Description
Documentary Series Description: Carson, Leno, Letterman – legendary hosts that changed late-night television. Through good times and bad, they gained America’s trust and kept the country laughing. But it wasn’t all laughter all the time. From secret deals to broken promises, some of the most dramatic stories were the ones that didn’t play out in front of the television cameras.
The Story of Late Night is a six-part docuseries that will take viewers on a journey back in time through present day of late-night television’s most memorable moments. Tracking the history of late-night TV from its inception, featuring stories about hosts such as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman, O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Kimmel, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Handler, Trevor Noah, Conan O’Brien, Seth Meyers, Amber Ruffin, Lorne Michaels, Desus + Mero, Whoopi Goldberg, along with countless industry insiders give first-hand, behind-the-scenes accounts of an art form that changed the face of television forever.
This documentary series beautifully captures the essence of post-late news TV, from its nascent years at the midway point of the 20th century through present day. As the series underscores time and again, from the beginning, late-night TV has always been more provocative, more controversial and looser than daytime and primetime TV.
As you’d expect, this is a clip-heavy documentary, and we’ve seen some of these grainy old bits countless times, e.g., Steve Allen doing his man-on-the-street routine in the 1950s or the Ed Ames tomahawk throw gone awry on “The Tonight Show.” But that’s just the beginning. This is an illuminating linear history of late-night TV, going all the way back to the largely forgotten Faye Emerson, who hosted late-night discussion and comedy programs in the late 1940s and early 1950s, thus becoming the very first talk show host. We also see archival interview footage of Johnny Carson and David Letterman, and present-day interviews from a bounty of current and recent talk show hosts each of whom offers unique perspective on the experience of cranking out monologues, interviews and comedy bits night after night.
Equally fascinating are the recollections of comedy legends such as Ray Romano and George Lopez, who recount the equal parts exhilarating and terrifying experience of making their “Tonight Show” debuts and seeing their lives change forever in a span of 10 minutes.
“The Story of Late Night” does a brilliant job of detailing how Johnny Carson navigated the tricky waters of turning out a mainstream, apolitical entertainment program in the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s without coming across as achingly out of touch — or trying too hard to keep up with the times. In a masterful stroke, Carson went on vacation for a week in 1968 and turned the mic over to Harry Belafonte, who welcomed guests such as Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Lena Horne, Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier.
Later episodes provide thorough looks at the transitional years when Carson was gradually riding off into the sunset while his protégé David Letterman was reinventing the genre and doing a kind of anti-talk-show talk show, and the brutal and in retrospect rather silly “late night wars” between Leno and Letterman after Carson’s retirement. The final two chapters will chronicle the 2000s, with the likes of Chelsea Handler and Jon Stewart making indelible marks, and recent years in which Seth Meyers, Desus + Mero, James Corden and Amber Ruffin have further reshaped the genre. These days late-night TV is as much about getting viral views the next morning as making a splash in the dead of night — but it’s still the place to be for regular doses of sharp-edged humor. “The Story of Late Night” does a marvelous job of cataloguing the amazing history of the American late-night talk show history.
Entire Six Episode Description:
Disc 1 of 3
Episode 1: “Inventing Late Night TV” Air Date 5/2/21: Steve Allen’s zany spontaneity turns Tonight into an unexpected hit, but it’s Jack Paar and Johnny Carson that transform late night into an enduring television staple. Duration (42:32) All Commercials professionally edited out
Episode 2: “Carson: King Of Late Night” Air Date 5/9/20: Johnny Carson deftly navigates the turbulent 1960s to elevate The Tonight Show and become the undisputed king of late night. Duration (42:01) All Commercials professionally edited out
Disc 2 of 3
Episode 3: “Eyes On The Throne” Air Date 5/16/21: As the 1980s dawn, David Letterman reinvents late night for a new generation and endless speculation begins on who will be Johnny Carson’s eventual successor. Duration (42:01) All Commercials professionally edited out
Episode 4: “Letterman vs. Leno” Air Date 5/23/21: Carson’s 1992 retirement touches a nation – and touches off an epic late-night war between Jay Leno and David Letterman. Duration (42:01) All Commercials professionally edited out
Disc 3 of 3
Episode 5: “Late Night Makes The News” 5/30/21: As the 2000s unfold, diverse voices like Chelsea Handler and George Lopez get their seat behind the late-night desk, while Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert take the news into their own hilarious hands. Duration (41:58) All Commercials professionally edited out
Episode 6: “Reinventing Late Night TV” Air Date 6/6/21: Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah follow in Leno, Letterman, and Stewart’s footsteps and new hosts James Corden, Seth Meyers, Amber Ruffin, and Desus + Mero confront Donald Trump – and COVID-19. Duration (54:00) All Commercials professionally edited out
ALL COMMERCIAL PROFESSIONALLY EDITED OUT of the entire Documentary Series EPISODES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
TOTAL DURATION Approximately: 4 Hours 25 Minutes
Entire six Episode Cast:
Bill Carter 6 episodes, 2021
Billy Crystal 6 episodes, 2021
Jimmy Fallon 6 episodes, 2021
Kliph Nesteroff 6 episodes, 2021
Conan O’Brien 6 episodes, 2021
W. Kamau Bell 5 episodes, 2021
Todd Boyd 5 episodes, 2021
Bob Costas 6 episodes, 2021
Whoopi Goldberg 5 episodes, 2021
Lorne Michaels 5 episodes, 2021
Robert Morton 5 episodes, 2021
Sarah Rodman 5 episodes, 2021
Jason Zinoman 5 episodes, 2021
Andy Cohen f4 episodes, 2021
Jimmy Kimmel 4 episodes, 2021
Jon Macks 4 episodes, 2021
Amber Ruffin 4 episodes, 2021
Jeff Sotzing 4 episodes, 2021
Debbie Vickers 4 episodes, 2021
Roy Wood Jr. 4 episodes, 2021
Byron Allen 3 episodes, 2021
Elayne Boosler 3 episodes, 2021
Rob Burnett 3 episodes, 2021
Jack Coen 3 episodes, 2021
Wayne Federman 3 episodes, 2021
Barbara Gaines 3 episodes, 2021
Marissa Guthrie 3 episodes, 2021
Doug Herzog 3 episodes, 2021
Peter Lassally 3 episodes, 2021
Warren Littlefield 3 episodes, 2021
George Lopez 3 episodes, 2021
Mark Malkoff 3 episodes, 2021
Merrill Markoe 3 episodes, 2021
Sophia A. McClennen 3 episodes, 2021
Molly McNearney 3 episodes, 2021
Seth Meyers 3 episodes, 2021
Hasan Minhaj 3 episodes, 2021
Trevor Noah 3 episodes, 2021
Steve O’Donnell 3 episodes, 2021
Paul Reiser 3 episodes, 2021
Robert Smigel 3 episodes, 2021
Madeleine Smithberg 3 episodes, 2021
Robert J. Thompson 3 episodes, 2021
Lizz Winstead 3 episodes, 2021
Bill Zehme 3 episodes, 2021
David Bianculli 2 episodes, 2021
Lewis Black 2 episodes, 2021
Lloyd Braun 2 episodes, 2021
Michelle Buteau 2 episodes, 2021
Dick Cavett 2 episodes, 2021
Dick Ebersol 2 episodes, 2021
Joan Embery 2 episodes, 2021
Hal Gurnee 2 episodes, 2021
Melissa Haizlip 2 episodes, 2021
Chelsea Handler 2 episodes, 2021
David Javerbaum 2 episodes, 2021
Rick Ludwin 3 episodes, 2021
Busy Philipps 2 episodes, 2021
Andy Richter 3 episodes, 2021
Melissa Rivers 2 episodes, 2021
Nell Scovell 2 episodes, 2021
Denise Soulam 2 episodes, 2021
Danna Young 2 episodes, 2021
Trish Bendix 1 episode, 2021
Meredith Bennett 1 episode, 2021
Zack Bornstein 1 episode, 2021
Jimmy Brogan 1 episode, 2021
George Cheeks 1 episode, 2021
Sarah Cooper 1 episode, 2021
Rob Crabbe 1 episode, 2021
Kevin Eubanks 1 episode, 2021
Spike Feresten 1 episode, 2021
Jennifer Flanz 1 episode, 2021
Edd Hall 1 episode, 2021
Jack Hanna 1 episode, 2021
Emily Lazar 1 episode, 2021
Josh Lieb 1 episode, 2021
David Pollock 1 episode, 2021
Ray Romano 2 episodes, 2021
Jeff Ross 1 episode, 2021
Bethy Squires 1 episode, 2021
David Steinberg 1 episode, 2021
Howard Stringer 1 episode, 2021
Nina Tassler 1 episode, 2021
Triumph The Insult Comic Dog 1 episode, 2021
Ben Winston 1 episode, 2021
Dannagal Young 1 episode, 2021
Jeff Zucker 1 episode, 2021
J. Mac (verified owner) –
Wow. This was an exhaustive look at the history of late night television. It doesn’t matter what generation you’re from, every late night show no matter what you’ve ever heard of has been covered in this amazing chronological look at the history of late night TV programming through this documentary. Now some might say this is too much of a deep dive and they don’t want to commit the time to watching this program. Except when you consider that the pros at MVR have professionally edited out ALL THE COMMERCIALS, that made this giant program so much easier, faster and more fun to watch. Sound and picture quality are unmatched and continue MVR’s tradition of excellence in producing great content. Bravo!