FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why haven't you added the listings for my favorite new talk show yet?
I am always working on getting more lineups and new shows.
Potential staying power is a factor; succeeding as a talk show host is no easy task. (Remember "The Magic Hour," starring Magic Johnson? How about Caroline Rhea? Pat Sajak? Chevy Chase? Megan Mullally? The list goes on.) Also, I'll need to get a reliable source for upcoming-guest info who can provide me with at least two weeks' worth of listings at a time; this is often easier said than done. If anyone associated with a new talk show happens to be reading this and wants to send me lineups, e-mail me at the address at the bottom of this page.
(Right now, I'm chiefly interested in listing celebrity-focused U.S. talk shows that air at least four times per week on network or cable TV; there are lots of great shows originating in other countries, but at this point I don't have time to add them.)
I am hoping to add "The Jennifer Hudson Show" and "Sherri Shepherd" this fall. (Note: "Jennifer Hudson" has already been added; thanks to the publicist for reaching out!)
Why are some of the names on the lineups page underlined/red?
If the name is underlined, it is a link. Click on it, and you will learn more about the person, either through a link to the artist's own web site, or a link to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and/or purchase his/her/their movies, books or music.
I love your site! Can I contribute money?
If you use the links on the lineups page to buy stuff from Amazon.com, I get a small kickback. You get a book, DVD, CD or wide-screen TV; I get a buck or two. See, we both win! I recommend buying a 85" 4K HDTV or a Canon EOS Camera. Or, haven't you always wanted your own set of aluminum bleachers?
When do the talk shows go on hiatus?
I've gotten this question several times recently, and I believe it's coming from agencies that are trying to book guests on a show.
"The View" takes about a month off every August and also comes back after Labor Day. "The Talk" also take some vacation in August—usually 3-4 weeks.
Kelly Clarkson, Drew Barrymore and Tamron Hall take the summer off. "Live with Kelly and Ryan" will often air best-ofs and compilations of old guest segments during August and around the winter holidays.
The network shows—Kimmel, Colbert, Fallon, etc.—usually don't take more than 2 or 2 1/2 weeks off at a time, generally around the 4th of July, toward the end of August/Labor Day, and around Christmas and New Year's.
I only keep track of the shows listed on my page, so I don't know about others.
What do the RSS buttons mean?
RSS means Really Simple Syndication. It's a way to for web sites to provide simple updates directly to users. Many sites offer RSS content. We publish the lineups so people can read them with programs like this. Once you download & configure an RSS reader, you can subscribe to the lineups on a daily basis, or subscribe to your favorite show. Note: we do not offer help with RSS reader problems.
How often is the site updated?
The site is updated almost every day, so the info will be as fresh as possible. Occasionally I'm away on vacation and it may be a few days between updates.
How long has your site been around?
Since 1996 (see archive.org for proof).
Holy cow, we're super old.
Why don't you list guest lineups for all the shows like "Good Morning America," "Today," etc.? / Is there a site similar to yours that lists the rest of the talk show lineups?
I started the Late Night Lineups site because of my personal interest in late night TV (though I've added a few daytime shows over the years—in many cities, they are broadcast at night). The ones not available on this site tend to either be shows that are prone to dropping previously scheduled guests for newsmaker interviews in case of breaking news. An excellent TV listing and searching function is provided at http://tvschedule.zap2it.com.
What does the R followed by numbers in parentheses mean?
"R" stands for rerun. You can tell which shows on the page are reruns because of the "R" designation; for instance, (R 6/28/18) means that a particular broadcast originally aired on June 26, 2018.
Why don't you list original air dates for reruns?
I try to do so! The networks have largely stopped designating which shows are reruns in their press releases. It's annoying, since I am pretty much forced to figure it out on my own now. If you really want to know when a particular episode first aired, try checking TVMaze.com. If you recognize a show as a rerun and I don't have it listed as such, feel free to write to me and I'll fix it.
What is the difference between "pre-empted" and "rerun"?
If a show is pre-empted, it won't air at all during that time slot. For instance, when "The Daily Show" is off for two weeks in a row, Comedy Central will generally air reruns during the first week, and pre-empt the show during the second week; so instead of seeing "The Daily Show" at 11 PM, you'll probably see an episode of "The Office," "South Park" or another sitcom.
Where do you get your information?
Primarily from ABC MediaNet, CBS Press Express, NBC Media Village, and zap2it, as well as from helpful publicity people at several of the talk shows.
I have tickets to attend the Colbert/Conan etc. show in 3 weeks. Can you tell me which guests will be appearing on [date]?
I get my information from a variety of sources, and as soon as I get it, it is added to the site. So, just keep checking! It is true that guests are often booked several weeks or even months ahead of time, especially musical guests (who have to coordinate talk show appearances with their tour schedules), but lineups are usually not made public until just a couple weeks before showtime.
My favorite actor has a new movie coming out next month. Can you tell me which talk shows he will be appearing on?
See above. I do not deliberately withhold information from you, the cherished visitors to my web site. When I know, you will know.
Can you please tell me who the guests were on last week's Colbert [Fallon/Conan etc.] show? / Who was that fantastic singer or hilarious comedian on last Tuesday night's show? / I'm a huge fan of [big star]. Can you tell me which talk shows he has previously appeared on?
Try TVMaze.com for archives of talk show guest listings. Since lineups often change at the last minute, these archives are not guaranteed to be accurate.
My favorite performer was supposed to be on a talk show last night, but he/she wasn't on! Why?
I don't know. All listings are subject to change at the last minute.
I found your Late Night TV page through a search engine while looking for information about [star's name]. However, his/her name doesn't appear on your page. What's up?
When the search engine's web-crawling "spider" last visited my page—which could have been several days or even several weeks ago—the person whose name you were searching on was no doubt scheduled to appear on a late night talk show. Because my page is updated so frequently (twice a week or more), his/her name was removed from my list shortly after his/her appearance.
How can I see a recent late night show that I missed?
Keep checking my lineups page for rerun information, or visit the shows' web sites for full episodes and/or clips.
Why don't you provide upcoming guest information for "Saturday Night Live" or Bill Maher?
Since those programs air weekly and the other shows on my site are all primarily daily talk shows, I have chosen not to include them. However, I can heartily recommend an excellent SNL resource—"Saturday Net". On this site, you will find out how to subscribe to a mailing list which provides info on SNL guests, for the new NBC shows as well as for cable TV repeats. Find Bill Maher's guests at HBO.com.
I'm going to be appearing on a late night talk show! Can you link to my web page?
Sure! I occasionally hear from folks who are booked on one of the shows I list (primarily stand-up comics and the occasional musician). Send me your URL and I'll link you right up.
How can I contact the webmaster?
E-mail talk (at) interbridge (dot) com. If you work for a talk show that airs nationally and want me to add your lineups, and are willing to supply me with them on a regular basis via e-mail, I would especially like to hear from you. I also appreciate hearing about errors in my listings so I can correct them.