Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 1960 to 1961
Broadcast Medium: Television
Aired Saturday nights, at midnight, from October 1960 to June 1961. Aired from December 1961 to June of 1962 at 11:30 PM.
CBC’s contribution to late night programming really began with this casual talk show produced in Toronto. Paul Soles was the first host, followed by Larry Mann as the show tried to find an audience. This was a difficult task, considering the popularity of Jack Paar’s Tonight Show in the Toronto market.
The show’s guests were usually performing on the stage at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto or at another venue while on tour. This made the format more attractive and easy to produce. The show occasionally went on the road to New York, where one episode featured a conversation with leading directors Norman Jewison and Arthur Hiller, and writers John Aylesworth and Frank Peppiatt. This conversation can be seen on the cbc.ca/archives web site.
Producers: Ross McLean [1960], Drew Crossan [61-62], Len Casey [1962]
Written by John Corcelli – May, 2005