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2 • December 23 - 29, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kenneth Andeel TV Media W ith 2019 looming on the hori- zon, it's time for retrospec- tives about 2018's year in televi- sion to start pouring in. One corner of the TV world that is always worth a look is the realm of late- night talk, that distinctly North American format that shot to pop- ularity — and eventual universali- ty — during the second half of the 20th century. Beginning with shows like NBC's "The Tonight Show" (launched in 1954), the late-night formula spread from network to network, evolving across many iterations and be- coming a necessary staple for ev- ery major programming provider. Cable networks stepped up their late-night game in 2018. Dur- ing the summer, Samantha Bee ("Full Frontal with Samantha Bee") made headlines battling with the Trump administra- tion over its controver- sial immigration poli- cies, and the new show saw a modest rise in ratings for her trouble. In October, E! launched "Busy Tonight," a new take on the traditional talk show hosted by actress and so- cial media sen- sation Busy Philipps ("Dawson's Creek"). Early recep- tion to her show has been mixed, but Philipps came out of the gate with the blessing of other hosts, cutting a promo for "Busy To- night" that featured late-night staples such as Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Andy Cohen and others. Speaking of late-night staples, O'Brien is changing the formula of his show in an effort to accommo- date young viewers who are routine- ly cutting cords and looking for more streamlined con- tent. Earlier this year, O'Brien announced that his TBS show "Co- nan" will be condensed down to a half-hour for- mat and will spurn some of the formal trappings associated with late-night TV. O'Brien's goal is to trim the fat endemic to the late-night tradition in order to offer lean, incisive epi- sodes instead of longer ones pad- ded with filler. His plan involves downsizing to one guest per night and editing the show's best mate- rial into a half-hour daily episode, while offering additional daily ma- terial online for people interested in seeking it out. "Conan" has generally boasted the youngest average audience of the major late-night shows, so it makes ab- solute sense for him to make changes that will keep those young, media-savvy audiences connected to his show. When the subject of late-night talk shows is raised, though, what most people think of is the old standard, pioneered by the likes of Steve Allen and Johnny Carson (both of "The Tonight Show"). The formula is familiar: monologue, guests, maybe a live performance. Many of the major networks' late- night talk shows have this blue- print in common, which makes them easy to compare and makes minor differences between host- ing styles and subtle fluctuations in ratings a lot more meaningful. If there was a 2018 winner in the late-night wars, it was proba- bly Colbert of CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Colbert took over for David Letter- man when he retired in 2015, and he began his nightly ratings battle with Jimmy Fallon, who replaced Jay Leno as host of "The Tonight Show" in 2014. In the immediate aftermath of the host switches of 2014-15, Fallon managed to hang onto Leno's ratings lead, but in re- cent years, Colbert's distinct host- ing and interviewing style has eroded that lead. Colbert started to pull ahead in 2017, when his overall viewership numbers began to regularly outdo Fallon's on a nightly basis. At that point, Fallon still retained one notch in his belt that was arguably superior to total viewership. While "The Tonight Show" had fewer overall viewers, it retained a solid lead in the most coveted demo- graphic: viewers aged 18 to 49. Colbert had greater overall num- bers, but Fallon's slightly smaller audience consisted of a more de- sirable group. In 2018, though, buoyed by cov- erage of the U.S. midterm elec- tions, Colbert finally managed to overtake Fallon within that cov- eted demo. Of course, the victory wasn't complete or permanent — after the excitement of election week, Fallon's show retook the lead it had previously clung to — but now "The Late Show" has proven it can get over the hump and will be looking to do so on a regular basis. It's worth noting that overall viewership numbers for both "The Late Show" and "The Tonight Show" are down compared to pre- vious years, a symptom of the on- going migration of viewers from traditional television to on-de- mand viewing and streaming through non-network sources. The late-night television land- scape is wider than it has ever been before, and a multitude of choices are available for viewers chasing different types of content. While political humor and social commentary has been dominating the current scene, it's possible for people to find almost any combi- nation of host and show to vibe with their taste. The next year of late-night TV will continue to re- spond to the expanding desires of audiences and the continued pres- sure that digital media is exerting on traditional TV. The night shift Late-night talk shows fared well in 2018 Cover Story this week Conan O'Brien as seen in "Conan" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon The TSA just released a list of items you can and can't take on a plane for Thanksgiving. You can take a frozen turkey, but only if it's an emotional support frozen turkey. This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and tomorrow Trump is pardoning a turkey. Then after the ceremony, the turkey will be sent to live on a farm upstate with Jeff Sessions. Americans actually get to vote on which turkey Trump pardons, and I saw that the two finalists are named Peas and Carrots. When he heard they're named after vegetables, Trump was like, "Forget it, they're both goners." The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Soon we'll all gather with our families, our loved ones and, if we're lucky, people who fall into both categories. It will be rough for people at the parade here in New York as it's projected to be the coldest Thanksgiving since 1996. In 1996, they had to cancel the big finale, Jamiroquai and Dolly the cloned sheep's tribute to Netscape Navigator. Thankfully, another beloved Thanksgiving tradition is stronger than ever: arguing at the dinner table. According to a new research, Americans are more divided than ever. So I would avoid controversial subjects like politics, religion, sports, movies and how much voter ID you need to buy cereal. The Late Late Show With James Corden As you know, Thanksgiving is Thursday, and according to an official analysis, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner is the lowest it's been since 2010. That's the upside. The downside is that's literally the only thing in the world right now that's as good as it was in 2010. Compared to last year, people are saving an average of 22 cents a meal. You know what that means? Everyone is getting an extra half spoon of cranberry sauce. Jimmy Kimmel Live World AIDS Day is Dec. 1, which — that is something I don't understand — why is it that AIDS only gets a day? Sharks get a whole week! Thanksgiving is almost upon us. I hope you are ready to fight with your family. This year, they say the average Thanksgiving meal for 10 people is expected to cost $48.90. I don't know where they get these estimates. The average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people doesn't cost $48.90. Unless you are buying your ingredients in a dumpster behind the supermarket, right? Late Laughs 001803281r1

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