Pioneers of Television Late Night (Season 1, Episode 2)
TV Episode | 55 min | Documentary, History

Pioneers of Television

Late Night (Season 1, Episode 2)

TV Episode | 55 min | Documentary, History

In the early years of US television, a new form of entertainment was created: the late night talk show. Steve Allen was the first of his kind and he was noted for its wacky comedy and willingness to engage in crazy stunts. It was also a ...See moreIn the early years of US television, a new form of entertainment was created: the late night talk show. Steve Allen was the first of his kind and he was noted for its wacky comedy and willingness to engage in crazy stunts. It was also a showcase for African-American performers such as Cab Calloway and Count Basie. He was succeeded in 1957 by Jack Paar, a skilled interviewer who got his start in radio and brought the art of conversation to the small screen. Johnny Carson followed as the next and undoubtedly most popular host of the show. He agreed somewhat reluctantly and became a TV staple for the next 30 years. His success led to many others trying their hand at the format, some successfully, including Merv Griffin, Joey Bishop and Dick Cavett. Written by garykmcd See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
51 cast members

Name	Known for
Muhammad Ali Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Greatest (1977)
Steve Allen Self Self See fewer	Casino (1995)
Cliff Arquette Charlie Weaver (archive footage) Charlie Weaver (archive footage) See fewer	The Charlie Weaver Show (1959)
Count Basie Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Pearl Harbor (2001)
Cab Calloway Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Blues Brothers (1980)
Johnny Carson Self / Carnac the Magnificent (archive footage) Self / Carnac the Magnificent (archive footage) See fewer	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
Fidel Castro Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Araaayyyyy!!! (1986)
Dick Cavett Self Self See fewer	Forrest Gump (1994)
Tim Conway Self Self See fewer	The Carol Burnett Show (1967)
Dagmar Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Dagmar Story (1951)
Sammy Davis Jr. Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Cannonball Run (1981)
Phyllis Diller Self Self See fewer	A Bug's Life (1998)
Hugh Downs Self Self See fewer	Live from Lincoln Center (1976)
Barbara Eden Self Self See fewer	I Dream of Jeannie (1965)
Genevieve Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	A Musical Tribute to Paris (1959)
George Gobel Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Ellie (1984)
Arthur Godfrey Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Merv Griffin Self Self See fewer	Jeopardy! (1983)
Arsenio Hall Self Self See fewer	Coming to America (1988)
Lionel Hampton Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Allied (2016)
Pat Harrington Jr. Self Self See fewer	One Day at a Time (1975)
Florence Henderson Self Self See fewer	The Brady Bunch (1969)
Bob Hope Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Ghost Breakers (1940)
Dennis James Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Rocky III (1982)
John F. Kennedy Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Profiles in Courage (1964)
Robert F. Kennedy Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Missiles of October (1974)
Don Knotts Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Jay Leno Self Self See fewer	The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)
Jerry Lester Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Hardly Working (1980)
Oscar Levant Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	An American in Paris (1951)
Jerry Lewis Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Nutty Professor (1963)
Dean Martin Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Dean Martin Show (1965)
Elsa Maxwell Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Hotel for Women (1939)
Ed McMahon Self Self See fewer	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
Jack Narz Self Self See fewer	Dotto (1958)
Richard Nixon Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Frost/Nixon (2008)
Louis Nye Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Jack Paar Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Walk Softly, Stranger (1950)
Regis Philbin Self Self See fewer	Little Nicky (2000)
Tom Poston Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Harlan Saperstein Narrator Narrator See fewer	Biography (1987)
Doc Severinsen Self Self See fewer	Nude on the Moon (1961)
Dick Smothers Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Casino (1995)
Tom Smothers Self Self See fewer	The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967)
Ed Sullivan Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Tiny Tim Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Insidious (I) (2010)
Bob Uecker Self Self See fewer	Major League (1989)
Sigourney Weaver Self Self See fewer	Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Betty White Self Self See fewer	The Proposal (I) (2009)
Andy Williams Self Self See fewer	Nobody (I) (2021)
Jonathan Winters Self Self See fewer	It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)