Stephen Colbert is leaving CBS. Could NBC and ABC’s late-night shows be next?

For years, late-night television was a staple of American culture.

Johnny Carson was the king of late-night TV, hosting “The Tonight Show” from 1962 to 1992. When he announced his retirement, there was a juicy and memorable battle to see who would replace him, as chronicled in Bill Carter’s classic book “The Late Shift,” which was turned into an HBO movie.

Jay Leno ended up replacing Carson, which led Letterman to bolt to CBS, setting up a late-night fight that lasted two decades. In addition, in the early 1990s, Arsenio Hall brought a much-needed new approach to late night by attracting guests — and viewers — who were younger and much more diverse than traditional late night.