The Jerry Lewis Show with guest Totie Fields (1968)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guests Janet Leigh and Ben Gazzara (1967)

The Jerry Lewis Show (1969)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guests Phil Foster, Sam Cooke and Muhammad Ali (1963)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guests Rowan and Martin, Eydie Gorme, Keye Luke, Danny Lewis and Gary Lewis (1957)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guest Keye Luke (1958)

NBC Executives vs. The Tonight Show: A History

I've just completed a piece for WFMU called The Late Night Distemper of Our Times. It follows the trail of NBC executives that have over the course of history, blundered in their attempts to 'improve' The Tonight Show. Serious historical precedent exists for what is happening today. Steve, Jack and Johnny all got the shaft in various ways from the suits. From there we explore the biggest bomb in late night talk show history, The Jerry Lewis Show. Read it here.



And check this, originally mundane, now historically important footage. Stunning how everything Jay says here has turned out to be completely false (if not completely insincere to begin with).

Jay's 2004 Announcement - watch more funny videos

The Jerry Lewis Show - Premiere (1963)

Was there ever a more appropriate sponsor for Jerry than Brylcreem?

The Jerry Lewis Show (1958)

The Jerry Lewis Show (1967)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guests Jerry's Family (1958)

The Jerry Lewis Show with guest Cassius Clay and Sam Cooke (1963)

The above ticket isn't even from this show, but it looks nice and it has the same name. The Jerry Lewis Show lasted about three months on ABC. It was a live two hour talk show.