Favorite "Tonight Show" Host: Carson, Leno, O'Brien or Fallon

[Dead2009]

I used to watch The Tonight Show when Leno was at the helm. His headlines on mondays were hilarious, I also watched Conan from time to time but it was after Leno went off the air. Who did you watch and who were your favorites?

 

[Pure Steel]

Fallon is dead last in any discussion……

 

[Clayton]

I think you listed them in order in the title. Although Lenos 1,000 Monica Lewinsky jokes wouldn't fly these days

 

[Pure Steel]

Letterman should be on the list

 

[Battlelyon]

Carson was it.

 

[calsnowskier]

Letterman should be on the list

“Tonight Show”

And if we are talking about any late night host, Craig Ferguson has to be in the discussion.

 

[Pure Steel]

“Tonight Show”

Oops

 

[calsnowskier]

I never saw Allen or Paar, but of all the other hosts I think it is in this order…

Carson
Leno
O’Brien

Thats it. That’s the order of ALL the hosts of the Tonight Show.

 

[Janus]

I liked Carson. One half of the greatest conversation EVER on tv.

 

[DonMan]

Letterman originally aired as "Late Night with David Letterman", which was on after Carson from 1982-1993.
when Carson retired and NBC gave that time slot to Jay Leno, Dave moved over to CBS as "Late Show with David Letterman, which lasted until 2015.

prior to Letterman, the late-late time slot after Carson was occupied by Tom Snyder. One show in particular I remember watching was him interviewing Charles Manson. that show apparently aired in 1981:

 

[redskinsfan1963]

carson absolutely killed it every night.

 

[BigFin]

In terms of just late night talk show hosts, O’Brien is my favorite. Letterman isn’t far behind. Carson retired when I was a kid but I enjoy watching a lot of his clips.

Carson
Letterman
O’Brien
In terms of how great they were

 

[Battlelyon]

So everyone agrees Fallon is the worst

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Carson was a bit before my time. So for me, Leno was my preference with Conan in 2nd.

 

[Duffman]

Just by judging strictly off the tonight show I give Leno the nod over Conan. But Conan is my favorite overall, just his TS stuff wasnt as good as his Late Night stuff or stuff on TBS,

 

[PatsFan2003]

carson absolutely killed it every night.

He was really good when the material wasn't that funny and he could make that funny.

 

[Edonidd]

I loved Conan, but he never really found his stride on the tonight show.
Carson was before my time.
Leno had a good solid peak. But much of the time I watched it he was just too old and out of touch, or at least targeting a different demographic. Half his jokes and bits would be like man on the street interviews and showing teenagers and meth heads pictures of the prime minister of Sweden or the attorney General or somebody relatively obscure and then laughing that they didn't know who it was.
Honestly Jimmy Fallon is the least funny, but he's found his niche at least.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

 

[PatsFan2003]

I never saw Allen or Paar, but of all the other hosts I think it is in this order…

Carson
Leno
O’Brien

Thats it. That’s the order of ALL the hosts of the Tonight Show.

I loved Steve Allen as a kid. He had his own show then. Very silly stuff for someone my age.

"Smock! Smock!"

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Joan Rivers.