Democracy Dies in Darkness

How late-night television lost its relevance

A classic and silly American genre is fighting for its life against dwindling viewers and a vengeful president.

11 min
A stack of vintage TVs featuring late night hosts that progressively get more static-y and unseeable.
(Chelsea Conrad/The Washington Post; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images; Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP; Valerie Terranova/Getty Images; Amy Harris/Invision/AP; iStock)
11 min
Column by

Late night isn’t dead. Yet.

But its future, which was never exactly bright, might be cratering. The hoary format’s downward slide has, up until this point, been comparatively slow, with advertising dollars dwindling and viewership declining as audiences drift to faster, more casual platforms. But the financial pressures, together with a vengeful president and a corporate culture willing to appease him, might be more than the genre can withstand.

Already a subscriber? Sign in

Ways to read this article:

Create account
Free
One week
$5 USD
one-time payment
Monthly
$1 USD
every week
Access this article and personalize your experience.
Add your email address
paypal
Card