Late-Night TV – What Can Reverse The Decline?
In late April, after James Corden announced he would step down from “The Late Late Show” next spring, there was immediate speculation about his replacement.
Others, however, have had a different response to recent changes to the late-night TV lineup: Who cares?
Ratings are down, they point out. The shows can’t get over their Trump obsession. They represent a bygone era of television.
But in my view, late-night can still matter. Contrary to what some might say, late-night is not “dead,” and it can come back. But if it doesn’t want to fall by the cultural wayside as baseball has, it needs to do what the national pastime hasn’t: adapt and evolve.
Asking the target demographic
For nine years, I wrote for two late-night shows: “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show,” both hosted by Jimmy Fallon....
