40 Random Bits of Late-Night Talk Show Trivia That Were All, At One Point in Time, Vying for ‘The Tonight Show’
As kids, we had no idea that late-night shows were so competitive with each other. We were just thrilled to be up that late. While slamming popcorn and chuckling along to a masturbating bear, terms like “ratings” and “time slots” meant absolutely nothing to us — that is, until certain “Late Night Wars” forced us to grow up a little too quickly.
We started getting more into the drama than the masturbating bear! It wasn’t right. We were just thrilled that after the dust settled, the bear was still there.
Peter Lassally
Craig Ferguson: Punk Rocker
Johnny Carson
NBC
Madonna
Letterman’s Retirement
Stephen Colbert Is a Tolkien Expert
More: 6 Famous Stars You Didn't Realize Were Bigger Geeks Than You
Andy Samberg
Source: Scoop Byte
John Krasinski and Jimmy Kimmel
Harmony Korine
Melissa McCarthy
Airplane!
Seth Meyers
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock,
Flamingo Books
Stephen Colbert
The Late Shift
Source: Starsinsider
Paul Rudd
TBS, Orion Pictures
Jay vs. Dave
John Oliver
HBO
David Letterman Extortion Attempt
Conan Theft (Non-Jay Leno Division)
Joan Rivers
Ron Shock
Lions Gate
Ted with Johnny Carson
Sources: ScreenCrush/YouTube, Johnny Carson/YouTube
Conan O’Brien
Source: Observer
Conan Got Crunk
Graham Norton
BBC
Jaywalking
NBC
Bobcat Goldthwait
Source: Collider
David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists
CBS
Scarlett Johansson
Jay Leno’s ‘Headlines’
NBC
Conan O’Brien’s Clueless Gamer
TBS
Jack Nicholson
Warner Bros.
Mean Tweets.
ABC
Monica Lewinsky Jokes
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
TBS
Artie Lange
Wally the Cue Card Guy
NBC
Kermit the Frog
The Masturbating Bear
NBC
I Was the Masturbating Bear on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’