As the holiday season approaches and Thanksgiving week draws near, the major late-night shows have finalized their broadcast plans, revealing a schedule that blends tradition, brief breaks, and a few pleasant surprises for viewers settling in after big meals and family gatherings. While the holiday week often means a near-complete shutdown for many corners of television, this year’s late-night landscape is offering a more varied lineup. Some shows will go dark for the entire week, others will appear only for a couple of days, and one show—against the usual rhythm of the industry—will keep delivering brand-new episodes straight through Thanksgiving Day.

For viewers accustomed to settling onto the couch after a day of turkey, football, and family chaos, the news brings a mix of familiar patterns and unexpected treats. One of the biggest changes is that two of the most prominent late-night institutions, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Daily Show, will be entirely absent from the airwaves throughout the holiday stretch. CBS will fill Colbert’s usual 11:35 p.m. slot with reruns, offering viewers a look back at some of his recent interviews and monologue highlights. Meanwhile, Comedy Central will skip airing new episodes of The Daily Show and instead offer a rotation of Family Guy and South Park reruns. Both shows are scheduled to return with fresh episodes on Monday, December 1, giving their writers and production teams a full week to rest before diving back into the relentless pace of political satire and cultural commentary.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!, another staple of the late-night scene, is taking a hybrid approach to the week. Kimmel and his staff will put together brand-new episodes on Monday and Tuesday before taking the rest of the holiday period off. This means fans will still get a taste of Kimmel’s comedic spin on the week’s news and pop culture, but the show will also allow itself a brief mid-week hiatus. For a program that often balances political humor, celebrity interviews, and elaborate comic sketches, the abbreviated schedule makes sense—enough to keep the show in the weekly conversation, but not so much that the staff misses out on the holiday entirely.

NBC, meanwhile, is choosing a more ambitious path, committing to a fuller slate of programming than most of its competitors. Late Night with Seth Meyers will maintain its regular rhythm, offering new episodes throughout the entire week, including an all-new show on Thanksgiving Day itself. Meyers has never been shy about diving into holiday-themed programming, and his Thanksgiving episode has become a charming tradition in its own right. This year marks the eleventh consecutive Thanksgiving episode that includes his family as his on-air guests. Meyers will once again be joined by his brother Josh and their parents Hilary and Larry, a custom that began when he took over the show in 2014. The informal, warm tone of these annual interviews has made them a fan favorite, offering a rare glimpse into Meyers’ personal life with moments of genuine affection, humor, and nostalgia that break the usual late-night mold.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is also offering fans new shows, though with a slightly different schedule. Fallon and his team will be dark on Monday night, with NBC airing a repeat of the most recent Sunday night episode. But from Tuesday through Thursday, The Tonight Show will be back with brand-new episodes. That includes a full new show on Thanksgiving night, which is historically Fallon’s highest-rated episode of the year thanks to its prime football lead-in. Each year, millions of viewers tuning in for holiday NFL games end up staying for The Tonight Show afterward, giving the program one of its most valuable time slots. Fallon appears to be taking full advantage of that boost this year, as the Thanksgiving episode features an impressive trio of guests: singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, Stranger Things star Joe Keery, and country music icon Brad Paisley. All three appearances were pre-taped the week prior, ensuring that the Thanksgiving episode maintains high production quality while still allowing Fallon and his team to spend the holiday off-camera.

NBC is also treating viewers to something special mid-week. On Wednesday night, ahead of Thanksgiving, the network will broadcast a two-hour SNL compilation called A Saturday Night Thanksgiving. The special is a curated trip through Saturday Night Live’s history of Thanksgiving-themed sketches, drawing from decades of memorable moments, celebrity cameos, musical performances, and beloved recurring characters. It’s a festive look back at the show’s comedic evolution during one of America’s most nostalgic holidays. For fans of SNL, the special serves as a perfect warm-up for a holiday weekend spent flipping through channels, catching up on leftover episodes, and revisiting classic clips online.

While some viewers might initially be disappointed that several major shows are dark for the week, the varied programming reflects the evolving priorities of late-night television. The industry has shifted significantly in the era of streaming, viral clips, and social-media-driven highlights. Many viewers no longer watch shows live every night, instead catching monologues or interviews the next day on YouTube or through shared clips. This means holiday weeks aren’t the ratings obligations they once were. Shows can afford to step away, focus on internal reset, and pick up again once audiences return from travel, family gatherings, and holiday exhaustion.

On the other hand, NBC’s decision to maintain fresh content throughout the week demonstrates a recognition of the unique opportunity Thanksgiving week presents. With tens of millions of Americans gathered in their homes—many of them flipping through channels after meals, football games, parades, and long afternoons with extended family—viewership can spike at unexpected times. For Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, offering new episodes during this high-traffic period is a chance to capture larger audiences, attract casual viewers, and deliver holiday-themed content that resonates year after year.

The holiday week lineup also underscores something essential about the identity of each show. The Late Show and The Daily Show thrive on topical political commentary, and with Congress out of session and many public figures quiet during the holiday, stepping away helps them avoid filler content. Jimmy Kimmel Live! often leans into cultural satire and celebrity banter, making the Monday-Tuesday schedule a good compromise. Seth Meyers has always embraced holiday storytelling and personal touches, and Fallon, with his musical guests and festive vibe, is well-positioned to capitalise on Thanksgiving night ratings.

All of this makes for a week that looks different across networks but still offers plenty of late-night entertainment. Whether viewers want to watch Meyers banter with his family, catch Ed Sheeran and Joe Keery on Fallon, or revisit SNL moments from Thanksgiving episodes gone by, there’s something to watch every night of the holiday stretch.

For anyone wanting the complete guest lists for Thanksgiving week or planning out their holiday viewing schedule, LateNighter’s lineup section provides full details on every show and every guest. As Thanksgiving approaches, late-night television is once again proving that even during the busiest, most food-filled week of the year, there’s always room for a few laughs before bedtime.