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The Story of Late Night

Season 1

2021 · 6 episodes

  1. 1. Inventing Late Night

    2021-05-02 · 38m

    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.

  2. 2. Carson: King of Late Night

    2021-05-09 · 38m

    Johnny Carson deftly navigates the turbulent 1960s to elevate “The Tonight Show” and become the undisputed king of late night.

  3. 3. Eyes on the Throne

    2021-05-16 · 38m

    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.

  4. 4. Letterman V. Leno

    2021-05-23 · 38m

    Carson’s 1992 retirement touches a nation – and touches off an epic late-night war between Jay Leno and David Letterman.

  5. 5. Late Night Makes The News

    2021-05-30 · 38m

    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.

  6. 6. Reinventing Late Night

    2021-06-06 · 38m

    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.

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