This show is from a really nice PBS series on early television. Oddly, however, this second episode is the first one on the DVD for the show.
This episode is about the history of the late night talk show. It begins with a brief discussion of Pat Weaver and skipped over a few abortive attempts to the Steve Allen version of the night show with its free-wheeling skits, crazy stunts, headlines and audience interviews. Then, in a huge change, the network replaces this comic with a pure interviewer, Jack Paar. Paar was strange, neurotic and temperamental...and these really worked in his favor to create an audience. Then, after his relatively brief tenure, the bulk of the show talked about Johnny Carson--followed by tiny diversions discussing folks who challenged him, such as Dick Cavett, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin and Arsenio Hall.
All in all, the show was a great overview of the subject matter. It skipped a few folk who were of very minor importance--but otherwise it's a great look at the genre.
This episode is about the history of the late night talk show. It begins with a brief discussion of Pat Weaver and skipped over a few abortive attempts to the Steve Allen version of the night show with its free-wheeling skits, crazy stunts, headlines and audience interviews. Then, in a huge change, the network replaces this comic with a pure interviewer, Jack Paar. Paar was strange, neurotic and temperamental...and these really worked in his favor to create an audience. Then, after his relatively brief tenure, the bulk of the show talked about Johnny Carson--followed by tiny diversions discussing folks who challenged him, such as Dick Cavett, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin and Arsenio Hall.
All in all, the show was a great overview of the subject matter. It skipped a few folk who were of very minor importance--but otherwise it's a great look at the genre.