The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC TV from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.

The Late Show was an American late night talk show and the first series broadcast on the then-fledgling Fox Network. Originally hosted by comic actress Joan Rivers, it first aired on October 9, 1986, under the title The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.

The Late Show (1989-1995) was a British television arts magazine programme broadcast on BBC Two weeknights at 11.15pm — directly after Newsnight — often referred to as the "graveyard slot" in terms of television scheduling.

The series was commissioned by BBC Two Controller Alan Yentob, who had a background in serious arts documentaries, but the production team — led by Michael Jackson — were mostly from youth programming backgrounds including Network 7. The series combined a number of format elements from earlier BBC arts magazine programmes such as Monitor and Late Night Line-Up. With the cancellation of The Old Grey Whistle Test the series became one of the few spaces on BBC television for live music performances.

The series originally featured a round-table discussion hosted by Clive James on Friday nights. However this format was dropped after the second season.

The show pulled in heavyweight popular music acts live or pre-recorded, including Joni Mitchell, The Stone Roses, Dick Dale (who performed the music for the film Pulp Fiction). At the time, The Late Show came under the now defunct Music and Arts Department at the BBC, which also produced the long-form Omnibus and Arena programmes.

The forty and sometimes fifty-minute programmes were presented mostly live from a bare black set in Lime Grove Studio D until 14 June 1991 - when it then transferred to BBC Television Centre in White City, west London. The regular format was for a single presenter to provide links for a number of filmed features and hold an interview or panel discussion in the studio. In some editions there would be a live music act that would perform a set during the programme. Some editions were given over to in-depth coverage of a single topic, for example a whole programme on National Poetry Day.

Some weeks would be given over to one subject across the week, such as Italy week, Berlin week and, in 1995, Ireland week. Some outside broadcasts were made at the time by The Late Show team including the Booker Prize and the Mercury Music Prize. Most items were shot on videotape, but longer pieces would be made on film in a format similar to Yentob's Arena. Amongst the directors who worked on the series are Mary Harron and Sharon Maguire. Later in the series' run a regular panel discussion — Late Review — was introduced looking at new films, books and plays and other arts and cultural events. Regular contributors to this included Tony Parsons, Tom Paulin and Allison Pearson, and it was chaired by The Guardian journalist Mark Lawson.

In 1991 Jackson left the series when he was Head of Music and Arts at the BBC; he later became Controller of BBC Two in 1993. From 1992 The Late Show was joined by the follow-on weekly music slot Later with Jools Holland that also drew away the programme's appeal to popular music acts. As Controller of BBC One, Alan Yentob began to revamp that channel's arts coverage which also competed editorially with The Late Show.

The series was cancelled, by Jackson, in 1995, though the weekly review programme remains to this day in a similar format as a stand alone programme but now produced by the team that makes Newsnight. Later with Jools Holland is also still running. Former Editors Roly Keating and Janice Hadlow are now the controllers of BBC Two and BBC Four respectively.

The Late show, which only ran for two years was one of the most successful and funny comedy shows ever produced and shown in Australia. It marked the re-grouping of the D-Generation, a comedy group from the late 80's. From the LIVE late night comedy show, came classic moments such as Shitscared, Charlie the wonder dog, The Oz brothers and heaps of other 'Champagne Comedy'. Written by Graham Wilson Jr

Joan Rivers gave up her long-running guest host position on The Tonight Show for her short-lived stint as host of this series, which was the Fox network's first late-night talk show.

David Spade was offered the chance to replace Joan Rivers as host but turned it down.