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Mar 2021
24m 58s

Late Night Wars | The Dawn of Tonight | ...

Wondery
About this episode
The late night saga begins in the uncharted wilderness of after-hours programming. In the early 1950s, an era when television broadcasting literally stops at 11:00 p.m., NBC dares to push the envelope with something called the Tonight Show. It works.It seems insane, but American audiences are ready to stay up--and advertisers are ready to spend big money to ... Show More
Up next
Mar 2021
Late Night Wars | Late Night Explodes | 3
Johnny Carson – the man who defined the Tonight show – is nearing retirement. But NBC has yet to settle on an heir. And that sets the stage for one of the most painful moments for the late night rivals battling for the throne. It will prove enormously embarrassing for Carson, Len ... Show More
26m 22s
Mar 2021
Late Night Wars | There Goes Johnny! | 4
When longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson shocks NBC with the surpriseannouncement of his departure, Jay Leno is anointed as the next host of the network’s flagship franchise.But there’s a problem: after a decade hosting Late Night at 12:30, David Letterman thinks Carson’s jo ... Show More
25m 17s
Mar 2021
Late Night Wars | A Darker Night Ahead | 5
CBS makes David Letterman a very attractive offer to leave NBC—a move he’s very willing to make—but his long-time network is desperate to keep him. So desperate they dangle the prize that Letterman felt he deserved all along—the Tonight Show. That doesn’t sit well with Tonight ho ... Show More
28m 49s
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