What Joan Rivers’ Legacy Means For Women of Late Night

As the only female host in the 2024 late-night television landscape, Taylor Tomlinson, who is Variety ‘s 2024 Creative Impact in Comedy honoree , represents a big win in one of the longest-running battles for gender equality in American entertainment. Nearly 40 years before Tomlinson’s “After Midnight” bowed on CBS, Joan Rivers made history when “The Late Show” debuted as the first flash of programming from the brand spanking new Fox Broadcasting Co. on Oct. 9, 1986.

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Rivers was the groundbreaker for women in a late-night landscape full of Johnnys, Davids, Mervs, Mikes, Dicks and Joeys — but no women, until Rivers kicked the door down at great cost to her relationship with the reigning king, Johnny Carson.

The launch of her dream show was fraught with nightmares. Rivers was Carson’s go-to guest host, but she decamped for Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch’s fledgling Fox network when she found out she wasn’t on NBC’s list of “Tonight Show” successors. Carson had been expected to retire around that time, but he wound up staying in his 11:30 p.m. slot for another five years. His anger at Rivers was so great that the two never spoke again.

Kathryn Hahn to Play Comedy Icon Joan Rivers in 'The Comeback Girl,' a Limited Series in the Works at Showtime (EXCLUSIVE)

The legacy of Johnny vs. Joan provided inspiration for one of this year’s most entertaining shows. “Hacks” stars Jean Smart as veteran comic Deborah Vance, a character that owes many of her defining traits — and a Season 3 story arc involving her dream of landing a late-night talk show gig — to Rivers.

Variety wasn’t kind in its review of Rivers’ Fox gabfest. We called the first episode “a loser” and fretted that Rivers’ “brassy style” might be “a bit too hip” for enduring success. This despite acknowledging her ability to command mega stars to her show. After all, where else was America going to see Elton John and Cher join with Rivers to belt out a rendition of Elton’s mega hit “The Bitch Is Back?”

New Joan Rivers Comedy Albums Coming in 2021 (EXCLUSIVE)