October 1, 1962 - September 5, 1986
NBC, CBS, & Syndicated Talk Show
Host:
Merv Griffin
Bandleader:
Mort Lindsey
Announcer:
Arthur Treacher
Merv Griffin had had a highly successful syndicated talk show
for several years when CBS chose him to wage war on a
network scale with Johnny Carson in 1969. His arrival meant
that there were competing late-night talk shows on all three
networks, Joey Bishop having started one on ABC in summer
1967. A folksy individual, Merv was a former band singer
and veteran of several network daytime talk and game shows.
Merv's ingratiating manner and aversion to virtually anything
that might be considered radical, offensive, or controversial
made his show rather bland, though it did force Joey Bishop
off the air, to be replaced by the dry, intellectual wit of Dick
Cavett, but it could never make a dent in the late-night audience.
After CBS cancelled The Merv Griffin Show in 1972, Merv
returned to the syndicated talk-show world. Combined
with this and his game show creations Wheel of Fortune
and Jeopardy!, Merv Griffin was a very wealthy man.
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Merv Griffin
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The Merv Griffin Show
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The Merv Griffin Show
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