The Midnight Special (TV series)

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The Midnight Special
Format music variety show
Created by Burt Sugarman
Starring Helen Reddy (1975-1976) (host)
Wolfman Jack (announcer)
Country of origin Flag of the United States 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
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Midnight Special was 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 program featured over 1,200 performers during its run[citation needed]. Some notable guest stars and hosts included Peter Frampton, Aerosmith, Elton John, Ray Charles, James Brown, Bo Diddley, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Tina Turner, Barry Manilow, Steve Martin, Marvin Gaye, Billy Joel, Rick James, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Billy Crystal, Beach Boys, Diana Ross, B.B King, Kiss, Gordon Lightfoot, Andy Kaufman, Doobie Brothers, Cheap Trick, Richard Pryor, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Wolfman Jack, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Cars, Eddie Money, Blondie, Jim Croce, The Spinners, Dolly Parton, and Fleetwood Mac.

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 show 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] History

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]

The show sponsored the last performance of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust — it was broadcast on November 16, 1973,[4] in an episode taped a month earlier from specially-commissioned performances at the Marquee Club in Soho.

The series was cancelled 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.

In 2006, a DVD collection entitled Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special was made available by Guthy-Renker through television and radio informercials.

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The show was satirized by Ray Stevens in 1974 on the novelty single, "The Moonlight Special".

The show was referenced in Tammy Wynette's 1976 hit "(I'd Like to See) Jesus on the Midnight Special".


The theme song was performed by The Guess Who

[edit] Guests

Image:Splitsection.svg
 It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled List of guests appearing on The Midnight Special. (Discuss)


This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] 1972 (pilot)

First aired: 8/19/1972

[edit] 1973

[edit] 1974

[edit] 1975

[edit] 1976

[edit] 1977

[edit] 1978

[edit] 1979

[edit] 1980

[edit] 1981

  • 707 - "Tonite's Your Night"

[edit] See also

List of late night network TV programs

[edit] External links

[edit] References

General reference:

  • McNeil, Alexander M. (1980) Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, Ltd. ISBN 0-14-004911-8

Specific references:

  1. ^ a b c d The Midnight Special Comes to VH-1, a 1997 article by pop culture critic Ed Robertson
  2. ^ a b http://www.tv.com/the-midnight-special/show/2974/summary.html&full_summary=1 TV.com detailed summary]
  3. ^ http://www.midnightspecial.com/ (promotional site for the DVD re-issue)
  4. ^ http://www.5years.com/1980.htm, a fan's detailed website focused just on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
  5. ^ Dick Ebersol, from the Museum of Broadcast Communications