A talk show (American and Australian English) or chat show (British) is a television program or radio program where one person (or group of people) discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host.
Usually, guests consist of a group of people who are learned or who have great experience in relation to whatever issue is being discussed on the show for that episode. Other times, a single guest discusses their work or area of expertise with a host or co-hosts. A call-in show takes live phonecalls from callers listening at home, in their cars, etc. Sometimes, guests are already seated but are often introduced and enter from backstage. Gay Byrne, Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson,, Dick Cavett, Ed Sullivan, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh, and Mosunmola Abudu have hosted notable talk shows; in many cases, the shows have made their hosts famous.
Read more about Talk Show: Genres, History, Talk Shows in Other Countries
Famous quotes containing the words talk and/or show:
“They are a very decent generous lot of people out here and they don’t expect you to listen.... It’s the secret of social ease in this country. They talk entirely for their own pleasure. Nothing they say is designed to be heard.”
—Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)
“Their looks show that they’re for it:
Ash hair, toad hands, prune face dried into lines
How can they ignore it?”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)