• Title: Tomorrow (The Tomorrow Show, Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, Tomorrow Coast to Coast)
• Host: Tom Snyder
• Co-host: Rona Barrett (1980 to 1981)
• Format: One hour late night talk show
• Executive producers: NBC
• Broadcast information: Originally broadcast on NBC.
• Production company: NBC
• Distributor: NBC
• Premiere Date: October 15, 1973
• Final episode: December 17, 1981

Brief History:

Here’s a bit of trivia. Believe it or not, at least one talk show was created because of the 1971 Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which banned the advertising of tobacco products on television.

That show? Tomorrow with Tom Snyder.

The show was created with the thought that another hour of original broadcast television would help cover the income lost by tobacco ad sales. It turned into a popular touchstone to the end of evening viewing.

Tomorrow’s concept was simple. Rather than employ the more bombastic comedy elements of its lead in, The Tonight Show, Tomorrow was smaller, more intimate, with only Snyder as host and a set no bigger than two chairs and a table.

Snyder’s interview style also differed from Johnny Carson’s, who was pretty much the only late night talk show host at the time. Snyder’s interviews were much more personal, with questions that challenged his guests. He also didn’t mind interpreting his guests comments, providing thought and insight on what they said. There wasn’t even a studio audience to get involved.

The show was low-budget and struggled financially at first. But soon it was landing bigger guests and creating memorable moments. For example, Snyder filled in when the debut episode of Saturday Night Live was pushed back a week.

During his late night, 90 minute special, Snyder introduced the new “Not Ready for Primetime Players” for the first time ever.

During another moment, Snyder was interviewing the rock band KISS. At least one member of the band was drunk and his bandmates were having a raucous time. Snyder went toe-to-toe with them, turning what could have been a complete fiasco into one of late night’s finest moments.

Possibly Snyder’s most memorable moment came after he interview former Beatle John Lennon. The interview, which took place in April 1975, turned out to be Lennon’s last television interview. He was murdered on Dec. 8, 1975. Snyder never called the interview his best or even one of his greatest. He even referred to it as mediocre, with little new information, but holding some historical value.

After seven seasons, the show went through a bit of a rebrand. It became a bit more entertainment focused, adding a live studio audience to the mix. It also extended its time when The Tonight Show reduced its time by an hour.

The show added musical guests for the first time, and a co-host, Rona Barrett. It also got a name change, to Tomorrow Coast to Coast. Snyder reportedly didn’t like any of the changes.

The later show had its own milestones, including the first television appearances for “Weird Al” Yankovic and rock band U2.

Within a year the show as cancelled, making way for a new late night program titled Late Night with David Letterman. NBC was willing to move the show to a later time period, but Snyder wasn’t interested.