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The Midnight Special

Season 1

33 listed hours · 1972–1981 · NBC

← All seasons · Show package

From the desk

How this season is filed

Filed by Rex Fontaine · Golden Age Dispatch

Wolfman Jack howls after Carson, and NBC hands the late slot to actual rock and pop acts before MTV ate the model. Guest-host roulette, live-ish performances, post-prime anything-goes. The network stage where 1970s music television still had sweat, speakers, and no countdown clock.

TV Flash files Season 1 of The Midnight Special (1972–1981) on NBC as the first listed season of 9 — 33 listed hours, 1972-08-19–1973-09-07 from “Host: John Denver” (S01E01) to “Host: Mac Davis” (S01E33). Titles, dates, and synopses on file — no invented recaps.

Desk essentials in this season

  1. S01E01 Host: John Denver

    Host: John Denver opens the late slot. After Carson, NBC hands the hour to actual rock and pop: guest-host roulette, live-ish sweat, speakers, no countdown clock.

  1. S01E01

    Host: John Denver

    Host: John Denver — Season 1, Episode 1 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1972-08-19. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  2. S01E02

    Host: Helen Reddy

    Host: Helen Reddy — Season 1, Episode 2 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-02-02. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  3. S01E03

    Host: Johnny Rivers

    Host: Johnny Rivers — Season 1, Episode 3 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-02-09. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  4. S01E04

    Host: Mac Davis

    Host: Mac Davis — Season 1, Episode 4 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-02-16. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  5. S01E05

    Host: Harry Chapin

    Host: Harry Chapin — Season 1, Episode 5 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-02-23. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  6. S01E06

    Host: Anne Murray

    Host: Anne Murray — Season 1, Episode 6 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-03-02. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  7. S01E07

    Host: Paul Williams

    Host: Paul Williams — Season 1, Episode 7 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-03-09. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  8. S01E08

    Host: Paul Anka

    Host: Paul Anka — Season 1, Episode 8 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-03-16. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  9. S01E09

    Host: Lou Rawls

    Host: Lou Rawls — Season 1, Episode 9 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-03-23. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  10. S01E10

    Host: Ray Charles

    Host: Ray Charles — Season 1, Episode 10 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-03-30. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  11. S01E11

    Hosts: The Bee Gees

    Hosts: The Bee Gees — Season 1, Episode 11 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-04-06. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  12. S01E12

    Host: Bill Cosby

    Host: Bill Cosby — Season 1, Episode 12 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-04-13. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  13. S01E13

    Host: Doc Severinsen

    Host: Doc Severinsen — Season 1, Episode 13 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-04-20. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  14. S01E14

    Host: Jerry Lee Lewis

    Host: Jerry Lee Lewis — Season 1, Episode 14 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-04-27. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  15. S01E15

    Host: Johnny Nash

    Host: Johnny Nash — Season 1, Episode 15 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-05-04. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  16. S01E16

    Hosts: Burns and Schreiber

    Hosts: Burns and Schreiber — Season 1, Episode 16 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-05-11. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  17. S01E17

    Host: Chubby Checker

    Host: Chubby Checker — Season 1, Episode 17 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-05-18. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  18. S01E18

    Hosts: Gladys Knight & the Pips

    Hosts: Gladys Knight & the Pips — Season 1, Episode 18 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-05-25. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  19. S01E19

    Host: Paul Williams

    Host: Paul Williams — Season 1, Episode 19 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-06-01. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  20. S01E20

    Host: Curtis Mayfield

    Host: Curtis Mayfield — Season 1, Episode 20 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-06-08. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  21. S01E21

    Host: Jim Croce

    Host: Jim Croce — Season 1, Episode 21 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-06-15. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  22. S01E22

    Hosts: The Bee Gees

    Hosts: The Bee Gees — Season 1, Episode 22 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-06-22. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  23. S01E23

    Host: Paul Williams

    Host: Paul Williams — Season 1, Episode 23 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-06-29. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  24. S01E24

    Host: Jose Feliciano

    Host: Jose Feliciano — Season 1, Episode 24 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-07-06. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  25. S01E25

    Host: Smokey Robinson

    Host: Smokey Robinson — Season 1, Episode 25 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-07-13. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  26. S01E26

    Host: Joan Baez

    Host: Joan Baez — Season 1, Episode 26 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-07-20. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  27. S01E27

    Host: Dionne Warwick

    Host: Dionne Warwick — Season 1, Episode 27 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-07-27. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  28. S01E28

    Host: Al Green

    Host: Al Green — Season 1, Episode 28 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-08-03. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  29. S01E29

    Hosts: The Bee Gees

    Hosts: The Bee Gees — Season 1, Episode 29 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-08-10. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  30. S01E30

    Host: Richard Pryor

    Host: Richard Pryor — Season 1, Episode 30 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-08-17. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  31. S01E31

    Co-hosts: Loretta Lynn & Marty Robbins

    Co-hosts: Loretta Lynn & Marty Robbins — Season 1, Episode 31 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-08-24. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  32. S01E32

    Host: Billy Preston

    Host: Billy Preston — Season 1, Episode 32 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-08-31. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  33. S01E33

    Host: Mac Davis

    Host: Mac Davis — Season 1, Episode 33 of The Midnight Special. Aired 1973-09-07. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

More from the 1970s.