The Late Show (1957 TV series)
The Late Show is an Australian television variety series which aired from 1957 to 1959 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Aired on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and competing in the time-slot with GTV-9's popular In Melbourne Tonight, the series included a mix of music and comedy. People who hosted the series during its run included John D'Arcy,[1] Bert Newton[2] and original host Noel Ferrier.[3]
The 22 August 1957 edition of The Age newspaper said of Bert Newton's debut on the series: "Bert Newton, not yet 20 years of age, made a promising debut in the Late Show on Tuesday night. He has a friendly manner, and plays the role of compere much "straighter" than Graham Kennedy, of GTV-9's In Melbourne Tonight"[4]
Although kinescope recording and later video-tape existed during the run of the series, the archival status of the show is unknown, although the Noel Ferrier episodes are reported to be lost,[5] and it is possible the other episodes were also wiped, given the highly erratic survival rate of Australian television of the era (with Sydney-produced soap opera Autumn Affair surviving near-intact, while the Melbourne version of game show Tell the Truth being completely lost[6]). The Late Show was replaced on HSV-7's schedule by Club Seven.