Talk Shows

A talk show (American and Australian English) or chat show (British) is a television or radio programme where one person (or group of people) will discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host. Sometimes, talk shows feature a panel of guests, usually consisting of a group of people who are learned or who have great experience in relation to whatever issue is being discussed on the show for that episode. Other times, a single guest discusses their work or area of expertise with a host or co-hosts. A call-in show takes live phone calls from callers listening at home, in their cars, etc.

Television talk shows often feature celebrity guests who talk about their work and personal lives as well as their latest films, TV shows, music recordings or other projects they’d like to promote to the public. The hosts are often comedians who open the shows with comedy monologues and have become a brand in many TV channels. Find below a list of the most popular shows around the world, if you click on the different links, you’ll be taken to the programme’s web.

MOST POPULAR TV TALK SHOWS IN AMERICA

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is more than just an hour-long talk show featuring some of Hollywood’s hottest stars and some of the funniest hometown humor on the airwaves. The Tonight Show is the talk show – practically a national treasure – hosted by such greats as Jack Paar and Johnny Carson and is considered to be the longest currently-running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States.

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Good Morning America

Nearly always second in the ratings among morning talk shows, Good Morning America – or GMA- is nowadays hosted by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts, the morning news and talk show has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. It includes a floksy and down-to-earth approach to news and features sections such as news, weather, recipes, health and special-interest stories.

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Describing The Oprah Winfrey Show is fairly simple. Describing its global impact and the world-wide appeal of its host is not. Let’s just say it, “Oprah is all-powerful.” The way the one-time local Chicago newswoman has developed a career and television show that influences and inspires millions of people around the world is just amazing to behold.

Oprah welcomes guests onto an airy set consisting of a few pieces of comfortable, modern furniture. The audience envelopes Oprah and her guest in a semi-circle. Shows may feature a theme, usually a social issue or topical event, and guests who complement the theme or they may feature celebrity guests. Occasionally the show will devote the hour to one guest or one subject. Spanish newspaper El País offered a leading article about her.

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show follows a very particular format. It opens with a topical monologue. Ellen traditionally ends her monologue with a jazzy dance through the audience and to her set. It follows with banter and a comedy bit from the setand interviews complete the programme together with games up to a comedic final act.

Since the show’s debut in 2003, Ellen has kept the program light and happy.Ellen’s guests are often A-listers either hawking a project or just sitting down to visit.

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Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a live late-night television sketch comedy and variety show. The show’s sketches often parody contemporary American popular culture and politics. Each week, the show features a host who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. A musical guest is also invited to perform. A failed version of it was tried in Spain; 5 comedians, Eva Hache among them, led the programme together with the celebrity that acted as a guest and co-hosted the show.

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From New York comes the The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman, the late night heir to Johnny Carson, hosts one of the longest running late night talk shows in history – 25 years. After a series of shots of New York City as the CBS Orchestra performs the Late Show theme, Letterman walks out on the show stage to perform his stand-up monologue based on pop culture, current events, and politics. He then introduces one or two video jokes such as a running gag or fake commercial/public service announcement. Letterman reads the Top Ten List at this point before turning to guest interviews with a celebrity, politician, or public figure.

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MOST POPULAR TV CHAT SHOWS IN BRITAIN

The Graham Norton Show is a comedy late night chat show that is broadcast on BBC One. The show includes strong adult humour along with Graham’s monologue at the beginning of the show and often a musical guest to play out over the credits. Some celebrities have been hesitant of being a guest because of the nature of the show.

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The Paul O’Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O’Grady. The format was a teatime chat show that consists of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, and occasionally viewer competitions.Also a stalwart of the show was O’Grady’s Shih Tzu/bichon frise cross dog, Buster, who appeared for a full five minutes at the start of each programme.

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The Jeremy Kyle Show is a British daytime television talk show presented by Jeremy Kyle that has been broadcast on ITV since 4 July 2005. The show is distinctive for its confrontational style, which sees guests attempt to resolve issues with others that are significant in their lives, such as family, relationship, sex, drug, alcohol and other issues. Frequently, guests display strong emotions such as anger and distress on the show, and Kyle is often harsh towards those that he feels have acted in morally dubious or irresponsible ways, whilst strongly emphasising the importance of traditional family values. This has led to both criticism and parody of the show in newspapers and on television, and even led to the show being described as “human bear-baiting” by a Manchester District Judge, during a prosecution after guests had been involved in a violent incident on the show.

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Richard & Judy (later known as Richard & Judy’s New Position) is a British magazine/ chat show which was presented by married couple Richars Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It featured the world’s most famous stars, along with their Book Club. In July 2009, the show aired its final episode due to low ratings.

WHAT ABOUT SPAIN? A BIG CHUNK OF OUR TV SCHEDULING IS GIVEN OVER TO CHAT SHOWS BUT WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE/MOST HATED TV HOST – Buenafuente, Pablo Motos, Ana Rosa Quintana… – AND WHY?

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