The Midnight Special (TV series)
| The Midnight Special | |
|---|---|
 Chuck Berry as guest host, November 2, 1973. |
|
| Genre | Music variety show |
| Created by | Burt Sugarman |
| Presented by | Helen Reddy (1975-1976) |
| Narrated by | Wolfman Jack |
| Opening theme | "Midnight Special" performed by Johnny Rivers |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 450[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Burt Sugarman |
| Producer(s) | Dick Ebersol |
| Running time | 90 min |
| Production company(s) | Burt Sugarman Productions |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | February 2, 1973 – May 1, 1981 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Tomorrow |
The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. 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.[2] The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The program's 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). As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live. The program also featured occasional comedic performances from the likes of Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman.
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[edit] Synopsis
In 1973how?, producer Sugarman pitched the program as a means for NBC to capitalize on 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 sign-off after the final program. Despite this total lack of competition in the time-slot, NBC initially rejected the idea. The rejection led Sugarman to buy the air time for the premiere on his own, convincing Chevrolet to become the show's first sponsor. It premiered with ratings high enough for NBC to reconsider its decision, and the network subsequently bought the program.[1] The program remained a part of NBC's late night lineup until 1981.
The pilot for the series aired on August 19, 1972. It was presented as a 90-minute special encouraging young people to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. Several months later, on February 2, 1973, it premiered as a weekly series.[3]
Midnight Special's original time slot was from 1:00am to 2:30am. When Johnny Carson cut his own show from 90 to 60 minutes, The Midnight Special was moved up to 12:30am–2:00am.[3]
In 1978, at the height of the disco craze, the set was changed to resemble a disco nightclub complete with a platform dance floor. Wolfman Jack stood behind an elevated DJ booth. By fall 1979, however, as the genre's popularity waned, the disco set was gone.[3]
[edit] Guest stars
Some notable guest stars and hosts included ABBA, AC/DC, Aerosmith, America, Lynn Anderson, Joan Baez, The Bee Gees, The Beach Boys, Blondie, David Bowie, Bread, Brooklyn Dreams, James Brown, Carmen, The Cars, The Chambers Brothers, Ray Charles, Cheap Trick, Jim Croce, Billy Crystal, John Denver, Bo Diddley, The Doobie Brothers, Gunhill Road, Electric Light Orchestra, "Mama" Cass Elliott, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Frampton, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Genesis, Andy Gibb, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Golden Earring, Al Green, The Guess Who, Hall & Oates, Heart, Janis Ian, The Jacksons, Rick James, Billy Joel, Elton John, Journey, Andy Kaufman, KC and the Sunshine Band, B.B. King, King Crimson, Kiss, Kraftwerk, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gordon Lightfoot, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Barry Manilow, Steve Martin, Eddie Money, Van Morrison, Randy Newman, The New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Richard Pryor, Procol Harum, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, Todd Rundgren, Merrilee Rush, Sly & The Family Stone, The Spinners, Starland Vocal Band, Steely Dan, REO Speedwagon, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, T.Rex, The Three Degrees, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tina Turner, Village People, War, Weather Report, Barry White, Wolfman Jack, and Gary Wright.
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, The 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 infomercials.
[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 The Midnight Special Comes to VH-1, a 1997 article by pop culture critic Ed Robertson
- ^ Promotional site for the DVD re-issue
- ^ a b c http://www.tv.com/the-midnight-special/show/2974/summary.html
- ^ 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
