ABC's Nightlife (1964)

Created in an effort to dislodge Johnny Carson from his position of dominance in the late-night television field, this show featured young Les Crane as entertainer, host and moderator. While the basic format of the show was very similar to The Tonight Show, it was set apart by Crane's spontenaity, lack of respect for the traditions of TV production and penchant for breaking the fourth wall, which presaged such later hosts as David Letterman. These antics, however, were unfortunately not appreciated by critics of the day, and the show went off the air after just one year.