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first telecast: July 29, 1983
last telecast: December 29, 2000
broadcast: Fridays on NBC
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx1983-1987xxxxxxx12:30 to 2:00 a.m. (EST)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx1987-1991xxxxxxx1:30 to 2:30 a.m. (EST)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx1991-2000xxxxxxx1:35 to 2:35 a.m. (EST)
 Friday Night Videos was network television’s answer to MTV. In the beginning, the show was 90 minutes long, and consisted of music videos introduced by an off-camera announcer. In addition to this, classic artists of the 60's and 70's occasionally appeared in Hall of Fame Videos, major stars were profiled in Private Reels and new clips made their network debuts as World Premiere Videos. The most popular feature was Video Vote. Two videos were played back-to-back, and viewers across the country could call in and vote for one of them, using nationwide 900 numbers. The winning video faced a new challenger the following week. Nick Michaels and Scott Muni were the off-camera announcers. |
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the first telecast | |||
| "Many of our viewers aren't familiar with music videos, so we're going to begin our first show with one of the best." --So stated the announcer at the beginning of the first telecast. Michael Jackson’s "Billie Jean" was the video chosen for this honor. | ||
In the Video Vote, Duran
Duran’s | ----  | ||
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The show's opening sequence featured an animated image of a man tied to the spindle of a record player, who is freed from his bonds by a bolt of lightning. In effect, music videos were "freeing us" from the limitations of recorded sound.  It also had a cool theme song....6-second clip (.wav) opening sequence (MediaPlayer) commercial segue (MediaPlayer)  video clip from 1984
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During the early years, the Video Vote segment often received as many as 200,000 calls in one night. The first year ended with a final contest, pitting the videos with the most victories against each other. Callers chose ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" as the 1983 Video Vote Champion. Occasionally, FNV was simulcast on the radio, so viewers could hear the music in stereo. In December 1983, the show scored a ratings victory when it aired Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as a World Premiere Video. |
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In 1985, FNV began to use celebrity guest stars to introduce the videos. Actors, comedians, media celebrities, and musicians all did their stint on FNV, usually in teams of two. notable hosts included: *Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Tempestt Bledsoe *George Wendt & John Ratzenberger *the cast of Kate & Allie *Don Johnson & Phillip Michael Thomas *George Carlin *Elvira *Michael J. Fox & Justine Bateman *Boyz II Men *Paul Shaffer *Bobcat Goldthwait *Sean Lennon & Yoko Ono *Ozzy Osbourne *Shelley Long & Mary Gross *Dr. Ruth Westheimer *the cast of The Facts Of Life *Whitney Houston *Stevie Wonder *New Kids On The Block In 1987, the show was cut from 90 minutes to 60, and its starting time was moved to an hour later. In 1989, FNV gave out its own awards, naming Michael Jackson the "Greatest Video Artist Of The Decade." |
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Friday Night Videos in the 1990's | |||
| In 1990, FNV began to move away from an all-video format. Regular comedy segments were added, featuring Judy Tenuta (The Goddess
of Gossip), Richard Belzer (Ask the Belz), Kim Coles (Girl Talk), Tom Kenny (Music
News) and James Stephens III (Rapitorials). Popular dee-jay Frankie Crocker became the regular off-camera announcer. |
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In 1991, live musical performances were added, Tom Kenny became the on-screen host and Frankie Crocker hosted his own feature, Frankie Crocker's Journal, which highlighted important dates in music history. Shortly thereafter, Crocker took over as host, sharing duties with Darryl Bell and Branford Marsalis while continuing to host Frankie Crocker’s Journal. | ||
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In 1994, FNV shortened its name to Friday Night, and the emphasis shifted even more towards comedy and variety. The new format brought two new hosts: Henry Cho and Rita Sever. In 1996, Rita Sever became the sole host. Friday Night's format now included movie reviews, stand-up comedy, live music, interviews and comedy sketches. The old Video Vote segment was resurrected and renamed Friday Night Jukebox. In 2000, despite having its highest ratings in years, Friday Night was canceled by NBC in order to make room for a new show featuring stand-up comedians. Friday Night's last telecast was December 29, 2000. |
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Links
return to the 1980's main page
Julian Lennon & Paul McCartney on FNV, 1984
Rita Sever's Website
Jump The Shark: Friday Night Videos
Friday Night With Rita Sever
Shelley Long FNV Gallery
10,000 Maniacs On FNV, 1993
Bon Jovi On FNV