Leno’s departure will spark late-night chaos

“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”
Where: Comedy Central, 11 p.m.
Grade: A
Strengths: Stewart’s still skewering with a blade that hasn’t dulled. Heading into the homestretch of the presidential campaign, he’s sure to get in his best digs yet at both the Republicans and Democrats, each sinking to new lows to get their candidate in office.
Weaknesses: Because the first half of the show is so funny, the interview portion comes across as a hybrid of jokey and serious, and even Stewart struggles to find the right tone.

“Late Show With David Letterman”
Where: CBS, 11:30 p.m.
Grade: B-
Strengths: To many, Letterman was the guy who changed the staid talk-show game in the 1980s, with his irreverent 12:30 a.m. telecast on NBC. A couple of decades later, he can occasionally be off-the-cuff funny and his legendary Top 10 List still has a kick to it. Plus, when it comes to topical breaking-news guests — think Eli Manning after winning the Super Bowl for the New York Giants — “Late Show” usually gets ’em before anyone else.
Weaknesses: While Dave was a king in the ’80s, he’s long lost his crown. He often looks tired, and it feels as though he’d rather be somewhere else. His voice gags aren’t funny — if they ever were at all — and his witty rapport with band leader Paul Schaffer, once a comedic staple of the show, feels like a distant memory.

“The Colbert Report”
Where: Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.
Grade: B+
Strengths: Stephen Colbert spoofs right-wingers such as Bill O’Reilly so well, some don’t appreciate the irony. That should be a credit to Colbert, who has succeeded by extending “The Daily Show” brand without repeating it.
Weaknesses: When interviewing an author or journalist, Colbert sometimes isn’t quite sure if he wants legitimate conversation or to play Stephen Colbert, over-the-top host, wanting information. Interviewees beware.

“The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
Where: CBS, 12:35 a.m.
Grade: A
Strengths: Ferguson is absolutely brilliant at both earning laughs during the monologue and having the ability to raise a conversation with guests beyond “let's talk about my new movie.” His out-of-the-box opening — featuring Ferguson sometimes sitting on, not behind, his desk — is fresh, and his self-deprecating look back at battles with alcoholism and drug abuse come across as genuine. He shines because he feels like one of us.
Weaknesses: Nothing comes to mind, but if we must get nit-picky, how about a better haircut?

Stuart Levine is a managing editor at Variety. He can be reached at stuart.levine@variety.com.

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