Helen Reddy
Host, Self
The Midnight Special (1972)
Season 4
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.
Released Aug. 19, 1972
Episode 90 min
None+
Keywords: tmdb.variety-show, imdb.musical-number, imdb.non-fiction, imdb.stand-up-comedy, imdb.singing, imdb.song, imdb.singer, awards.emmy-award-nominated
Production Companies: Burt Sugarman Productions, NBC
Network: NBC
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S4E1 - Helen Reddy / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / Phoebe Snow
Helen Reddy (host) - ""I'll Be Your Audience,"" ""Bad Bad Leroy Brown"" (an animated film of the Jim Croce recording) ""Time"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Billy Braver (comedy segment) --The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - ""Dream,"" ""Bayou Jubilee,"" The Battle of New Orleans"" & ""Mother of Love"" --Phoebe Snow - ""I Don't Want the Night to End"" & ""Poetry Man"" --Paul Williams - ""Cried Like a Baby"" & ""Old Souls"" --Midnight Special salute to David Bowie --Hit of the Week:
Sept. 19, 1975, midnight
S4E4 - Host: Helen Reddy / Bee Gees / Ike & Tina Turner
Helen Reddy (host) - ""This Must Be Wrong"" & ""You're My Home"" --The Bee Gees - ""Nights on Broadway,"" ""Wind of Change"" and a medley of hits. --Billy Joel - ""Travelin' Prayer"" & ""Ballad of Billy the Kid"" --Mel Tillis - ""Rainy Day Woman"" & ""Mental Revenge"" --Ike and Tina Turner - ""Sexy Ida"" & ""Baby Get It On"" --Midnight Special salute to Joan Baez (narrated by Wolfman Jack)
Oct. 10, 1975, midnight
S4E8 - Host: Helen Reddy
-Helen Reddy (host) - ""Delta Dawn,"" ""Emotion"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Helen Reddy and Neil Sedaka - ""Sad Eyes"" --The Captain and Tennille - ""Natural Woman"" --The Captain and Tennille with Neil Sedaka - ""Love Will Keep Us Together"" --KC & the Sunshine Band - ""(That's the Way) I Like It"" & ""Get Down Tonight"" --Freddie Prinze (stand-up comedy) --Neil Sedaka - ""Bad Blood,"" ""Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,"" ""Lonely Night (Angel Face),"" ""When You Were Loving Me"" --""Hit of the Week"": The Rolling Stones' ""Brown Sugar""
Nov. 14, 1975, midnight
S4E15 - Host: Helen Reddy
--Helen Reddy (host) - ""Angie Baby"" --Joan Baez - ""Diamonds and Rust"" & ""Children and All That Jazz"" --Glen Campbell - ""Rhinestone Cowboy"" --Earth, Wind & Fire - ""Shining Star"" --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Can't Get It Out of My Head"" & ""Laredo Tornado"" --Freddy Fender - ""Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"" --Janis Ian - ""At Seventeen"" --LaBelle - ""Lady Marmalade"" --Minnie Riperton - ""Lovin' You"" --Neil Sedaka - medley of hits & ""Bad Blood""
Jan. 9, 1976, midnight
S4E29 - Host: Paul Anka
Paul Anka (host) - ""Put Your Head on My Shoulder"" --Joan Baez - ""The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"" & ""Simple Twist of Fate"" --The Beatles (on film) - ""Hey Jude"" --The Bee Gees - ""Run to Me"" --Chuck Berry - ""Maybellene"" & ""Sweet Little Sixteen"" --The Carpenters - ""Please Me. Postman"" --Chubby Checker - ""The Twist"" --Jim Croce - ""Big Bad Leroy Brown"" --Peter Frampton - ""Show Me the Way"" & ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Bill Haley and the Comets - ""Rock Around the Clock"" & ""See You Later Alligator"" --Herman's Hermits - ""I'm Henry VIII I Am"" & ""Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"" --Elvis Presley (on film) - ""Don't Be Cruel"" --Helen Reddy - ""Delta Dawn""
May 21, 1976, midnight
S4E21 - Host: David Brenner
David Brenner (guest host) - stand-up comedy segments throughout show --Fleetwood Mac - ""Over My Head"" & ""Rhiannon"" --Lesley Gore - ""Immortality"" & ""Can't Seem to Live Our Good Times Down"" --B.B. King - ""Breaking Up Somebody's Home"" & ""Reconsider Baby"" --Michael Murphy - ""Renegade"" & ""Wildflower"" --Anne Murray - ""Sunday Sunrise"" --Midnight Special salute to Dion
Feb. 27, 1976, midnight
S4E22 - Helen Reddy / Miracles / Tanya Tucker / ELO
Helen Reddy (host) - ""Somewhere in the Night"" --Frankie Avalon - ""Venus"" --Frankie Avalon and Helen Reddy - ""Why"" --David Bowie - ""Fame"" (music video?) --Billy Braver (comedy segment with Helen Reddy) --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Evil Woman,"" ""Nightrider"" & ""Strange Magic"" --The Miracles - ""Love Machine,"" ""Ain't Nobody Straight in L.A."" & ""Do It Baby"" --Tanya Tucker - ""Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You"" & ""You've Got Me to Hold On To"" --Midnight Special salute to Little Richard
March 5, 1976, midnight
S4E26 - Host: Helen Reddy
-Helen Reddy (host) - ""This Masquerade"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Fleetwood Mac - ""Rhiannon"" & ""World Turning"" --Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - ""Winners and Losers"" & ""Everyday Without You"" --Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds with Helen Reddy - ""Fallin' in Love"" --Barry Manilow - ""Tryin' to Get the Feelin' Again"" & ""Something's Comin' Up"" --Queen - ""Bohemian Rhapsody"" (probably a music video) --Gary Wright - ""Dream Weaver,"" ""Are You Weeping"" & ""My Love Is Alive""
April 9, 1976, midnight
S4E31 - Host: Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy (host) - ""You Are a Song,"" ""No One Told Me"" & ""I Am Woman"" --David Brenner (comedian) - comedy segment with Helen Reddy --Fleetwood Mac - ""Rhiannon,"" ""Why"" (1974 song) & ""Over My Head"" --Dorothy Moore - ""Misty Blue"" & ""Funny How Time Slips Away"" --Gary Wright - ""My Love Is Alive,"" ""Dream Weaver"" & ""Can't Find the Judge"" --Midnight Special tribute to Paul Anka (2-part salute with clips from past performances) --Plus, a demonstration of the latest disco dances
June 11, 1976, midnight
S4E10 - Helen Reddy / Frankie Valli / KISS / Barry Manilow
Helen Reddy (host) - ""Birthday Song,"" ""Belle of the Blues"" & ""I Am Woman"" --David Brenner (comedy segment) --KISS - ""Deuce"" & ""She"" --Barry Manilow - ""Something's Comin' Up,"" ""Tryin' to Get That Feelin' Again"" & ""I Want to Be Somebody's Baby"" --Frankie Valli - ""My Eyes Adored You"" --Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - ""Who Loves You?"" Midnight Special tribute to Harry Nilsson
Nov. 28, 1976, midnight
S4E27 - Janis Ian
April 23, 1976, midnight
S4E39 - Host: James Brown
James Brown - ""Sex Machine,"" ""Get Up Offa That Thing,"" ""Try Me,"" ""A Man's World"" & ""Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time"" --Peter Frampton - ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Rhythm Heritage - ""Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)"" --Seals & Crofts - ""Get Closer"" & ""Goodbye Old Buddies"" --J.D. Souther - ""Black Rose,"" ""Banging My Head Against the Moon"" & ""Silver Blue"" --Midnight Special salute to Alice Cooper (2-part tribute) --Music video: Elton John and Kiki Dee - ""Don't Go Breakin' My Heart""
Aug. 6, 1976, midnight
S4E42 - Host: Jimmie Walker
-Jimmie Walker (host) --Lynn Anderson - medley (""Rose Garden,"" ""Top of the World"" and ""Cry"") & ""Gone At Last"" --Elvin Bishop - ""Struttin' My Stuff"" --Cate Brothers - ""Union Man"" & ""Can't Change My Heart"" --1st National Rotagilla Band - ""Rotagilla Chorus"" & ""I Feel Like Singing"" --Henry Gross - ""Springtime Mama"" & ""Southern Band"" --Johnnie Taylor - ""Disco Lady"" & ""Somebody's Gettin' It"" --Midnight Special salute: Neil Sedaka
Aug. 27, 1976, midnight
S4E6 - Helen Reddy / J. Geils Band / Hudson Brothers
Gabe Kaplan (cameo) - introduces Helen Reddy --Helen Reddy (host) - ""Angie Baby,"" ""Pretty Pretty,"" ""Long Hard Climb,"" ""Talk"" & ""I Am Woman"" --The J. Geils Band - ""Love Itis,"" ""Orange Driver"" & ""Give It to Me"" --The Hudson Brothers - ""Ma Ma Ma Baby"" & ""Stop"" --Tavares - ""It Only Takes a Minute"" & ""Free Ride"
Oct. 31, 1975, midnight
S4E9 - Helen Reddy / David Essex / Brenda Lee / Jimmie Walker
Helen Reddy (host) - ""Angie Baby"" & ""Somewhere in the Night"" --David Essex - ""Rock On,"" ""All the Fun of the Fair"" & ""Won't Get Burned Again"" --Brenda Lee - ""Bringing It Back"" & ""Too Hard to Handle"" --Tom Scott & L.A. Express - ""Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America,"" ""Tomcat"" & ""Rock Island Rocket"" --Jimmie Walker (stand-up comedy)
Nov. 21, 1975, midnight
S4E11 - Helen Reddy / Natalie Cole / Bee Gees / Olivia Newton-John
Helen Reddy (host) - ""Don't Mess with a Woman,"" ""Are You Alright?"" & ""I Am Woman"" --The Bee Gees - ""Nights on Broadway,"" medley of hits & ""Jive Talkin"" --Natalie Cole - ""This Will Be,"" ""Inseparable"" & ""Your Face Stays in My Mind"" --Mickey Gilley - ""Honkey Tonk Wine"" & ""If You Were Mine to Lose"" --Olivia Newton-John - ""Let It Shine"" & ""He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
Dec. 5, 1975, midnight
S4E17 - Helen Reddy / Natalie Cole / Petula Clark
Helen Reddy (host) - ""Sweet Sympathy,"" ""You Know Me"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Petula Clark - ""Give Me a Smile"" & ""Going Out of My Head"" --Natalie Cole - ""This Will Be"" & ""I Can't Say No"" --C.W. McCall - ""Convoy"" & ""The Silverton"" --Uriah Heep - ""Shady Lady"" --Ted Neely - ""Paradise"" & ""Gethsemane"" --Billy Braver (stand-up comedian)
Jan. 23, 1976, midnight
S4E19 - Host: Wolfman Jack (3rd Anniversary Show, Part 1)
Third Anniversary Show --Wolfman Jack (host) --Herb Alpert (from 20-Jun-75) - ""Desert Dance"" and a medley of hits (""Lonely Bull,"" ""Spanish Flea,"" ""This Guy's in Love with You,"" ""Taste of Honey"" and ""Zorba the Greek"") --Glen Campbell - ""Rhinestone Cowboy"" --George Carlin (stand-up comedy) --Gladys Knight and the Pips - ""Midnight Train to Georgia"" & ""I've Got to Use My Imagination"" --Randy Newman - ""All His Love"" --The O'Jays - ""Put Your Hands Together"" and a medley (""People Keep Telling Me,"" ""Time to Get Down,"" ""This Air I Breathe,"" ""992 Arguments"" and ""Backstabbers"") --Linda Ronstadt - ""When Will I Be Loved"" --Frankie Valli - ""My Eyes Adored You"" and a medley of hits (""Sherry,"" ""Walk Like a Man,"" ""Big Girls Don't Cry"" and ""Bye Bye Baby"") --Salute to Elton John
Feb. 13, 1976, midnight
S4E23 - Helen Reddy / Peter Frampton / Rufus feat. Chaka Khan
Helen Reddy (host) - ""The Immigrant,"" ""Nice to Be Around"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Peter Frampton - ""Show Me the Way"" & ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Melissa Manchester - ""Just You and I,"" ""Rescue Me"" & ""Sing Sing Sing"" --Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - ""Sweet Thing"" & ""Fool's Paradise"" --Jimmie Walker (comedy segment) --Midnight Special salute to Johnny Rivers
March 19, 1976, midnight
S4E24 - Helen Reddy / Gordon Lightfoot / Little Richard
-Helen Reddy (host) - ""Modern Day Magic,"" ""Hold Me in Dreams Tonight"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Eric Carmen - ""All By Myself"" & ""That's Rock 'n' Roll"" --Gordon Lightfoot - ""Summertime Dream,"" ""Spanish Moss"" & ""I'm Not Supposed to Care"" --Little Richard - ""Call My Name"" --Little Richard & Helen Reddy - ""Since I Met You Baby"" --Barbara Mandrell - ""Rocky Top"" --Donna Summer - ""Love to Love You Baby"" & ""Could It Be Magic"" --Midnight Special salute: Jimmy Webb
March 26, 1976, midnight
S4E25 - Host: Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole (guest host) - ""This Will Be,"" ""Mr. Melody,"" ""Inseparable"" & ""Sophisticated Lady"" --The Bee Gees - ""Nights on Broadway"" & ""Jive Talkin'"" --Keith Carradine - ""I'm Easy"" --Charo - ""La Salsa"" --Earth, Wind and Fire - ""Mighty Mighty"" & ""Shining Star"" --KC and the Sunshine Band - ""That's the Way (I Like It)"" & ""Get Down Tonight"" --Gwen McCrae - ""Rockin' Chair"" & ""He Don't Ever Lose His Groove"" --Midnight Special salute to Alvin Lee and Ten Years After
April 2, 1976, midnight
S4E30 - Host: Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka (host) - ""Steppin' Out,"" ""Love in the Shadows,"" ""Good Times Good Music Good Friends,"" ""You Gotta make Your Own Sunshine,"" ""Teach Your Children"" & ""Number One Heartache"" --Neil Sedaka and Kim Carnes - ""Perfect Strangers"" --Eric Carmen - ""Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"" & ""All By Myself"" --Kim Carnes - ""You're Part of Me"" & ""Nothing Makes Me Feel as Good as a Love Song"" --The Commodores - ""Sweet Love"" & ""Slippery When Wet"" --Midnight Special salute to Yes --Hit of the Week: ""Teach Your Children"" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
June 4, 1976, midnight
S4E33 - Host: Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole (host) - ""Sophisticated Lady,"" ""Keep Smiling,"" ""Touch Me"" & ""No Plans for the Future"" --The Captain and Tennille - ""Shop Around"" & ""Lonely Night (Angel Face),"" --Billy Crystal (comedian) - stand-up comedy monologue (re: compaires NY to California; Disneyland) --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Strange Magic"" & ""Evil Woman"" --Sonny James - medley of his hats --Sonny James with Pratt and McClain - ""Devil with a Blue Dress"" --Pratt and McClain - ""Happy Days"" --Midnight Special tribute to Jethro Tull (with taped interview of band leader, Ian Anderson) Clips of Jethro Tull are also shown during the closing credits
June 25, 1976, midnight
S4E38 - Host: David Brenner
David Brenner (host) - introduces other guests and does comedy monologues --George Benson - ""This Masquerade"" & ""Breezin'"" --Hot Chocolate - ""You Sexy Thing"" & ""Brother Louie"" --Phoebe Snow - ""Poetry Man"" & ""Harpo's Blues"" --The Sylvers - ""Boogie Fever,"" ""Free Style"" & ""Cotton Candy"" --Gary Wright - ""My Love is Alive"" & ""Dream Weaver"
July 30, 1976, midnight
S4E40 - Host: Paul Williams
Paul Williams (host) - ""Life Goes On,"" ""Time and Tide"" & ""Traveling Boy"" --The Brothers Johnson - ""I'll Be Good to You"" & ""Get the Funk out Ma Face"" --Anthony Newley - ""Teach the Children,"" ""What Kind of Fool Am I?"" & ""The Man Who Makes You Laugh"" --Vicki Sue Robinson - ""Turn the Beat Around"" & ""Wonderland of Love"" --Candi Staton - ""Young Hearts Run Free"" & ""Run to Me"" --Midnight Special salute to Jackie Wilson --Queen (music video) - ""You're My Best Friend""
June 11, 1976, midnight
S4E43 - Host: Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin (host) - ""Respect,"" ""Sparkle"" (theme from the movie) & ""Mr. D.J."" --Aretha Franklin does impressions of Billy Holiday (""Easy to Remember""); Gladys Knight (""Midnight Train to Georgia"") and Diana Ross (""Ain't No Mountain High Enough"") --Bob Greenberg persents Aretha with a gold album for ""Sparkle"" --Lou Rawls - ""You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,"" ""Groovy People"" & ""This Song Will Last Forever"" --The Marshall Tucker Band - ""Long Hard Ride,"" ""Fire on the Mountain"" & ""Searchin' for a Rainbow"" --The Movies - ""Dancin' on Ice"" --Midnight Special salute to Paul Williams
Sept. 10, 1976, midnight
S4E44 - Host: Neil Sedaka
-Neil Sedaka (host) - ""Steppin' Out,"" ""Love in the Shadows,"" ""Good Times Good Music Good Friends,"" ""You Gotta make Your Own Sunshine,"" ""Teach Your Children"" & ""Number One Heartache"" --Neil Sedaka and Kim Carnes - ""Perfect Strangers"" --Eric Carmen - ""Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"" & ""All By Myself"" --Kim Carnes - ""You're Part of Me"" & ""Nothing Makes Me Feel as Good as a Love Song"" --The Commodores - ""Sweet Love"" & ""Slippery When Wet"" --Midnight Special salute to Yes --Hit of the Week: ""Teach Your Children"" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
June 4, 1976, midnight
Network: NBC
Episode Runtime: 90 min.
Season Runtime: 17550 min.
Released: Aug. 19, 1972
Last Air Date: May 16, 1980, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: NR
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