The thing about late night TV sidekicks is that,when they work, they can elevate the quality of a late night show by a wide margin. Whether their ability to riff on a joke to make it even better, or just the way they laugh at something to really get the audience to feel invited to join in, they can sometimes make or break a new late night show or popular segment. They also take a lot of pressure off the host, particularly when there's a guest who might not be feeling the interview, or is just feeling self-conscious. So it's time to vote for the greatest in late night television history, on this list of the best late night TV sidekicks! Vote up your favorites, and downvote the ones you don't really care for.
One late night talk sidekick you might find surprising is Regis Philbin - one of the rare cases of a sidekick actually going on to host their own show. He was Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show from 1967 to 1969. Typically, late night host sidekicks are on the couch or leading the band, like Kevin Eubanks and Reggie Watts. Sometimes, in the case of Fred Armisen, they have their own killer careers and are mostly just hanging out with their friends because they can. When it comes to late night television host sidekicks, there's a wide swath of choices - even one who is more machine than man in Craig Ferguson's Geoff Peterson robot sidekick.
So take a look at this late night sidekicks list and vote up your favorites! Whether you like Steve Higgins or Paul Shaffer, you'll find all the most popular sidekicks from throughout late night TV history listed here.
1
266 84
Andy RichterThe Penguins of Madagascar, Conan, Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Sidekick to Conan O'Brien
2
190 78
Guillermo Rodriguez Sidekick to Jimmy Kimmel
3
115 58
Geoff Peterson Sidekick to Craig Ferguson
4
88 59
Ed McMahonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Concentration, Legends of the Superheroes - Sidekick to Johnny Carson
5
84 65
Paul ShafferLate Show with David Letterman, Late Night with David Letterman, Hercules - Sidekick to David Letterman
6
61 49
Reggie WattsComedy Bang! Bang! - Sidekick to James Corben
7
52 41
Hannibal BuressBroad City, The Eric André Show, Chozen - Sidekick to Eric Andre
8
95 87
Steve HigginsSaturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday - Sidekick to Jimmy Fallon
9
37 28
Max WeinbergLate Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien - Sidekick to Conan O'Brien
10
52 46
Fred ArmisenSaturday Night Live, Portlandia, The Looney Tunes Show - Sidekick to Seth Meyers
11
28 41
Regis PhilbinAmerica's Got Talent, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (US), The Neighbors - Sidekick to Joey Bishop
12
25 39
Arsenio HallThe Real Ghostbusters, The Apprentice, The Arsenio Hall Show - Sidekick to Alan Thicke
13
22 35
Chuy BravoChelsea Lately - Sidekick to Chelsea Handler
14
17 30
Tony RandallThe Odd Couple, My Little Pony, Love - Sidekick to David Letterman
15
28 46
Kevin EubanksThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Jay Leno Show - Sidekick to Jay Leno
16
16 31
Peggy CassWomen in Prison, The Hathaways - Sidekick to Jack Paar
