One correction to Bill's lovely note, Jerry Lester hosted a show called "Broadway Open House" that aired on NBC between 1950 and 1951. Morey Amsterdam was the co-host. That show is recognized as the first late night talk show, but it wasn't The Tonight Show.

Steve Allen started a local late night show on WNBC in New York in 1953, which was picked up by NBC in September of 1954 which they called "The Tonight Show". Allen was so successful that he began hosting a show on Sunday nights, and NBC brought in Ernie Kovacs to host the Tonight Show on Monday and Tuesday nights. Eventually NBC decided to have Allen concentrate on the Sunday Night show and Paar was brought in, and he really revolutionzed the show.

I had the honor of meeting both Steve Allen and Jack Paar when I worked for CNBC a few years ago. They were both real gentleman, unlike many of the "stars" that followed in their footsteps. The hard part for me was that most of the crew at CNBC had no idea who either person was.   I am sure if it wasn't for the work they did, most of that crew would not have had jobs. Allen and Paar turned TV into an industry AND an art, something that has been lost in this age of reality television.

ROn