Shows Like Late Show with David Letterman

Letterman's preceding NBC show with the same host, format, sensibility and many recurring bits — the direct predecessor.

Letterman's post-CBS interview series — same host, longer-form but his unmistakable voice and curiosity.

Took Letterman's vacated NBC 12:30 slot and inherited his irreverent, absurdist late-night DNA.

Direct successor in the Ed Sullivan Theater on CBS, inheriting the Late Show franchise and time slot.

Same monologue/desk/band/guest format with a host firmly in the Letterman lineage of weird late-night comedy.

Network late-night talk show with celebrity interviews, comedy bits and a house band — same form factor.

Current occupant of the Late Night franchise Letterman invented; same desk-and-monologue structure.

Letterman's direct head-to-head 1990s rival; identical late-night network talk-show format.

Celebrity-couch chat show with comic host — UK cousin of Letterman's celebrity-interview format.

Scripted satire of a Letterman-style late-night talk show; not a real talk show but deeply about that world.

Late-night comedy desk show with monologue and interviews, but news-satire focused rather than celebrity chat.

Late-night comedy host format descended from the Letterman/Daily Show tradition, but a deep-dive news-comedy show.

Surreal parody of the late-night talk-show format with desk, sidekick and celebrity guests.

Absurdist talk-show parody with real celebrity guests — directly riffs on the Letterman desk format.

Loose celebrity-interview format hosted by a comic, but stripped of the late-night studio trappings.

Variety predecessor that aired in the same theater Letterman later used; shared celebrity/variety lineage.

Letterman idolized and modeled himself on Carson; the canonical late-night talk show Late Show descends from.

Current Tonight Show — same monologue/sketch/interview/band format as Late Show.