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Tonight! America After Dark

Late Night

About This Show

From wikipedia:

Steve Allen and Ernie Kovacs departed [the] Tonight [show] in January 1957 after NBC ordered Allen to concentrate all his efforts on his Sunday night variety program, hoping to combat CBS's Ed Sullivan Show's dominance of the Sunday night ratings.[citation needed]

Tonight! America After Dark (1957)

Rather than continuing with the same format after Allen and Kovacs' departure from Tonight, NBC changed the show's format to a news and features show, similar to that of the network's popular morning program Today. The new show, renamed Tonight! America After Dark, was hosted first by Jack Lescoulie and then by Al "Jazzbo" Collins, with interviews conducted by Hy Gardner, and music provided by the Lou Stein Trio. This new version of the show was not popular, resulting in a significant number of NBC affiliates dropping the show.[4]

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People Who Talked About This Show

  • Lynwood King
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People Talking About This Show

  • Lynwood King
    • Director Lynwood King on the format and talent behind the short-lived Tonight! America After Dark (06m 39s)
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From the Collection

  • Broadway Open House

    BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE (1950-51). The "granddaddy" of NBC late night.  Click here for recollections of this pioneering show.

  • NBC Opera Theatre-- Tonight Show Connection— FTC

    NBC TELEVISION OPERA THEATRE (1951-52).  In between Broadway Open House and Steve Allen's Tonight, NBC occasionally filled its late night time slot with productions of its "Opera Theatre," that during this period included "RSVP" (airdate: 11/1/51), "Pique Dame" (airdate: 1/3/52), and "The Barber of Seville" (airdate: 3/6/52).  This series would move to weekend afternoons in October 1952.

  • Tonight Show w / Steve Allen FTC

    TONIGHT (The Tonight Show with Steve Allen) (local WNBT 1953; full NBC network 1954-57).  Click here for recollections of the first version of the legendary late night show.

  • The Tonight Show aka The Jack Paar Show FTC

    THE JACK PAAR SHOW aka THE TONIGHT SHOW (1957-62).  Watch interviewes including announcer Hugh Downs talk about Jack Paar's version of the late-night classic.

  • Tonight Show (1962 interim) FTC

    THE TONIGHT SHOW (1962). Not to be confused with either the Jack Paar or Johnny Carson versions, this was the interim version helmed by several guest hosts before Johnny Carson arrived (waiting out his contract with ABC). Watch Archive interviewees discuss this post-Paar/pre-Carson interim show.

  • Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson FTC

    THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON (1962-92).  Watch Archive interviewees including regulars Ed McMahon, Skitch Henderson, and Milton Delugg discuss this seminal entry in late-night programming.

  • Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno

    THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JAY LENO.  Watch Archive interviewees discuss this contemporary version of the classic late-night franchise.

  • Tonight Show Starring Conan O'Brien FTC

    THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING CONAN O'BRIEN.  Archive interviewees to discuss this short-lived version of the late-night franchise, upcoming...

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