For basically as long as there has been television, there has existed the concept of "late night" programming hitting the airwaves after the local nightly news. A host, some jokes, a desk, a guest--the setup is now iconic. "The Story of Late Night" lives up to its moniker and does a wonderful job of telling that entire story.
When it comes to late night TV topics, there are three that will always garner the most attention (at least thus far): The institution in and of itself that Johnny Carson became, the David Letterman vs. Jay Leno feud to replace him, and the bungled plan--by network executives--to hand Leno's reigns over to Conan O'Brien. Each of those topics basically commands its own episode here, and are excellently approached in terms of historical context and new interviews with the key players.
Where "Story" really stands out, however, is its ability to "fill in the gaps", so to speak, outside of those main talking points. For example, the first episode was very informative on how the whole genre started and how certain lesser-known pioneers created tenets of the genre that still stand/work to this very day. Also, throughout each episode, context is given on how the late night genre treated people of color, women, and ultimately evolved into newer formats (current events-based, YouTube-driven, pandemic-surviving, etc.).
Overall, "The Story of Late Night" was a joy to watch each week. It made me reminisce, sure, but it also taught me many interesting nuggets about the hosts, producers, and network executives who were key players in the business for decades. Just an all-around, well-done examination of the topic as a whole.
When it comes to late night TV topics, there are three that will always garner the most attention (at least thus far): The institution in and of itself that Johnny Carson became, the David Letterman vs. Jay Leno feud to replace him, and the bungled plan--by network executives--to hand Leno's reigns over to Conan O'Brien. Each of those topics basically commands its own episode here, and are excellently approached in terms of historical context and new interviews with the key players.
Where "Story" really stands out, however, is its ability to "fill in the gaps", so to speak, outside of those main talking points. For example, the first episode was very informative on how the whole genre started and how certain lesser-known pioneers created tenets of the genre that still stand/work to this very day. Also, throughout each episode, context is given on how the late night genre treated people of color, women, and ultimately evolved into newer formats (current events-based, YouTube-driven, pandemic-surviving, etc.).
Overall, "The Story of Late Night" was a joy to watch each week. It made me reminisce, sure, but it also taught me many interesting nuggets about the hosts, producers, and network executives who were key players in the business for decades. Just an all-around, well-done examination of the topic as a whole.