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Late Night TV

T

TVCOOL

I wonder since ratings for the late night shows on ABC, CBS and NBC which is a far cry from Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O' Brien and David Letterman would the networks just ax the whole late night programming and give the 11:35(10:35) hour back to the local stations.
 
TVCOOL said:
I wonder since ratings for the late night shows on ABC, CBS and NBC which is a far cry from Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O' Brien and David Letterman would the networks just ax the whole late night programming and give the 11:35(10:35) hour back to the local stations.
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Because it’s lucrative.
 
With a shrinking audience for years saying the same thing every night Anti-Trump this and that and people get tired of it.
 
TVCOOL said:
With a shrinking audience for years saying the same thing every night Anti-Trump this and that and people get tired of it.
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Uh-huh....and that’s based on what? As the pool of choices gets bigger, individual slices shrink. Nothing new there. But it’s still a daypart with a highly desirable audience to specific advertisers. What network making good coin would give that up?

Some people may dislike one type of humor or another. That doesn’t speak for the target audience at large.
 
Imagine if the three networks (i.e. Original Big Three) drops the 10pm and gives it to affiates which would put their news at 10pm and push the late night talk to 10:55 or 11:05 pm.
 
I think that’s a good idea, but two hurdles; I think the networks would not want to give up their last hour of Prime Time; unless maybe they could get back the 7 to 8 E.S.T. hour.

Also I would want some type of assurance that the original big three networks would actually have news and now some new-entertainment feature or syndicated programs.
 
AbrahamJSimpson said:
Because it’s lucrative.
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I think we're far removed from the day that late-night TV watchers would be satisfied with old movies, and off-network reruns. Even if a network is #3 or #4 in late-night, why should they give it up if they are making money? And as far as I know, no one show dominates the ratings, as Johnny Carson did during his era. Johnny eliminated Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, and other competition because his ratings were so much higher than the others. The only exception I can think of was Dick Cavett, who lasted quite a few years - but his audience was significantly different from Carson's.

From what I know, the Jimmys, and Colbert trade #1 back and forth from time to time, and are never very far apart in ratings. I would think Conan is kind of a prestige show for TBS, driving viewers to the network that would not otherwise be watching, and will hopefully see the teasers for other TBS programs, and check them out too. I don't think it matters much to them that O'Brien's ratings are so low compared to the Big 3.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised that Fox hasn't tried to get back into late-night.
 
LKellerIII said:
I think we're far removed from the day that late-night TV watchers would be satisfied with old movies, and off-network reruns. Even if a network is #3 or #4 in late-night, why should they give it up if they are making money? And as far as I know, no one show dominates the ratings, as Johnny Carson did during his era. Johnny eliminated Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, and other competition because his ratings were so much higher than the others. The only exception I can think of was Dick Cavett, who lasted quite a few years - but his audience was significantly different from Carson's.

From what I know, the Jimmys, and Colbert trade #1 back and forth from time to time, and are never very far apart in ratings. I would think Conan is kind of a prestige show for TBS, driving viewers to the network that would not otherwise be watching, and will hopefully see the teasers for other TBS programs, and check them out too. I don't think it matters much to them that O'Brien's ratings are so low compared to the Big 3.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised that Fox hasn't tried to get back into late-night.
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With all these reboots, it'd be nice if Fox had ARSENIO HALL!!! host a late night show...a good chunk of Fox stations (including my local Fox station) aired him in his original run.
 
AbrahamJSimpson said:
Uh-huh....and that’s based on what? As the pool of choices gets bigger, individual slices shrink. Nothing new there. But it’s still a daypart with a highly desirable audience to specific advertisers. What network making good coin would give that up?
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ABC did with LMS.
 
landtuna said:
ABC did with LMS.
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With respect, it would be great if posters would not assume that everybody reading their posts can tell what their acronyms mean. "LMS" only took me a few seconds because Landtuna has posted a number of times about Last Man Standing, but if it had not been him, I likely would have said, 'What? Oh, f**k it,' and moved on to another post.
 
LKellerIII said:
With respect, it would be great if posters would not assume that everybody reading their posts can tell what their acronyms mean. "LMS" only took me a few seconds because Landtuna has posted a number of times about Last Man Standing, but if it had not been him, I likely would have said, 'What? Oh, f**k it,' and moved on to another post.
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My apologies. Will try to remember to spell it out in the future. AR (oops, I mean out!) :cool:
 
What would the local stations air at that hour?

Judge Judy? Columbo reruns? The latest infomercial for copper cookware?

Would any of that be any more profitable than what they have now?
 
For the stations, perhaps (depending on variables). But the networks aren't ceding a portion of those time slots yet....and it would be the "late late" show type programs to disappear first, if and/or when that day comes.
 
AbrahamJSimpson said:
For the stations, perhaps (depending on variables). But the networks aren't ceding a portion of those time slots yet....and it would be the "late late" show type programs to disappear first, if and/or when that day comes.
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The Late Late Show with James Corden is getting cancelled?
 
Late night programming is a big money maker for the networks because it costs so little. Sure Colbert, Fallon & Kimmel get a few million dollars a year, plus they pay a big staff including comedy writers. But these shows air five nights a week, so you're spreading your costs over five hours a week of programming. This is why NBC and CBS follow their 11:35 shows with 12:35 shows. And NBC even has a 1:35 show, then repeats of Kathie Lee & Hoda and Mad Money, for stations that want to take those shows.

CBS and ABC air all night news, as well. It costs little since the news stories were already done for the Evening News or for feeding to local affiliates. I'm surprised that the networks don't air overnight programming seven nights a week.

As for why Fox has no late night show? The Fox Network actually started many years ago with an 11pm show hosted by Joan Rivers. Then it tried one with Chevy Chase. Both ended not so well. The Fox affiliates apparently want that time for themselves. After a 10pm newscast, most Fox stations air reruns of recent network sitcoms at 11 and 11:30, which generate a good amount of revenue for the local station. So whenever Fox floats the idea of starting an 11pm talk/comedy show, the affiliates say we don't want it.
 
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