Contributed by Rosemary O’Brien, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

TV talk shows are as old as television itself and have evolved over the years into entertainment that some people swear by.

A grandmother may watch The View to see what Barbara Walters has to say to Whoopi Goldberg, for instance. Or someone might tune into Late Night With David Letterman to get the “spoof” on the day’s events or the dish on their favorite movie star. The format is as broad as America’s tastes.

From the first flash of light from the first television, the talk shows have been going strong. The best part is that there are dozens of choices available to viewers today. Check out the list below and see if your favorite tv talk shows are listed.

10. Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray’s official website shows what a chameleon this woman is! She began her on-camera career by taking her gourmet food store class on how to cook a meal in thirty minutes on air as a weekly segment for the local CBS TV affiliate in the Albany, NY area. The Today Show asked her to appear after seeing her local segment, and it has been success ever since for Rachael Ray. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Iron chef America, and her own shows which include 30-Minute Meals. Rachael Ray aired in 2006. After Ray’s recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey’s production company signed Ray to become the host of her own show. It deals with a variety of issues of interest to Ray not the least of which is the topic of food and its preparation.

9. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

The Daily Show is a Comedy Central creation that began airing in 1996. Billed as a “mockumentary,” it parodies the conventional news broadcast. When Jon Stewart took over from Craig Kilborn in 1999, he took it in a more political direction making it more of a satirical news-driven show. Originally a comedian, Jon Stewart has gained respect with his biting commentary on politic events.

8. Conan

Conan O’Brien is primarily a writer. He wrote for his high school newspaper in Brookline, Massachusetts, then wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, a humor magazine for Harvard University. After moving to Los Angeles, he wrote for a variety of shows including shows for HBO, Saturday Night Live, and The Simpson’s. His show is now hosted by TBS. He has been nominated for and has won many awards throughout his career, his most recent being the People’s Choice Award in 2011 for Favorite TV Talk Show Host.

7. Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel began his career in college radio before landing a job as a drive-time host with a radio station in Seattle, Washington. He then earned an Emmy for his role as Ben Stein’s sidekick in the game show Win Ben Stein’s Money which aired on Comedy Central. His antics such as for the Oscars 2011: Heidi The Cross-Eyed Opossum Chooses The Winners are witty and fun to watch. In 2003, Kimmel became the host of Jimmy Kimmel live which is taped rather than live in some markets so the network has time to screen for offensive content after a 2004 incident in which he misspoke on air.

6. Live with Regis and Kelly

Live with Regis and Kelly was originally Live with Regis and Kathy Lee. When Kathy Lee Gifford retired from the show in 2000, Regis went on an all-out search for the perfect co-host. That is when they found Kelly Ripa who came on board in 2001 and added the spunk of youth to the mix! When Regis went in for heart bypass surgery and then for hip replacement surgery, the show had a variety of substitute co-hosts including CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Kelly’s husband Mark Ripa. Sadly, the show is scheduled to end in November 2011 when Regis retires.

5. Ellen Degeneres Show

Ellen Degeneres is as cute as a button and so is her show. Guests run the gamut of world-famous celebrities to the every day person making a difference. She came out 1997 on the Oprah Winfrey show and has brought LGBT issues to the forefront of American television ever since.

4. Late Night with David Letterman

After making his debut as a radio personality and TV weatherman, David Letterman became the host of Late Night With David Letterman where he found his niche. These days, guests are questioned by a decidedly tamer host since he underwent an emergency quintuple bypass in 2000. He still surprises us with his witty comments.

3. Tonight Show with Jay Leno

I have a soft spot for this show because I met him a zillion years ago when I was a singing waiter doing summer stock in Cape Cod. He is a sweetie and his show is filled with interesting guests. He used to fill in regularly for Johnny Carson, then got the gig when Johnny retired from the show.

2. Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Show , and the woman who created and hosted it until May 2011, is an icon. Born into poverty in Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey has become one of the world’s biggest philanthropists and one of the first billionaires. Her guests on the show reflected her varied interests.

1. The View

The View is not hosted by one, but instead by a gang of five strong women celebrities. This, and only this, gives it top billing on this list. Some of the topics are sappy, many times the women argue for argument’s sakes, but it’s always entertaining to watch.