The Story of Late Night - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Inventing Late Night
At the dawn of the TV era in the 1950s, Steve Allen's zany spontaneity turns Tonight into a hilarious and unexpected hit. But in the early 1960s, it's Jack Paar's captivating, quirky personality and Johnny Carson's impeccably hip humor that transform late night into an enduring television staple.
Carson: King of Late Night
Johnny Carson deftly navigates the turbulent 1960s to elevate The Tonight Show into a cultural touchstone, enshrining himself as the undisputed king of late night. His success begets competition with the emergence of Dick Cavett and Merv Griffin.
Eyes on the Throne
As the 1980s dawn, David Letterman reinvents late night comedy for a new generation, rescuing comedian Jay Leno's nearly flamed-out career in the process. But Johnny Carson's enduring comic appeal spawns endless speculation over his eventual successor.
Letterman vs. Leno
Carson's 1992 retirement touches a nation – and touches off an epic late-night war between Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Late Night Makes The News
As the 2000s unfold, diverse voices like Chelsea Handler and George Lopez get their seat behind the late-night desk, while Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert take the news into their own hilarious hands.
Reinventing Late Night
Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Trevor Noah follow in Leno, Letterman, and Stewart's footsteps, and new hosts James Corden, Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee, Amber Ruffin, and Desus + Mero confront Donald Trump – and COVID-19.
Recently Updated Shows
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, John Oliver presents a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is an Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase.
Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. As The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999, "in defiance of both time and show business convention, 'SNL' is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.
Lioness
Lioness, inspired by an actual U.S. Military program, follows the life of Joe while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade and Donald Westfield, enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA's efforts to thwart the next 9/11.
Dark Matter
Hailed as one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, Dark Matter is a story about the road not taken. The series follows Jason Dessen, a physicist, professor, and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.