The Midnight Special
1972
📺 8 Seasons
🎬 206 Episodes
📅 Returning Series
🌐 EN
⏱️ 90 min/episode
The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981. The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts. As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live. The program also featured occasional comedic performances such as Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman.
Seasons
Season 1
John Denver guest hosted Mama Cass, The Everly Brothers, The Isley Brothers, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Argent and Helen Reddy. Among the musical highlights were Harry Chapin performing his hit "Taxi", Linda Ronstadt sang her popular ballad "Long Long Time", Helen Reddy sang "I Am Woman" and the Britsh group Argent performed their 1972 hit "Hold Tour Head High"
Season 2
Curtis Mayfield (host) - ""Future Shock,"" ""Back to the World"" & ""Right On for the Darkness"" --The Bee Gees - ""Lonely Days"" & ""Run to Me"" --Jim Croce - ""I've Got a Name"" & ""Bad Bad Leroy Brown"" --Gladys Knight & the Pips - ""Where Peaceful Waters Flow"" --Natural Four - ""Can This Be Real"" --Wilson Pickett - ""Get Me Back on Time Engine 9"" & ""Don't Knock My Love"" --Helen Reddy - ""Delta Dawn"" --Sly & the Family Stone - ""Everybody Is a Star"" --War - ""Gypsy man""
Season 3
Randy Newman (host) - ""Mama Told Me Not to Come,"" ""Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear,"" ""Political Science,"" ""Davy and the Fat Boy,"" ""I Think It's Going to Rain Today,"" ""Rolling,"" ""All His Love"" & ""Louisiana 1927"" --Ry Cooder - ""Ditty Wah Ditty"" --Dr. John - ""Let's Make a Better World,"" ""Desitively Bonnaroo,"" ""Mos' Scocious"" & ""Mama Don't Allow"" --Dr. John and Maria Muldaur - ""Three Dollar Bill"" --Maria Muldaur - ""Sweetheart,"" Lover Man"" & ""Squeeze Me"" --The Turtles - ""Happy Together,"" ""Feel Older Now,"" ""Let Me Make Love to You"" & ""You Showed Me""
Season 4
Helen Reddy (host) - ""I'll Be Your Audience,"" ""Bad Bad Leroy Brown"" (an animated film of the Jim Croce recording) ""Time"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Billy Braver (comedy segment) --The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - ""Dream,"" ""Bayou Jubilee,"" The Battle of New Orleans"" & ""Mother of Love"" --Phoebe Snow - ""I Don't Want the Night to End"" & ""Poetry Man"" --Paul Williams - ""Cried Like a Baby"" & ""Old Souls"" --Midnight Special salute to David Bowie --Hit of the Week:
Season 5
The Spinners (hosts) - ""I've Got to Make It on My Own,"" ""The Rubberband Man,"" ""Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"" and ""I Don't Want to Lose You""/""One of a Kind Love Affair"" medley. --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Showdown"" --England Dan and John Ford Coley - ""I'd Really Love to See You Tonight,"" ""Showboat Gambler"" & ""Nights Are Forever without You"" --Dr. Hook - ""A Little Bit More,"" ""Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms"" & ""Jungle to the Zoo"" (another source lists ""Only 16"" as the 2nd song) --Elton John and Kiki Dee - ""Don't Go Breakin' My Heart"" (probably a music video) --Junior Walker - ""What Does It Take?"" ""(I'm A) Road Runner,"" ""Shotgun"" & 'I'm So Glad"" --Midnight Special salute to Wolfman Jack (Wolfman Jack tells his own story: career as a DJ & clip from ""American Graffiti"")
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Network
NBC
Production
Burt Sugarman Productions, NBC
Keywords
variety show