The Story of Late Night

Steve Allen’s zany spontaneity turns “Tonight” into an unexpected hit, but it’s Jack Paar and Johnny Carson that transform late night into an enduring television staple.

As the 1980s dawn, David Letterman reinvents late night for a new generation and endless speculation begins on who will be Johnny Carson’s eventual successor.

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.