History of Late Night TV

This was a strange tongue-in-cheek parody show that spoofed late night shows and small town life. It was a spin-off of the show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. It was created by Norman Lear who produced legendary shows like All in the Family, Maude and The Jeffersons. The show took place in the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio. The show was hosted by Barth Gimble (Martin Mull) and Jerry Hubbard (Fred Willard). Barth was the twin brother of Garth Gimble from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. The show had a total of 65 episodes, from July, 1977 to September, 1977. The producer was Alan Thicke, who later went on to host a short-lived late night show called Thicke of the Night. He is best known for his role of Jason Seaver in Growing Pains. The show's bandleader was the ironically named Happy Kyne (Frank DeVol) who always seemed to be glum. Musician Tom Waits appeared on this show, citing that his bus had broke down in Fernwood. Dabney Coleman and and Jim Varney (known as Ernest and the "Hey Vern" guy) had recurring characters. This show was unique and off-the-wall to be sure, and it's the only spoof show based in a fictional town that is included in this site.