The Merv Griffin Show

This article is about the television talk show. For theSeinfeldepisode, seeThe Merv Griffin Show (Seinfeld).

The Merv Griffin Show
Genre	Talk show
Written by	Jerry Bresler Ernest Chambers Lyn Duddy
Directed by	Dick Carson
Presented by	Merv Griffin
Starring	Mort Lindsey(bandleader)
Narrated by	Arthur Treacher Merv Griffin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of episodes	4,855
Production
Executive producers	Merv Griffin Bob Murphy
Producers	Ernest Chambers David S. Williger John Scura
Running time	60–90 minutes
Production companies	NBC(1962–1963) Merv Griffin Enterprises/Westinghouse Broadcasting(1965–1969) Merv Griffin Enterprises/CBS(1969–1972) Merv Griffin Enterprises/Metromedia Producers Corporation(1972–1984) Merv Griffin Enterprises/King World Productions(1984–1986)
Original release
Network	NBC(1962–1963) Syndication(1965–1969 and 1972–1986) CBS(1969–1972)
Release	October 1, 1962(1962-10-01)– September 5, 1986(1986-09-05)

The Merv Griffin Showis an American televisiontalk showstarringMerv Griffin.The series ran onNBCfrom 1962 to 1963;infirst-run syndicationfrom 1965 to 1969 and again from 1972 to 1986; and onCBSfrom 1969 to 1972.

Series history

After a short run as a daytime show onNBCfrom October 1, 1962, to March 29, 1963,Merv Griffinlaunched a syndicated version of his talk show produced byWestinghouse Broadcasting(Group W), which made its debut on May 10, 1965. Intended as a nighttime companion toThe Mike Douglas Showand succeedingSteve AllenandRegis Philbinin the time slot, this version of the Griffin program aired in multiple time slots throughout North America (many stations ran it in the daytime, and other non-NBC affiliates broadcast it oppositeThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson). Stations had the option of carrying either a sixty–minute or a ninety–minute version. Griffin's announcer-sidekick was the veteran British character actorArthur Treacher,who had been his mentor. After reading off the list of guests for that evening's show, Treacher would introduce Griffin with the phrase: "...and now, here's the dear boy himself, Meeeer-vyn!"

Seeing his strong ratings,CBSoffered him a network series opposite theTonight Show,and his program debuted there on August 18, 1969, with his debut guest lineup consisting ofHedy Lamarr,Ted Sorensen,Leslie Uggams,Moms Mabley,andWoody Allen.Although the series did well enough to quickly force the cancellation of another Carson competitor,ABC'sThe Joey Bishop Show,it was unable to make much of a dent in Carson's ratings. Furthermore, the network was uncomfortable with the guests Griffin wanted, who often spoke out against theVietnam Warand on other taboo topics. Whenpolitical activistAbbie Hoffmanwas Griffin's guest in April 1970, CBS blurred the video of Hoffman so viewers at home would not see his trademarkAmerican flagpattern shirt, even though other guests had worn the same shirt in the past, uncensored, andPat Booneappeared in an automobile commercial on that very broadcast wearing a similar flag-motif shirt.

That same year, Griffin relocated his show from New York'sCort Theatreto CBSTelevision CityinLos Angeles,without sidekick Arthur Treacher, who told him "at my age, I don't want to move, especially to someplace that shakes!". From that point on, Griffin would do the announcing himself, and walk on stage with the phrase: "And now..., here I come!"

However, Griffin's show continued to rank in second place behind Carson, even after the move. By late summer 1971, sensing that his time at CBS was ending, Griffin sought to exit his contract with the network early.CBS would soon agree, and on December 6, 1971, both Griffin and the network announced they were going their separate ways; CBS would replace Griffin withThe CBS Late Movie.The following day, Griffin signed a contract withMetromediaand its production arm, Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC) to continue his program in syndication.The last edition ofThe Merv Griffin Showon CBS aired February 11, 1972. His new MPC-distributed show began four weeks later, on March 13, 1972, and returned Griffin to late afternoon and late–night time slots. Metromedia also gave Griffin prime time clearances on the company's group ofindependent stations,which included outlets inNew York,Los Angeles,Minneapolis–Saint Paul,CincinnatiandWashington, D.C.Beginning in 1981,The Merv Griffin Showwas cut back to one hour in order to accommodate stations who preferred that length over the 90-minute version.

King World Productions(nowCBS Media Ventures) took over syndication of the program in 1984; King World was Griffin's syndication partner forWheel of Fortuneand was about to relaunch his other game showJeopardy!(Metromedia had briefly syndicated the originalJeopardy!a decade prior and would initially provide the studio for the revival). Metromedia's independent stations continued to carryThe Merv Griffin Showuntil they were sold in early 1986 toNews Corporationand20th Century Fox,who used the stations as the nucleus of theFox Broadcasting Company.As Fox was already setting up its own late-night talk show,The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers,the former Metromedia stations dropped the show soon thereafter. The show was canceled altogether later that year, and aired its final episode on September 5, 1986.

Overview

Griffin's conversational style created the perfect atmosphere for conducting intelligent interviews that could be serious with some and light-hearted with others. Rather than interview a guest for a cursory five or six minute segment, Griffin preferred lengthy, in-depth discussions with many stretching out past 30 minutes. In addition, Griffin sometimes dedicated an entire show to a single person or topic, allowing for greater exploration of his guests’ personality and thoughts.

Griffin’s idea of the perfect show was to have as many diverse guests as possible, from entertainers to scientists, Hollywood glamour to Vegas variety, and from comedians to political leaders. A perfect example lies in an episode from September 1965 which featured the zany comedianPhyllis Dillerfollowed by an interview with Capt.Mitsuo Fuchida,the Japanese navy officer who planned and led theattack on Pearl Harborin 1941— a truly unique moment in television history.

For over a quarter of a century, more than 25,000 guests appeared onThe Merv Griffin Showincluding numerous significant cultural, political, social and musical icons of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Four American presidents–Richard Nixon,Gerald Ford,Jimmy CarterandRonald Reaganappeared, as didMartin Luther King Jr.,Rosa Parks,Jonas SalkandRobert F. Kennedy.Legendary actors and directors who appeared on the program includeOrson Welles,John Wayne,Judy Garland(who took over as guest hostess for Griffin on one program in January 1969, six months before her death),Doris Day(Griffin's longtime friend),Robert De Niro,Tom Cruise,Sophia Loren,George Clooney,Tom Hanks,Gene Wilder,Francis Ford Coppola,Dustin Hoffman,Clint EastwoodandGrace Kelly.Musical performers and composers ranging fromDevotoAretha FranklinwithBobby Vinton,Andrew Lloyd Webber,Marvin Gaye,Merle Haggard,The Bee GeesandJohnny Cash,among others, all guesting.The Merv Griffin ShowhostedWhitney Houston’s first TV appearance in 1983. Sports figures interviewed by Griffin on the show includeMuhammad Ali,Joe Namath,Roger Maris,Willie MaysandReggie Jackson.In addition, many of the most important comedians of the era were on the show including early performances byGeorge Carlin,Richard Pryor,Andy Kaufman,Steve Martin,Jerry Lewis,andJerry Seinfeld,who made his TV debut on the show in 1981. Other notable guests that rarely made TV appearances showed up to talk to Griffin includeMaharishi Mahesh Yogi,Andy Warhol,Norman RockwellandSalvador Dalí.

Griffin's longtime bandleader wasMort Lindsey.Griffin frequently clowned and sang novelty songs with trumpeterJack Sheldon.

In 2012, Reelin' In the Years Productions started handling all rights to the series on behalf of The Griffin Group.As of February 2014, 1,800 episodes, spanning over 2,000 hours of footage, have been located and preserved for future generations. Episodes of the show have been released on DVDs.Selected edited episodes, distributed byPaul BrownsteinProductions, are airing on theGetTVchannel.

In popular culture

Seinfeldspoofedthe show in Season 9, Episode 6, “The Merv Griffin Show,”in whichCosmo Kramerpretends that he hosts his own talk show using the discarded set from the show, which he sets up in his apartment.

Andy Kaufman's appearance on the show was a feature in the plot of the1999biopicMan on the Moon,with Griffin being played by character actor Mike Villani. The movie claims that all guests of the show receive an autographed photo of Griffin, coupons, andTurtle Wax.

The Merv Griffin Showwas parodied onSecond City Television,with Griffin played byRick Moranis.The sketches included a crossover withThe Andy Griffith Showand a mash-up of2001: A Space OdysseyandClose Encounters of the Third Kind.

Since making her TV debut on The Merv Griffin Show with the song in June 1983, pop/R&B singerWhitney Houston’s performance of “Home”has been used frequently. The performance is included onWhitney: The Greatest HitsDVD (2000),the DVD version of Houston’s 25th anniversary debut album(2010), “We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston” (2012),Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances(2014), and the 2018 docu-filmWhitney.The performance is considered one of Houston’s best and her introduction to the music world.

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category	Recipient	Episode
1971	Nominated	Golden Globe Award	Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy	Merv Griffin
1970	Nominated	Emmy Award	Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program	Mort Lindsey	Episode from Las Vegas featuringChuck Connors,Joey Heatherton,Buddy GrecoandJack E. Leonard
1971	Nominated	Emmy Award	Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program	Mort Lindsey	For episode "Big BandSalute "(Part 1 and 2)
1976	Nominated	Emmy Award	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Daytime Programming	Richard W. Wilson	For episode withTony Bennett,Peggy Lee,andFred Astaire
1974	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Best Individual Director for a Talk, Service or Variety Program	Ron Appling	For episode withClint Eastwood,Forrest TuckerandStanley Myron Handelman
	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Best Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service, or Variety Series	Merv Griffin
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Talk, Service or Variety Series	Bob Murphy
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Best Writing for a Talk, Service or Variety Program	Tony Garafalo, Bob Murphy, Merv Griffin	For episode withBillie Jean King,Mark Spitz,Hank Aaron,andJohnny Unitas
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Best Individual Director for a Talk, Service or Variety Program	Dick Carson	For episode withRosemary Clooney,Helen O'Connell,Fran Warren,andKay Starr
1975	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Director for a Daytime Variety Program	Dick Carson	For episode withRobert Goulet,Louis Prima,andShecky Greene
1976	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series	Merv Griffin
1977	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Director for a Daytime Variety Program	Dick Carson	For episode "Merv Griffin inIsrael"
	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series	Merv Griffin
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Talk, Service or Variety Series	Bob Murphy
1978	Nominated	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Talk, Service or Variety Series	Bob Murphy
1981	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Variety Series	Peter Barsocchini
1982	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series	Merv Griffin
1983	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Variety Series	Peter Barsocchini
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Direction for a Variety Show	Dick Carson
1984	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Variety Series	Bob Murphy andPeter Barsocchini
	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series	Merv Griffin
1985	Won	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Directing in a Talk/Service Show	Dick Carson

See also

• List of late night network TV programs

External links

• Official website
• The Merv Griffin ShowatIMDb