Late-night TV has always been an American legacy. From Johnny Carson to Stephen Colbert or my favorite, Conan O’Brien, American families have been welcoming late-night hosts into their homes for decades. I remember begging my parents to let me stay up and watch my favorite celebrities do “Carpool Karaoke” with James Corden or a “Lip Sync Battle” with Jimmy Fallon.
As I got older and gained the freedom to stay up late, I stopped watching the broadcasts and started catching clips on social media the next day. Late-night TV was replaced by doomscrolling and podcasts. It felt like every joke about current events had already been made on social media before the hosts could even write a monologue.
However, about two years ago, I decided I wanted to stop scrolling before bed or starting new shows only to fall asleep halfway through. I had recently seen a TikTok about a guest appearing on “The Tonight Show,” so I decided to use my grandparents’ cable login and tune in. I ended up watching every night, even staying up for “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” I swapped doomscrolling for full interviews with celebrities, musical performances and the same silly bits that made me beg my parents to stay up years ago. While some of the jokes are corny, I found myself giggling and genuinely intrigued.
I also started watching John Mulaney’s limited series talk show, “Everybody’s In LA,” which streamed live on Netflix. Mulaney is a classic choice for a host, a former “SNL” writer and stand-up comic. His show focused on a different topic every night and featured viewers calling in live to get advice or share stories. The show was a hit and might represent a new format for the genre. Using streaming platforms reduces network pressure and opens the medium up to a new generation of viewers.
Now, I see viral clips and interviews before they blow up, and I’m discovering new artists constantly. I finally understand why our parents and grandparents would gather around the TV at 11:30 p.m. every night. In an age where it’s so easy to binge-watch a Netflix series or fall a YouTube rabbit hole, it’s easy to see why we almost lost this tradition, but I’m glad I found my way back to it.