September 19, 1960…The “Tonight” Show Goes Color
The “Tonight” Show is a creation of the late Pat Weaver, and has been on the air since 1954. It is the longest currently-running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after “Meet the Press” and “Today”.
When the show began it was broadcast live from The Hudson Theater, with Steve Allen as the host. Paar took over in ’57 and while still at The Hudson, on January 12, 1959, the show began to be videotaped for broadcast later the same day.
The first week of January 1960, the show was moved to NBC Studio 6B at 30 Rock in preparation for the switch to color, which came on September 19, 1960 during Jack Paar’s tenure as host.
NBC’s “Broadway Open House”, which began in 1950, first demonstrated the potential for late-night network programming. The format for The “Tonight” Show can be traced to a 40 minute late night local show on WNBT New York, which was hosted by Allen. That show started in 1953. Network president Pat Weaver saw it, liked Allen, and made a deal. Beginning in September 1954, it was renamed “Tonight” and shown on the full NBC network. -Bobby Ellerbee
I would love to see Jimmy Fallon bring the Tonight Show back to the Hudson Theater for an anniversary special. Maybe someday…
I read that Jack Paar resented Pat Weaver for taking credit for the success of the Tonight show. Paar says that all Weaver did was come up with a name, “Tonight.” Paar made the show successful when he filled the time with interesting conversation, which he learned to do when he hosted CBS’s Morning Show. Paar had three hours to fill he had no choice but to keep talking. It did not work in the morning, but when he did the same show on NBC at night, it all fell into place.
And of course the now ancient lament, not a shred of color Jack Paar hosting the Tonight show is known to exist. Not even a known shred of b&w videotape. Hell, the few kinescopes, of even his prime time Friday night show that do exist, are practically unwatchable they’re of such poor quality. (I suspect they’re b&w kines off a color monitor). What a shame. We’ll never be able to relive much of his five year run, and future audiences will know him only as a footnote, ‘The Guy Before Carson’.
Robert Barker, There are some Parr B&W videos on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_D5KzbX1Jo from 1960. And this from 1962: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5vDFFiU_Os.
The Museum of Television and Radio or whatever their ere calling it now, has a complete kinescope of the very first Tonight show with Jack Paar as host. They might have others as well, but I know for sure the first one exists.
I saw the show in 6B in 1961. But Paar was in England. So, Hugh Downs hosted the first hour, and we watched the second hour on the monitors from England.