Who do you love? Stewart, Colbert, Ferguson

If you read this blog, you are probably someone who has an above-average engagement with your favorite late night talk shows. But would you say you have an emotional connection to them? Do you love them?

Chances are you do, especially if your favorites are "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." That's according to a new poll, as reported on by the New York Times' Bill Carter.

Comedy Central, home to Stewart and Colbert, wants to prove that an engaged viewer is a valuable viewer, and that they should be able to charge a premium for advertising on the popular half-hour comedy shows. "When asked if they out-and-out loved a show, 'The Daily Show' with Mr. Stewart hit 51 percent among those surveyed, with 'The Colbert Report' second at 39 percent," according to the Harris Poll. "Only one network star came close to generating that much love: CBS’s Craig Ferguson. Among his fans, 35 percent said they loved his show."

Even non-Stewart and Colbert viewers seem to think folks who watch the Comedy Central programs are pretty cool people:

Among the terms fans of people like Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien used to describe viewers of Mr. Stewart and Mr. Colbert were “enthusiastic,” “friendly,” “fun,” “more informed,” “more intelligent,” “trustworthy,” “warm,” and “witty.”

Beth Coleman, a vice president for advertising sales for MTV Entertainment Networks, the parent of Comedy Central, said "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" fans “wear these shows like a badge. It’s a cultlike phenomenon.”

Considering that both programs are on hiatus until Sept. 14, chances are these emotionally engaged viewers are going through withdrawal right now.