The Story of Late Night

Season 1

2021 · 6 episodes · 3h 48m in all · 1.0/10

Episodes

1. 

   1. Inventing Late Night

   2 May 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   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.

2. 

   2. Carson: King of Late Night

   9 May 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   Johnny Carson deftly navigates the turbulent 1960s to elevate “The Tonight Show” and become the undisputed king of late night.

3. 

   3. Eyes on the Throne

   16 May 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   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.

4. 

   4. Letterman V. Leno

   23 May 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   Carson’s 1992 retirement touches a nation – and touches off an epic late-night war between Jay Leno and David Letterman.

5. 

   5. Late Night Makes The News

   30 May 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   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.

6. 

   6. Reinventing Late Night

   6 Jun 2021 · 38 min · 1.0/10

   Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah follow in Leno, Letterman, and Stewart’s footsteps and new hosts James Corden, Seth Meyers, Amber Ruffin, and Desus + Mero confront Donald Trump – and COVID-19.