Tonight Starring Steve Allen
Encyclopedia
Tonight Starring Steve Allen is a talk show
hosted by Steve Allen
under The Tonight Show
franchise. It was the first version of The Tonight Show but was referred to as Tonight from 1954 to 1957. It originally aired during late-night
.
During its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside of the GE Building
, formerly known as the Texaco Star Theatre. The same studio would also host The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar
, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
.
and the bandleader was Skitch Henderson
. Allen's version of the show originated such talk show staples as an opening monologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation, and comedy bits in which cameras were taken outside the studio, as well as music. The success of the show led Allen to get another talk show, this one would air prime-time on Sunday nights. This led Allen to share Tonight hosting duties with Ernie Kovacs
for the 1956–1957 season
. To give Allen time to work on his Sunday evening show, Kovacs hosted Tonight on Monday and Tuesday nights, with his own announcer and bandleader.
A kinescope of the very first episode survives and Allen's opening monologue has been rebroadcast many times on Tonight Show anniversary specials and in documentaries such as Television. In his opening remarks, Allen makes the prescient statement that Tonight "is going to go on forever."
's Ed Sullivan Shows dominance of the Sunday night ratings.
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.
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
hosted by Steve Allen
Steve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
under The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
franchise. It was the first version of The Tonight Show but was referred to as Tonight from 1954 to 1957. It originally aired during late-night
Late-night talk show
In American television, the late-night talk show is a specific kind of comedy-oriented talk and variety show that airs late at night. Characteristics of the genre include topical monologues in which the host makes fun of the day's news, comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances...
.
During its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside of the GE Building
GE Building
The GE Building is an Art Deco skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the midtown Manhattan section of New York City. Known as the RCA Building until 1988, it is most famous for housing the headquarters of the television network NBC...
, formerly known as the Texaco Star Theatre. The same studio would also host The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar
The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night....
, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
History
The first episode of Tonight aired on September 27, 1954, unlike traditional talk shows, the runtime was 105 minutes instead of 60. The announcer of the show was Gene RayburnGene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
and the bandleader was Skitch Henderson
Skitch Henderson
Lyle Russell Cedric “Skitch” Henderson was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname reportedly derived from his ability to quickly "re-sketch" a song in a different key.- Biography :...
. Allen's version of the show originated such talk show staples as an opening monologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation, and comedy bits in which cameras were taken outside the studio, as well as music. The success of the show led Allen to get another talk show, this one would air prime-time on Sunday nights. This led Allen to share Tonight hosting duties with Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs was a Hungarian American comedian and actor.Kovacs' uninhibited, often ad-libbed, and visually experimental comedic style came to influence numerous television comedy programs for years after his death in an automobile accident...
for the 1956–1957 season
1956–57 United States network television schedule
The 1956–57 United States network television schedule was for the period that began in September 1956 and ran through March 1957.The 1956-1957 network television schedule continued the trend of the previous season, with two of the three major U.S. television networks scheduling more and more...
. To give Allen time to work on his Sunday evening show, Kovacs hosted Tonight on Monday and Tuesday nights, with his own announcer and bandleader.
A kinescope of the very first episode survives and Allen's opening monologue has been rebroadcast many times on Tonight Show anniversary specials and in documentaries such as Television. In his opening remarks, Allen makes the prescient statement that Tonight "is going to go on forever."
Allen and Kovacs Deperature
Allen and Kovacs departed Tonight in January 1957 after NBC ordered Allen to concentrate all his efforts on his Sunday night variety program, hoping to combat CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Ed Sullivan Shows dominance of the Sunday night ratings.
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 LescoulieJack Lescoulie
Jack Lescoulie was a radio and television announcer and host, notably on NBC's Today during the 1950s and 1960s. His parents were both in vaudeville along with their children; Lescoulie's first public performance was at age seven. His first media job was with KGFJ, Los Angeles, when he was still...
and then by Al "Jazzbo" Collins, with interviews conducted by Hy Gardner
Hy Gardner
Hy Gardner was a columnist for the New York Herald Tribune, host of The Hy Gardner Show, and a regular panelist on the first incarnation of To Tell The Truth. In 1957 Gardner also appeared on the show made up as a clown along with guest challenger Paul Jung...
, and music provided by the Lou Stein
Lou Stein
Lou Stein was an American jazz pianist.Stein's first major gig came in 1942 when he joined Ray McKinley's band. He also played with Glenn Miller when the latter was stateside during World War II.After the war he worked with Charlie Ventura and following this became a session musician...
Trio. This new version of the show was not popular, resulting in a significant number of NBC affiliates dropping the show.
See also
- List of late night network TV programs
- The Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
, Allen's Sunday night variety show he hosted while simultaneously hosting Tonight