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History of Late Night TV
Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin is known for his daytime talk show (1965-1986), but he tried his hand at hosting in late night as well. From 1969-1972, he had a late night show on CBS opposite Johnny Carson. He had guest hosted on The Tonight Show during the Jack Paar era. Griffin made a significant portion of his substantial wealth by creating Wheel of Fotune and Jeopardy. He owned many hotels and resorts and became one of the wealthiest media magnates in history. He was born in 1925 and died in 2007.
Left: this is the Merv Griffin studio in the TAV (Trans America Video) Celebrity Theater in Hollywood on Vine Street. In the past this building was the west coast headquarters of the ABC network. Photo courtesy of Eyes of a Generation Facebook page.
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