• NBC will be the only broadcast network airing new late-night episodes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers will air fresh episodes.
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Show will be dark; repeats or alternate programming will run.
  • NBC’s late-night lineup will pause for two weeks starting Feb. 9 due to Winter Olympics coverage.

H2: NBC keeps late-night live for MLK Day

NBC is standing apart this Martin Luther King Jr. Day by airing new late-night episodes while most competitors go dark. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers will present original broadcasts, making NBC the only major broadcast network with fresh late-night content on the holiday.

H3: Which shows are dark

CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! are not airing new episodes tonight. Both broadcast programs will run repeats in their regular time slots. Comedy Central’s The Daily Show is also dark; the network will fill the 11:00 p.m. hour with an episode of Family Guy.

Fox News’ Gutfeld! will also produce a new episode at 10:00 p.m., giving viewers another live option outside the big three broadcast networks.

H3: Why the split this year

The scheduling split echoes recent patterns in late night. Several shows have gone dark on holidays in recent seasons: The Daily Show has frequently taken nights off since 2021, and Colbert’s Late Show stopped producing originals on some holidays last year. This is the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2026 that Jimmy Kimmel Live! has chosen to go dark.

H2: Olympics preemption looms for NBC

Even as NBC keeps the lights on tonight, its late-night lineup faces a near-term pause. NBC will preempt regular late-night programming for two weeks beginning Feb. 9 as it moves into wall-to-wall coverage of the Winter Olympics. Both Fallon and Seth Meyers will return to hiatus once Olympic coverage begins.

H3: What viewers should expect

  • NBC: New episodes of The Tonight Show and Late Night.
  • CBS: Repeat episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
  • ABC: Repeats of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
  • Comedy Central: Family Guy in The Daily Show’s 11 p.m. hour.
  • Fox News: New episode of Gutfeld! at 10 p.m.

H4: Stay updated

Late-night schedules can change quickly around holidays and major sports events. For the latest guest lineups and updated airings, check dedicated late-night lineups pages and subscribe to newsletters that track nightly programming.

This split programming choice keeps viewers who want new late-night talk on NBC tonight, while many other networks opt for repeats or alternative programming to observe the holiday or prepare for upcoming Olympic coverage.

Image Referance: https://latenighter.com/news/daily-show-colbert-fallon-dark-tonight/