Late-Night Shows Tackle Climate Change Sept. 22

Climate Night on late night TV
(Image credit: Climate Night)

Late-night shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, will be part of Climate Night Wednesday, Sept. 22. The shows’ programming will focus on climate change. “Each show will approach the issue with its own signature brand of humor and the shared goal of helping audiences to think more about the defining issue of our time,” said organizers. 

“I don’t want to die,” said Kimmel.

“In the interest of recycling, please use whatever Jimmy Kimmel said,” said Fallon.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central and The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS are also taking part in the event. 

"I'm thrilled to participate in Climate Night," said Bee. "But maybe we should move it up a few days? Just because, you know, it's urgent?"

Climate Night will take place during Climate Week NYC, the summit of global leaders and climate activists in New York City to promote actionable solutions. Climate Night was created by former The Daily Show and Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj showrunner Steve Bodow. 

"Climate change has gone very fast from 'probably the future,' to 'actually, right now' – which means we all need to be talking and thinking about it much more," said Bodow. "Late-night hosts reflect our national conversation even more than Russian Twitter bots set it – so this incredible group of shows coming together makes a statement about the scale and urgency of the world's hottest problem."

Each show will encourage its audience to learn more about the issue and how they can get involved.

"I'm proud to dedicate one entire night of my show to the climate, so I can say I wasn't part of the problem, I was 1/365th of the solution,” said Colbert.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.