Behind the Desk: The Story of Late Night

Bill Carter

Booking Overview

A documentary-style interview series about the history and evolution of late-night television, featuring first-hand commentary from notable hosts, comedians, writers, producers, and media figures. Agencies could credibly pitch established late-night talent, comedy performers, television writers and producers, or media executives with direct genre expertise; booking is likely difficult because the show has featured prominent, highly accomplished figures and is produced by CNN.

Metrics

Episodes: 8

Frequency: Irregular

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Unknown

Location: USA

Instagram: 23.0M followers

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

podcasts@cnn.com

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Host

Bill Carter - Veteran television journalist, author, and media industry analyst known for covering the television business and late-night programming.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high

Typical Credentials:

Established late-night hosts, nationally recognized comedians, television writers and producers, media executives, or other professionals with direct first-hand experience of late-night television.

Required Achievements:

Hosting or appearing on major late-night television programs, Writing or producing acclaimed television comedy, Building a prominent national career in stand-up or television, Leading or shaping significant television or media organizations

Recent Guest Discussions

Ziwe Fumudoh - The Future Of Late-night Television And The Changing Representation Of Women And BIPOC Performers

Trevor Noah - The Future Of Late-night Television, Political Satire, And The Evolution Of The Format

Amber Ruffin - The Changing Late-night Landscape, Diversity, Comedy Writing, And Writers' Rooms

Sarah Cooper - Political Comedy And Late Night's Transformation Into A Source Of Political Commentary

Roy Wood Jr. - Political Satire And Late Night's Role In Covering American Society And Politics

Recent Topics

Late Night, Television History, Comedy, Political Satire, Screenwriting

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

Behind the Desk: The Story of Late Night

Introducing: Civilian or Spy

August 14, 2026

When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling investigation that takes her from the Mississippi parking lot where he died to Washington, D.C. to unravel the mystery: Why did Ilya abruptly leave his family and his job and head for the border with laptops and cash? Why is there sti...

The Future

May 20, 2021

Late night TV sensibilities crash through the status quo and frame society to expose all that is fun, funny and non-sensical about it. As a diverse new group of hosts ascend, the late night landscape looks less and less like the old white boys club of the past. With the help of Amber Ruffin, Desus & Mero, Ziwe, Trevor Noah and more, Bill Carter analyzes late night’s bright, inclusive future as it shakes off a historical resistance to woman and the BIPOC community. To learn more about how CNN ...

The Politics

May 13, 2021

Modern late night TV serves as a number one news source for audiences who devour humorous but critical insights of American society and politics. With commentary from Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin, Sarah Cooper and others, Bill Carter maps out the journey that transformed much of late night from escapist entertainment to political satire. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Publicly listed emails

podcasts@cnn.com

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