Talk show

David Letterman interviewing guest Teri Garr on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982.

A talk show (sometimes chat show in British English) is a television programming, radio programming or Podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.[1][2][3] A talk show is distinguished from other television programs by certain common attributes.[4] In a talk show, one person (or group of people or guests) discusses various topics put forth by a talk show host.[5] This discussion can be in the form of an interview or a simple conversation about important social, political or religious issues and events.[6] The personality of the host shapes the tone and style of the show.[1][7] A common feature or unwritten rule of talk shows is to be based on "fresh talk", which is talk that is spontaneous or has the appearance of spontaneity.[1][3][7]

The history of the talk show spans back from the 1950s to the present.[8]

Talk shows can also have several different subgenres, which all have unique material and can air at different times of the day via different avenues.[9]

  1. ^ a b c Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler (2010) Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show, pp.3-4
  2. ^ Erler, Robert (2010) "A Guide to Television Talk", in Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show, by Bernard M. Timberg
  3. ^ a b Goffman, Erving (March 1981). Forms of Talk. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1112-2.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Stelter, Brian (September 30, 2010). "Anderson Cooper to Host Daytime Talk Show". NYTimes.com. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Television talk shows : discourse, performance, spectacle. Tolson, Andrew. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum. 2001. ISBN 0-8058-3746-9. OCLC 44592593.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hinckley was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Television talk shows : discourse, performance, spectacle. Tolson, Andrew. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum. 2001. ISBN 0-8058-3746-9. OCLC 44592593.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)