The Morphing of Late Night
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Birth of the Late- couch 1951 to 1993: Borscht 1954 to 1957: NBC takes the 1957: Allen also 1957 to 1962: Jack “I kid warfare Talk Belt journeyman Joe locally aired Steve Allen Show Night Stunt: Among hosts a Sunday- you not” Paar succeeds Steve Franklin hosts first late- national, 11:15 p.m. to 1 a.m, and other things, Allen night prime-time Allen as host of Tonight! Talk night talk show, on local rechristens it Tonight!; “Steverino” covers himself show to take on (after 1959, it becomes The station WJZ-TV; The pioneers format of late-night TV: in tea bags and Ed Sullivan. Jack Paar Tonight Show), Joe Franklin Show runs opening monologue, sidekick gets dunked in a Sullivan with Hugh Downs as Talk: 42 years, introducing (Gene Rayburn), bandleader giant cup of warm wins; THE sidekick. Paar’s intellectual Woody Allen, Streisand, (Skitch Henderson), celeb guests, THE water. Young Dave Allen lasts INTELLECT approach to comedy (guests The Morphing and Bette Midler (briefly and man-on-the-street shtick. ORIGINAL Letterman four years. Jack Paar include William F. Buckley) of Late Night the in-house singer). Future successor Johnny Carson Steve Allen is watching. Jay Leno, transforms the show into a is a guest. take note. national conversation. by mike flaherty and mary kaye schilling 4/18/63: Conan Christopher O’Brien born in suburban Boston. HS ) BC/ C N Oc IM); T 4/29/65: 1964: 10/1/62: 2/11/60: Turning Late Night Into News: HAEL “I didn’t even know Carson Heeeeere’s Johnny! After Incredulous that network suits Paar makes headlines: He’s C I M you were Jewish,” Carson debuts his occasionally subbing for Paar (who quits would censor a toilet-related joke from his criticized for his chat with Fidel Castro, asks a clearly INY T quips with typical off-the-cuff most famous for good), the aloof, smooth former show without his approval, Paar quits on live drunk Mickey Rooney to leave the set (both in 1959), and P ( A aplomb after singer Ed Ames, character, game-show host begins his 30-year stint television, walking off the set and grousing, broadcasts his show in 1961 from Berlin, a month after (CARSON AS CARNA IS displaying his tomahawk- Carnac the helming what is now called The Tonight “There must be a better way to make a living the wall goes up. He also begins the late-night tradition B OR throwing skills, lands one Magnificent. Show. Johnny Carson introduces new than this.” One month and a mild breakdown of public feuds, tussling with (among others) gossip ALL & CLINTON); H THE P ( directly on the crotch of a sidekick Ed McMahon, the trademark golf later, he’s back at his desk. Letterman, columnist Walter Winchell over an item about Paar—a PHOTO BANK/ A GODFATHER 1961: U Paar hires young human-shaped target. Incites swing, and his theme song, co-written who will famously fight on-air with General feud Paar wins, effectively ending Winchell’s career. Starts BC writer Dick Cavett. His N one of the longest peals of Johnny with Paul Anka. He soon doubles Paar’s Electric and CBS, is watching again. a shift in power from print to TV. AXON/ Carson S sustained laughter in TV audience. Hi-oh! most famous line: “Here they ETT ); V EED history: a solid 43 seconds. are, Jayne Mansfield.” R (CA IS ENS); B B OR EU ULL & WILLARD); BETTMANN/C R 1962: Paar tries a Friday-night prime-time show. It lasts three years. Jay Leno, take note. 1965: The term talk show appears in print for the first time, according to the OED. M ERS & V TION ( 1967: The Tonight Show is C reduced by fifteen minutes to an 1969: 1969 to 1974: The Dick June 1971: 12/1/71: 1972: 1973 to 1982: In one of many memorable A Cavett Show debate Literary catfight! In a sad echo of On TION (RI hour and a half on January 2. Tonight Show appearances, Cavett Show debuts on between John Kerry and fellow veteran In one of The Dick Cavett Show’s the middle-class flight October 15, 1973, C Doc Severinsen ARSON); BETTMANN/C , first trumpeter Truman Capote C says author December 29, 1969, on John O’Neill over the Vietnam War so most entertaining episodes, that would characterize NBC debuts its most ERETT COLLE in the orchestra, takes over as Jacqueline Susann looks like “a ABC. Cavett never comes enrages President Nixon that he asks Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and the decade, The Tonight erudite—and easily Ev bandleader, giving Bob Mackie a truck driver in drag.” He later close to beating The Tonight his staff, “Well, is there any way we Janet Flanner verbally joust Show leaves New York mockable—late-night yakker, Tom Snyder, ERETT COLLE LLEN); Ev run for his money in the sequin apologizes to truck drivers. In Show, but he gets a lot can screw [Cavett]?” Also this month, as Cavett mediates with his for “beautiful downtown host of Tomorrow at 1 a.m. Eccentric and A OX/ department. Also this year, Carson December, Tiny Tim marries of mileage from health expert Jerome I. Rodale drops usual sardonic cool. Though Burbank.” Johnny stops earnest, the chain-smoking Snyder grows F MAGES (YOUNG THE I briefly quits after NBC airs reruns Victoria May Budinger controversial interviews, dead during a taping of the show, pre-YouTube, it went viral in taping Mondays, leaving it famous for unique one-on-one grillings of NYDER & CLASS ACT S during an AFTRA strike. He (a.k.a. Miss Vicki) on taboo subjects, and shortly after announcing how great he its own way. to varied guest hosts, then edgy guests (John Lydon, John Lennon, Ayn ETTY Dick Cavett G returns after three weeks, with a Joan Rivers Rand V/ air. The stunt attracts counterculture guests like feels; it never airs, but to this day, fans (1983–86). ) and a distinctive laugh imitated by T new salary: $1 million a year. 40 million viewers. John, Yoko, Jimi, and Janis. insist they saw the episode. Dan Aykroyd on SNL. BC N ENO); 20TH CENTURY L ( 1973: Carson recruits professional debunker the Amazing Randi to expose Uri Geller’s spoon-bending flimflam. Geller promptly experiences one of TV’s most mortifying epic fails. RANKLIN); TION F C OLLE C 2/1/82: College-educated snark goes May 1981: Jerry Seinfeld Spring 1979: 7/4/77: Norman Lear’s 6/23/76: HOTOFEST (PAAR); PHOTOFEST ( ’s It’s On the heels 12/19/73: P THE 11/8/79: Four Zeitgeist prominence AL B HOTOFEST ( mainstream when Late Night With David Fernwood 2-Night (later BC/ first appearance onThe good to be king. After of his outrageous P INNOVATOR days into the Iran meets self-fulfilling prophecy as KO N V/ Letterman debuts on NBC at 12:30 a.m., refashioned as America T Tonight Show—one in Carson floats the hostage crisis, ABC Saturday Night Live Carson jokes in his monologue - David THE OR Letterman replacing Tom Snyder. The acerbic Steve 2Night) validates the Andy V/ a long line of comedians idea of retiring, the News debuts the first appearances, about a looming toilet-paper T 9/18/85: Allen acolyte favors inventive gimmicks launched by Carson, stock of NBC’s parent late-night talk show Kaufman has his shortage BC ; by noon the next day, ANSFIELD); serious alternative N A shtick is born: M (the Velcro suit), oddball regulars (Chris including Leno (who company, RCA, takes as a genre worthy of a Tonight Show debut gullible hoarders create READ, W Letterman recites “The to Carson, The Iran P Elliott), and verbal sparring (notably bombed his first four a noticeable dip—no Crisis: America satirical counterpart (Steve Allen is sitting an acute nationwide Top Ten Things HIS S MAGES ( I Cher, Madonna). SNL’s Paul Shaffer times), Letterman, Steve surprise: His show … and makes co-stars in for Carson). He T That Almost Rhyme Held Hostage, which TP shortage. serves as sidekick and bandleader. Martin Roseanne Barr Martin Mull and HS: , , brings in $115 million remains a late-night P morphs into Nightline ETTY With Peas.” G Letterman champions frequent guest Fred Willard comedy Ellen DeGeneres, Garry a year, or 17 percent of with Ted Koppel (host mind-blower until his E/ V and pal Leno, who finally clicks on TV. Shandling, and Drew Carey. the network’s revenue. until 2005). godheads. death in 1984 at 35. HI C R PHOTOGRA PHOTOFEST (LETTERMAN); A 1992: With Carson gone, NBC reacquires ownership of The Tonight Show. 10/9/86 The Late 1987: With Rivers out of 7/28/87: Loopy Crispin 10/4/88: Fed up with 1/3/89: Arsenio 1991: In February, Leno’s 5/23/91: Without 5/22/92: Carson’s 5/25/92: The Tonight 6/3/92: Amateur Show Starring Joan the way, Leno is named Glover nearly brains Letterman’s ribbing Hall premieres his manager Helen Kushnick warning the network, teary, guest-free Show With Jay Leno saxophonist Bill Rivers debuts on permanent guest host of Letterman doing karate about her New Age–y eponymous late-night plants a false story in the Carson shocks affiliates finalTonight Show debuts with a complete Clinton plays 8/15/92: Late- Fox, making Rivers The Tonight Show, his moves—the most self-help best seller syndicated talk Post that NBC wants to with the news that broadcast (the famous reboot: no sidekick and “Heartbreak Hotel” on night satire goes the first female killer stand-up act traded spectacular in a series of Out on a Limb, Shirley show, the first to be dump Carson for Leno.