by The Pat Sajak Show in January 1989, and returned following the reduction of Sajak to an hour-long format (from 90 minutes) Keep on Cruisin''' (January – June 1987) – weekly variety series produced by Dick Clark; hosted by Stephen Bishop and Sinbad; aired Fridays In Person from the Palace (June – August 1987) – weekly music series produced by Dick Clark, featuring taped concert performances from the Palace Theater in Hollywood; aired Fridays Top of the Pops (September 1987 – March 1988) – music series based on the BBC pop music show; hosted by Nia Peeples; aired Fridays Overtime... with Pat O'Brien (August 1990) – interview program; canceled after three episodes The Midnight Hour (July – September 1990) – talk/variety show featuring rotating hosts (including comedienne Joy Behar, CBS This Morning weather anchor/co-host Mark McEwen, actor Marc Price, and satirist Bill Maher) and Patrice Rushen as bandleader The Pat Sajak Show (January 9, 1989 – April 13, 1990) – featured Dan Miller as announcer/sidekick and Tom Scott as bandleader; originally running for 90 minutes, for its second season, the talk show was reduced to 60 minutes and began utilizing guest hosts substituting for Sajak on Fridays (such as Paul Rodriguez and Rush Limbaugh) America Tonight (October 3, 1990 – March 28, 1991) – news and interview program produced by CBS News; hosted by Dan Rather, Charles Kuralt and Lesley Stahl America Tonight Friday (October 7, 1990 – March 29, 1991) – Friday edition hosted by Robert Krulwich and Edie Magnus Crimetime After Primetime (April 1, 1991 – January 5, 1995) – weeknight showcase of first-run and Canadian-imported crime dramas Personals (September 1991 – December 1992) – dating game show in which a contestant would choose from three potential dates; the final round featured a series of yes or no questions for the winning couple, with a date destination that declined in quality each time their answers were incompatible (ranging from as high as an exotic location to as low as a trip to Pink's Hot Dogs' Los Angeles stand); hosted by Michael Burger Night Games (October 1991 – June 1992) – dating show in which three men and three women are asked questions containing sexual innuendo, with the winning contestant choosing whom he or she would take on a date; hosted by Jeff Marder, with Luann Lee as his announcer/assistant Up to the Minute (March 30, 1992 – September 18, 2015) – overnight newscast; replaced CBS News Nightwatch The Kids in the Hall (September 18, 1992 – January 6, 1995) – sketch comedy series, aired Fridays; moved from HBO The Late Show (August 30, 1993 – May 21, 2026) Late Show with David Letterman (August 30, 1993 – May 20, 2015) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (September 8, 2015 – May 21, 2026) The Late Late Show (January 9, 1995 – April 27, 2023) The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder (January 9, 1995 – March 26, 1999) The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (March 29, 1999 – August 27, 2004) The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (January 3, 2005 – December 19, 2014) The Late Late Show with James Corden (March 23, 2015 – April 27, 2023) The Talk After Dark (January 12 – 16, 2015) – nighttime edition of CBS daytime program; temporary replacement for the Late Late Show during transition from Craig Ferguson to James Corden. CBS Summer Showcase (May 21 – September 7, 2015) – showcase of CBS drama reruns; temporary replacement for the Late Show during transition from David Letterman to Stephen Colbert as host. CBS Overnight News (September 21, 2015 – May 28, 2024) – overnight newscast; replaced Up to the Minute After Midnight (January 17, 2024 – June 13, 2025) - with Taylor Tomlinson. Comedy panel game show featuring comedians and celebrities competing for fictional prizes. Aired at 12:30 AM in the former Late Late Show slot following The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and produced by Colbert's production company.
NBC The Faye Emerson Show / Fifteen with Faye (April 15–August 1950) – 15-minute talk show