7.6
The Midnight Special
The Midnight Special
Summary
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.
Cast
Helen Reddy
Wolfman Jack
Curtis Mayfield
Robin Gibb
Barry Gibb
Maurice Gibb
Gladys Knight
Ravi Shankar
Paul Williams
Chuck Berry
Billy Preston
Edgar Winter
Shawn Phillips
Jerry Lee Lewis
José Feliciano
Wilson Pickett
Paul Anka
Sly Stone
Harry Chapin
Steve Martin
Mac Davis
Waylon Jennings
Rick Derringer
Mick Fleetwood
Muddy Waters
Carol Burnett
Bill Cosby
Ray Charles
Johnny Nash
Canned Heat
Lakshmi Shankar
Ike Turner
Tina Turner
Bobby Womack
Jeff Lynne
David Brenner
Jim Croce
Melissa Manchester
Steve Miller
Linda Ronstadt
War
Frankie Valli
Al Green
Jack Elliott
Joe Walsh
Roebuck 'Pops' Staples
Cleotha Staples
Mavis Staples
Yvonne Staples
B.B. King
James Seals
Darrell Crofts
Lloyd Price
Ronnie Spector
Chubby Checker
Prince
Bobby Z
André Cymone
Dez Dickerson
Dr. Fink
Gayle Chapman
Roy Orbison
John Denver
Cass Elliot
Phil Everly
Don Everly
The Isley Brothers
Ed McMahon
George Carlin
Johnny Rivers
Anne Murray
Don McLean
Sonny Terry
Brownie McGhee
Albert Hammond
Merrilee Rush
Billy Paul
Joan Rivers
Aretha Franklin
Earl Scruggs
Freeman King
Murray Langston
Skeeter Davis
Taj Mahal
Dr. John
Robert Klein
Skylark
John Stewart
Barbara Fairchild
Jimmie Spheeris
Richard Pryor
Kris Kristofferson
Rita Coolidge
The Stylistics
Livingston Taylor
Peter Noone
Karl Green
Billy J. Kramer
Doug Kershaw
Albert King
Teddy Pendergrass
Robert Fripp
Patti LaBelle
Debbie Harry
Chris Stein
Eddie Levert
Crystal Gayle
Joan Baez
Randy Newman
Olivia Newton-John
Rod Stewart
Kenny Loggins
Gordon Lightfoot
Bill Withers
Marvin Gaye
Little Richard
The Kinks
Loretta Lynn
Jonathan Winters
Bobby Darin
Tammy Wynette
George Jones
Lou Rawls
George Burns
Smokey Robinson
Bonnie Bramlett
Doc Severinsen
Henry Mancini
Hoyt Axton
Jerry Butler
Dobie Gray
Vicki Lawrence
Country Joe McDonald
Bobby Day
Del Shannon
Tom T. Hall
Ben E. King
The Chi-Lites
Brian Auger
B.W. Stevenson
Arlo Guthrie
Paul Butterfield
Leo Kottke
Chris Smither
Burton Cummings
Randy Bachman
Tommy Bolin
Byron MacGregor
Maria Muldaur
Tim Buckley
Status:
Returning Series
Original Language:
English
Type:
Scripted
Networks:
