Clockwise from left: Eric Andre , Space Ghost , Zach Galifianakis , Ziwe Fumudoh , Scott Aukerman
Late-night talk shows are a comfort watch. Designed to put adults to bed after our daily fill of the horror and mayhem of living a life, the form allows us to process the daily news with a light chuckle before bedtime. Luminaries like Jack Parr, Johnny Carson, and, yes, even Jimmy Fallon tuck us into bed with a couple of jokes, a few songs, and the world’s most beautiful people gabbing about their upcoming projects.
the anti-talk show in some way or another, giving the form a new ball to play with, pushing the boundaries a little further, and expressing the generation’s exhaustion with the old guard. Some are narrative series, others are spin-offs, and one is just straight-up a real talk show. These are the series that poked holes in late-night traditions, made guests and the hosts look like crap, and amused by allowing chaos to reign.