Talk Shows

Steve Allen on the early days of The Steve Allen Show

Steve Allen on hosting the second Steve Allen Show, a late-night show on WNBT

Steve Allen on Pat Weaver deciding to bring The Steve Allen Show to network and re-titling it Tonight

Steve Allen on Tonight Show producer Bill Harbach; on the impact of the show; on booking talent and memorable guests

Steve Allen on the openings, stunts and skits on The Tonight Show

Steve Allen on The Tonight Show regulars - Andy Williams, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme

Steve Allen on musical guests, sketches, audience interviews, and tough issues on The Tonight Show

Steve Allen on shooting outside the studio for The Tonight Show, and on censorship and the Blacklist

Steve Allen on The Steve Allen Show (prime-time version) moving to ABC in 1961 as the short-lived New Steve Allen Show

Steve Allen on the sketches and the crew of the syndicated Steve Allen Westinghouse Show

Charlie Andrews on co-creating and writing for Garroway at Large

Charlie Andrews on co-creating and writing Garroway at Large (Part 2)

Charlie Andrews on co-creating and writing Garroway at Large

Charlie Andrews on writing for Today

Ed Begley, Jr. on guest-starring on Maude, and on The Steve Allen Show being his favorite show

Lewis Black on The Steve Allen Show's influence, and on Henry Morgan

Frances Buss Buch on directing Mike and Buff

Frances Buss Buch on directing The Stork Club

Vince Calandra on consulting as a talent executive for John Davidson's, Alan Thicke's, Joan Rivers', Vicki Lawrence's, and Pat Sajak's talk shows

Robert Caminiti on assistant directing on Tomorrow with Tom Snyder

Charles Cappleman on working on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person

Dick Cavett on writing for Johnny Carson for the Emmys

Dick Cavett on his first morning talk show, evening show, and PBS talk show, all called The Dick Cavett Show

Dick Cavett on advice to aspiring talk show hosts

Dick Cavett on how TV show hosts balance public and private lives

Esme Chandlee on working in production on the TV show, Here's Hollywood

RuPaul Charles on appearing on The Arsenio Hall Show, and on losing his mother

RuPaul Charles on hosting The RuPaul Show on VH1

Margaret Cho on reuniting with Jerry Seinfeld on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Roy Clark on being a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson while Jimmy Dean was guest-hosting

Roy Clark on guest hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on deciding what to play on shows

Roy Clark on guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Robert Clary on appearing on The Merv Griffin Show, and on his personal friendship with Griffin

Nick Clooney on production and audiences of his local television talk shows

John Conte on hosting Town Talk on his television station in Palm Springs

Bob Costas on filling in for Larry King on Larry King Live

Billy Crystal on his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Bill Daily on writing for The Mike Douglas Show

Bill Dana on writing and performing on The Steve Allen Show

Tony Danza on hosting The Tony Danza Show

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for The Joey Bishop Show

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for The Pat Boone Show

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for and showrunning The Steve Allen Show

Ossie Davis on the creative freedom he and Ruby Dee had on their series With Ossie & Ruby

James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

Fred de Cordova on producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Fred de Cordova on producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Part 2)

Fred de Cordova on producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Part 3)

Milton Delugg on working with Abe Burrows and others when he transitioned to television

Milton Delugg on being hired as conductor (replacing Skitch Henderson) on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, on working with the band, on working with musical guests, and on being on-camera on the show

Milton Delugg on the 1974 revival of the game show Treasure Hunt

Joe DeTullio on working on the set for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and for various Broadway shows

Phil Donahue on his television talk show, Donahue

Phil Donahue on the early years of Donahue

Phil Donahue on Donahue

Phil Donahue on Donahue

Phil Donahue on Donahue

Phil Donahue on Donahue and Pozner & Donahue

Phil Donahue on ending Donahue

Mike Douglas on The Mike Douglas Show

Mike Doulgas on the concept of, co-hosts, and guests on The Mike Douglas Show

Mike Douglas on memorable guests, the audience, and a typical day on The Mike Douglas Show

Mike Douglas on hosting The Mike Douglas Show

Mike Douglas on memorable guests on The Mike Douglas Show

Mike Douglas on his catchphrase "I'll be right back" and The Mike Douglas Show sets

Hugh Downs on why he was drawn to hosting Today

Hugh Downs on his preparation for hosting Today; on memorable interviews on the show and leaving the program in 1971

Roger Ebert on differences of opinions with Gene Siskel on certain movies; on how they affected the fate of films

Roger Ebert on discussing colorization and a black and white episode of Siskel & Ebert & the Movies

Roger Ebert on casting a new critic (Richard Roeper) for the television show to replace Gene Siskel; on working with Roeper

Stephanie Edwards on hosting the ill-fated A.M. America in New York

Stephanie Edwards on Everyday

Richard Frank on developing Live with Regis and Kathie Lee

Pamela Fryman on working on The Mike Douglas Show and The John Davidson Show

Michael Gelman on working with Regis Philbin on The Morning Show

Michael Gelman on producing Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and Live with Regis and Kelly

Frank Gifford on meeting his wife Kathie Lee Gifford on Good Morning America

Whoopi Goldberg on how Barbara Walters revived her career after Whoopi was canceled -- by asking her to co-host The View, and on contemplating leaving The View

Lewis Gomavitz on acting as prop master on The Toni Tennille Show, and on his retirement

Lewis Gomavitz on acting as prop master for Dinah!

Charles Grodin on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman

Charles Grodin on changing his public persona when he hosted The Charles Grodin Show on CNBC

Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Jack Paar Program

Hal Gurnee on directing The David Frost Show

Hal Gurnee on directing The David Letterman Show

Hal Gurnee on directing Late Night with David Letterman

Pat Harrington, Jr. on appearing on The Steve Allen Show

Pat Harrington, Jr. on getting into show business with help from Jonathan Winters, and on appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Hugh Hefner on his syndicated show Playboy's Penthouse

Dwight Hemion on directing early live boxing telecasts and on how he came to direct The Steve Allen Show and Tonight

Florence Henderson on being a "Today Girl" on Today

Florence Henderson on becoming a regular guest and a guest host on The Tonight Show aka The Jack Paar Show

Lyle "Skitch" Henderson on being musical director for Steve Allen's Tonight

Lyle "Skich" Henderson on acting as music director on Steve Allen's Tonight and on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Lyle "Skitch" Henderson on Steve Allen's man on the street segments on Tonight

Lyle "Skitch" Henderson on The Mike Douglas Show

Lyle "Skitch" Henderson on The Merv Griffin Show

Marilu Henner on hosting her own talk show, Marilu

Don Herbert on appearing on Tonight with Steve Allen

Don Herbert on appearing on Today with Dave Garroway

Don Herbert on appearing on the first episode of Late Night with David Letterman

Martin Hoade on working on The Bob Considine Show and It Happened Today

Don Roy King on directing The Mike Douglas Show

Larry King on his advice to anyone who wants to become an interviewer "you never learn a thing when you're talking"; on being interviewed

Lynwood King on directing Tonight! America After Dark

Lynwood King on filling in as director for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Michael King on King World producing the show Soap World

Michael King on King World acquiring The Oprah Winfrey Show

Roger King on distributing and selling The Oprah Winfrey Show

Roger King on creating and distributing The Roseanne Show, starring Roseanne, and on how King World dealt with failure

Roger King on creating and distributing Dr. Phil, featuring Dr. Phil McGraw

Roger King on working with Phil McGraw on Dr. Phil, and on the launch of the show

Arnie Kogen on being hired to write for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Arnie Kogen on writing for Thicke of the Night

Bernie Kopell on appearing on The Steve Allen Show

Mort Lachman on working on This is Your Life; with Roy Rogers as a guest and on writing a spoof of the series for Bob Hope

Peter Lassally on producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Part 1)

Peter Lassally on producing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Part 2)

Peter Lassally on producing The Late Show with David Letterman

Peter Lassally on producing The Late Late Show

Vicki Lawrence on the key to a sucessfull talk show: letting the host be themselves

Vicki Lawrence on what she learned about being a good talk show host on Vicki! and from Carol Burnett

Eugene Lee on his work designing for talk shows: Ricki Lake, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers

Art Linkletter on Art Linkletter's House Party

Art Linkletter on People Are Funny

Art Linkletter on being one of the interim hosts of The Tonight Show in 1962 between Jack Paar's departure and Johnny Carson's arrival, and on working with Steve Allen

James Lipton on creating and hosting Inside the Actors Studio

Stewart MacGregory on being unit manager on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar

Stewart MacGregory on working with Jack Paar on The Jack Paar Program

Stewart MacGregory on the infamous "water closet incident" from The Tonight Show with Jack Paar

Barry Manilow on appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Jackie Mason on appearing on The Steve Allen Show

Chuck McCann on working with Steve Allen on The Steve Allen Show

Ed McMahon on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person, and on a favorite Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson sketch of his, which spawned a running joke

Ed McMahon on being the announcer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Ed McMahon on being announcer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Ed McMahon on being the announcer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Ed McMahon on being the announcer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Ed McMahon on announcing for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Jayne Meadows on acting in and writing for Meeting of Minds

Nolan Miller on designing for Gloria Swanson guest-starring on Burke's Law and on The Steve Allen Show

Bernie Orenstein on writing the pilot for The Pat Boone Show with Saul Turteltaub

Daniel Petrie, Sr. on directing Studs' Place

Regis Philbin on hosting his own talk show, which led to being hired as "second banana" on Joey Bishop's talk show

Regis Philbin on the importance of his elongated show opening segments

Regis Philbin on the benefits of not booking his own guests

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for The Joey Bishop Show

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for The Pat Boone Show

Elias Davis and David Pollock on writing for and showrunning The Steve Allen Show

Tom Poston on being a regular player on The Steve Allen Show

Maury Povich on criticisms of his talk show Maury

Maury Povich on his talk show, Maury

Jeff Probst on hosting The Jeff Probst Show

Ward Quaal on talk shows and programming for women at WGN and programming for minorities

Tony Randall on creating the National Actors Theater, and on making cameos on Late Show with David Letterman

Sally Jessy Raphael on her talk show Sally aka The Sally Jessy Raphael Show

Keith Raywood on production designing for Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Fred Rogers on imitations of him on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and by Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live

Andy Rooney on writing for television shows, including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and The Garry Moore Show

Howard Rosenberg on daytime talk shows

Glenda Rovello on her work on the talk show The Whoopi Goldberg Show

John Shaffner on designing the set for The Tonight Show Starring Conan O'Brien

John Shaffner on designing the set for Ellen DeGeneres' talk show

James Sheldon on directing the radio show "We, The People," which was then simulcast on television and radio and became a regular television show

James Sheldon on the challenge of making We, The People  visual, since it had started as a radio show

James Sheldon on the first time he heard of the Blacklist: when he tried to hire Madeline Lee on We, The People

Cybill Shepherd on hosting the syndicated talk show, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club

Jeremy Stevens on his first writing job for television on The Skitch Henderson Show

Saul Turteltaub on writing for various talk shows, including The Les Crane Show and The Merv Griffin Show

Saul Turteltaub on writing for The Pat Boone Show with Bernie Orenstein

Bruce Vilanch on writing for Burt Reynolds' Conversation With

Bruce Vilanch on helping Bette Midler with her farewell appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Jimmie Walker on being discovered and appearing on Jack Paar Tonite

Betty White on appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Larry Wilmore on writing for Into the Night

Jonathan Winters on the special quality Johnny Carson brought to The Tonight Show

"Weird Al" Yankovic on his first national television appearance on Tomorrow, with Tom Snyder

Lauren Zalaznick on developing The RuPaul Show

Lauren Zalaznick on Watch What Happens Live with host Andy Cohen

Alan Zweibel on learning to write jokes by watching shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Dick Cavett Show