The Midnight Special (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Midnight Special | |
|---|---|
| Format | Music variety show |
| Created by | Burt Sugarman |
| Starring | Helen Reddy (host, 1975-1976) Wolfman Jack (announcer) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 450[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Burt Sugarman |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | February 2, 1973[2] – May 1, 1981 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Friday Night Videos (1983–2002) |
| Related shows | Tomorrow |
The Midnight Special is a weekly musical television series that aired during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman and airing on NBC. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981.[3] The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The show mostly featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when Helen Reddy was the regular host.[2] Wolfman Jack served as the announcer. The theme song, a traditional folk song called "Midnight Special," was performed by Johnny Rivers.
The Midnight Special was noted for featuring musical acts performing live, which was unique since most television appearances during the era showed performers lip-synching to prerecorded music. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts (such as Bill Haley & His Comets).
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Sugarman proposed the program as a way for NBC to take advantage of The Tonight Show's large audience. At the time, none of the Big Three television networks had programming on after 1:00 a.m., as common practice was to air a test pattern after sign-off. In spite of this lack of competition, NBC initially rejected the idea.[1] The rejection led Sugarman to buy air time for the premiere on his own, convincing Chevrolet to become the show’s first sponsor.[1] It premiered with ratings big enough that NBC changed its mind and bought the program.[1]
Some notable guest stars and hosts included America, Jerry Lee Lewis, Electric Light Orchestra, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,The Three Degrees, Peter Frampton, Brooklyn Dreams, Aerosmith, Elton John, Gary Wright, Ray Charles, James Brown, Bo Diddley, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Tina Turner, Heart, Barry Manilow, Steve Martin, Van Morrison, Marvin Gaye, Janis Ian, Billy Joel, Todd Rundgren, Weather Report, Rick James, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Billy Crystal, Beach Boys, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, B.B King, Kiss, Gordon Lightfoot, Andy Kaufman, Doobie Brothers, Cheap Trick, Richard Pryor, Cass Elliot, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Village People, Wolfman Jack, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Cars, Eddie Money, Blondie, Jim Croce, The Spinners, Dolly Parton, Fleetwood Mac, War, Bread and ABBA.
The show sponsored the last performance of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust — it was broadcast on November 16, 1973,[4][unreliable source?] in an episode taped a month earlier from specially-commissioned performances at the Marquee Club in Soho.
[edit] Cancellation
The series was canceled by NBC at the request of Dick Ebersol as part of a deal for him to take over then-ailing Saturday Night Live.[5] Two years later, after the conclusion of a run of the Canadian import SCTV Network, Midnight Special was eventually replaced by the music video show Friday Night Videos, also produced by Ebersol.
[edit] DVD release
In 2006, a DVD collection entitled Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special was made available by Guthy-Renker through television and radio informercials.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- McNeil, Alexander M. (1980) Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, Ltd. ISBN 0-14-004911-8
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d The Midnight Special Comes to VH-1, a 1997 article by pop culture critic Ed Robertson
- ^ a b TV.com detailed summary
- ^ Promotional site for the DVD re-issue
- ^ a fan's detailed website focused just on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
- ^ Dick Ebersol, from the Museum of Broadcast Communications
