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Spin off from this thread: assuming Daivd Letterman got the Tonight Show in 1992, who would you want to have also seen go on to get a late night show?

Let's start with the obvious -- Jay Leno, Carson's frequent substitute; could have had Late Night

There were also a number of comedians who had network broadcast late night talk shows in the early 1990's (each called "The [name] show"). Some might have endured if Letterman was their only competition:

Arsenio Hall

Dennis Miller

Jon Stewart

Dana Carvey

Whoopi Goldberg

Chevy Chase

Bill Maher -- host of Politically Incorrect*

Then there's the competition of OTL, but I think they'd be more unlikely; as such, I'm not including them in the poll.

Jimmy Kimmel -- was pretty much an unknown before The Man Show premiered in 1999

Conan O'Brien -- a writer for the Simpsons; came insanely close OTL to not getting Late Night; even less likely with Letterman taking over TTS

Craig Ferguson -- just as unlikely

That said , if you want to make other suggestions, I'd love to hear them too. :D

*started on Comedy Central 1993, moved to ABC 1997; still feasible TTL, if not sooner
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