Late night TV highlights: Harrison Ford evades, Colbert squirms, and audiences unsettle. Recapping the week's most memorable talk show moments.
- April 19, 2026
AceShowbiz - This week’s late night television landscape was marked by a mix of memorable moments, with Harrison Ford delivering a standout, somewhat evasive turn during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Earlier in the week, the farewell tour for Stephen Colbert on The Late Show continued to showcase the unusual dynamic between host and guests. John Lithgow honored Colbert with a poem that struck a note of gentle reverence. Yet, it was clear that Colbert himself remains somewhat uncomfortable with the adulation, whether from his guests or the audience’s enthusiastic chants of “Stephen! Stephen!”
The week also saw a notable undercurrent of audience tension across various late night programs. On the British panel show Have I Got News for You, comedian Gianmarco Soresi acknowledged the differing audience reactions to his jokes. Similarly, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Conan O’Brien appeared to discuss the Oscars but was visibly unsettled by the audience chanting his name, likening their tone to that of an angry jury and urging them to “just settle down.”
Among the top five late night highlights this week, the lighter fare included a pre-St. Patrick’s Day segment on The Tonight Show. Host Jimmy Fallon and his sidekick Steve Higgins delighted viewers with a series of limericks celebrating mundane subjects like winter boots and the Shamrock Shake. What elevated the segment was their enthusiastic attempt at posh British accents.
Comedian Pete Holmes also made a memorable contribution during his visit to The Late Show. Holmes delivered a "sitting down stand-up" routine, sharing a personal anecdote about being hit in the groin by a child and his subsequent “dark revenge.”
In contrast, Rebecca Ferguson brought a different energy to Late Night with Seth Meyers. Ferguson attempted twice to rally the audience into applause breaks, only to be firmly shut down by Meyers each time. Adding to the quirky vibe, she hid a spoon in Meyers’s desk before filming.
On Watch What Happens Live, Jennifer Tilly recounted her reputation for encountering the supernatural during a fast-paced storytelling game. Tilly shared rapid-fire anecdotes about famous people and ghosts she has met.
But it was Harrison Ford who truly dominated the week’s late night highlights. His appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was a reminder of why he is considered a national treasure. Ford’s interaction with the audience was marked by his characteristic brusqueness, beginning with an order for them to “knock it off!” as they continued applauding. He and Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time in ribbing their mutual friend Woody Harrelson and poking fun at Kimmel in comparison to Michael J. Fox. One particularly endearing moment came when Ford admitted, likely in jest, that he listens to his own movie soundtracks.