October 15, 1973…”Tomorrow” Debuted On NBC
The only way to remember this great show is to remember what made it great…Tom Snyder. On the event of his death in 2007, here are remembrances from Brian Williams, Jay Leno and David Letterman. Incidentally, Letterman’s NBC show replaced “Tomorrow”.
“Tomorrow” followed “Tonight” With Johnny Carson and started as a 60-minute series which aired only four nights a week, Monday through Thursday, in order to accommodate the weekly shows ‘Midnight Special’ (1973–81) and SCTV (1981–82) in that time slot on Fridays.
It was originally broadcast from the NBC studios in Burbank, but relocated to New York in December 1974 when Snyder took on additional anchor duties for NBC News and the network’s flagship station, WNBC-TV.
In June 1977, the show returned to Burbank until 1979, when Snyder once again began originating from 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
On September 16, 1980, when “Tonight” was shortened to 60 minutes, “Tomorrow” was scheduled at 12:30 Eastern and lengthened to a 90 minute format that lasted until its cancellation 16 months later. In February 1982, NBC replaced “Tomorrow Coast-To-Coast” with “Late Night With David Letterman”. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
On my very first visit to NBC on a vacation to New York in 1976, I was given a personal tour of the NBC studios and shot this photo of Studio 6A showing the Tomorrow set (such as it was, just some comfy seats on a rug with some plants placed here and there):
https://flic.kr/p/Mxizk
Tom Snyder was a fine broadcaster! I loved Tomorrow during the time it was on & really missed it when it was cancelled. I especially appreciated it when Tom returned to that timeslot for a while, on The Late Late Show, following Letterman. His guests on both shows & various topics were always interesting & his was a form of interview show that just doesn’t exist anymore. Between Tomorrow & Late Late, he also hosted a similar program on CNBC, which was also enjoyable. I sure do miss Tom, the Colortinis & watching all the pictures fly through the air.
I liked his CBS show as well. He always looked like he just heard a dirty joke and was trying to keep it together lol. Great interviewer
I loved the direction of that show. The full screen faces when a pointed question was asked. I used that same technique for political interviews. I loved to see the eyes of the person being interviewed when they were searching for an answer.
When I worked at an NBC station in South Carolina in 1975, I recorded this bit of silliness from Snyder’s Tomorrow Show. Recorded on quad tape and transferred to DigiBeta in the 1990’s, I have since uploaded it to YouTube. You should recognise all of the participants. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo35tjSK3Dk
In years after the Tomorrow Show, I’d hear some “news organization” reporting “for the FIRST TIME EVER” some politico or celebrity said —“, and I’d think, No – I heard them tell Tom Snyder than years ago, but the crack news agencies didn’t pay as much attention to Ol’ Tom at that hour back when.
Joel Tator created & directed this show…almost 500 episodes. Televised from Molokai, the first ever from on the real Orient Express, the first non-news from China, etc. He also directed over 8,000 other shows, too. His 23 emmys attest to his brilliance!
That’s Gene Affrunti seated……