Premiering on September 16, 2019, and hosted by Canadian comedian and internet celebrity Lilly Singh, it succeeded Last Call with Carson Daly as the third and final original program of NBC's late-night lineup, airing at 1:37 a.m. ET/PT.

[5][6] On February 12, 2019, NBC announced that Last Call would conclude after its 2,000th and final episode, with Daly citing his desire to focus on Today, The Voice and other new projects, including a planned series for Golf Channel.

Former Late Night with Conan O'Brien producer John Irwin suggested YouTube celebrity Lilly Singh — noting her ability to perform both serious interviews and comedic material.

Singh thought of each episode "[having] a life for the next 24 hours" after their television premiere,[8][9] and told her writing staff that pitches had to be in the form of "the YouTube video title that's going to work with it".

[12] The network agreed to accommodate Singh's other ventures and entertainment projects, primarily by having her pre-record the first season in advance, as opposed to other late-night programs, where episodes are typically filmed the same day as they are broadcast.

Singh remarked that viewers were raising concerns over the episodes on social media, as they were unaware that they had been filmed "back in 2019 when the only people wearing masks were robbers and Jim Carrey.

Several production changes were made for the second season, including the addition of a new showrunner and writing staff, and having Singh film the program at a home in Los Angeles, rather than a traditional studio set.

[11][12] In contrast to other late-night talk shows, the first season of A Little Late largely avoided topical content, such as news satire, citing its filming schedule and larger focus on comedy and Singh's personal experiences, rather than "current information".

[19] An hour-long primetime special aired on September 18, 2019, following the season 14 finale of America's Got Talent, with guests Christina Aguilera, Tony Hale, Mandy Moore, Kenan Thompson, Milo Ventimiglia and 5 Seconds of Summer.

[22] The show remained in reruns after its final episode until August 13, 2021; the next Monday, the half-hour was given over to affiliates, either for a repeat of their late local newscasts, other programming or a network-provided replay of the NBC Nightly News.

The site's critical consensus reads: "The delightful Lilly Singh breathes fresh air into the world of late-night comedy with an energetic new show that's willing to play with the format in ways that will keep viewers looking forward to staying up A Little Late.

[27] In a positive review, Shirley Li from The Atlantic opined that while Singh's monologues came off as "awkward", she excelled in interviewing the series' guests, during which she delivered "some of her best, off-the-cuff humor.