The Steve Allen Show - Syndication

Syndication

A syndicated version of The Steve Allen Show ran, through Westinghouse Broadcasting, from 1962 to 1964. It was taped at what would later become known as The Steve Allen Playhouse and followed Allen's original 90-minute Tonight format. Why Allen decided not to return to Tonight himself was not clear, especially considering Jack Paar had just left the show and the position was open. He instead ended up competing against new Tonight host Johnny Carson. Rayburn and Henderson did not return to this version (Rayburn was by this time hosting The Match Game on NBC and Henderson opted to rejoin Tonight under Carson), instead being replaced by Johnny Jacobs as announcer and Donn Trenner as bandleader, respectively (in early 1964, Bill Daily succeeded Jacobs as Steve's announcer). Among the more notable guests for this version was a young Frank Zappa, who appeared as a "musical bicyclist." After Allen left the show, a young Regis Philbin briefly took over the reins in its final weeks.

The Allen Westinghouse Show is considered a classic of American late-night talk shows today given its professed influence on a number of comedy greats including David Letterman, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Harry Shearer and others impressed by its wild, anarchic style, complete with outdoor stunts staged near the Hollywood Ranch Market near the studio.

Several years later, in 1968, Allen returned to syndicated nightly variety-talk with another new series, this one distributed by Filmways. Although more conversational in tone than his previous entry, it did feature the same wacky stunts that would influence David Letterman in later years, including becoming a human hood ornament; jumping into vats of oatmeal and cottage cheese; and being slathered with dog food, allowing dogs backstage to feast on the free food. Allen also introduced Albert Brooks and Steve Martin for the first time to a national audience on this series, which ran until 1971.