History of Late Night TV

The Late Show was on the brand new Fox network,  hosted by Joan Rivers, 1986-1987.

 

Later hosts included: Ross Shafer, Arsenio Hall and Buck Henry. In 1988 the show was cancelled.

 

Joan Rivers first appeared on The Tonight Show in 1965, only 3 years into Johnny Carson's tenure. Carson recognized her talent right away and predicted big things ahead for the young comedienne. Johnny was a guest on her syndicated talk show in 1968, simply called "That Show". It did not last very long. Her other guest on her first show was the owner of a nudist camp.

 

She became Johnny's first permanent guest host in 1983, after many years of a close friendship. In 1986, she appeared on Johnny's show in the same dress she had worn in 1965 on her debut appearance. This would be her last appearance on The Tonight Show, since she started her hosting gig on Fox.

 

When Johnny Carson learned that his friend Joan Rivers had taken this job to compete with his show, he never spoke to her again. He felt that she should have told him that she was going to do the show. Johnny was known as a jovial guy by the public, but he also was one who demanded loyalty and he held a grudge against Rivers for the rest of his life.

 

Joan Rivers died in 2014 after complications from a medical procedure.