The All-Night Show & Chuck the Security Guard

With all the recent news over the late night programming of Leno and Conan, it started me thinking about late night long ago. Well, not too long ago.....

For all of you old enough to remember The All-Night Show on MTV Channel 47 (no, it wasn't that MTV), on what is now known as OMNI, I'm sure you have fond memories of sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night to catch a little bit; Or coming home late from the clubs, sitting and watching until the sun came up; Or staying up on Friday night. How many remember being high while watching. Hey! If you remember, then you weren't really high!

The premise of the show was that Chuck the Security Guard and his friend, Ryerson (so named after the insitution of higher learning known then as Ryerson Polytechnic) would come into the station to work overnight after the 11 O'Clock News crew went home. Ryerson operated the camera while Chuck aired an assortment of video oddities from old episodes of the original Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Prisoner series to old scopitones and viewer films and videos.

Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, Chuck lives on (kind of) thanks to John-Paul and his J.E.R.M. Film and Video Productions. He has generously provide a grand assortment of clips here for our enjoyment and reminiscing. He has 0ver 25 clips of Chuck and the strange low budget graphics that always seemed to make us smile.

To all who remember and those who have only heard about the legend that was Chuck, here's John-Paul's first posting on "the Tube" - the intro to the show.



Who could ever forget that cheesy Spike Jones-ish, Moog version of "Strangers In The Night"? That theme song is probably forever imbedded in my subconcious. The show also made a minor hit out of New Wave band, The Start's "Hey You!". No doubt it was seen as an anthem to all security guards who hoped they would never have to utter that ominous greeting - "Hey you!".

According to fansite theallnightshow.com, a reunion on OMNI is in the works. You may want to bookmark the site to stay tuned for more new on that.

On the subject of late night Toronto television, I must also mention a series of shows presented on Global TV called Night Walk, Night Ride, and Night Moves. Basically, it filled the dead air of overnight with video footage of walking or driving through the streets and sidewalks of the city. Talk about low budget! Expenses? Mmmm.....let's see....gas, blank videotape, maybe new shoes in Night Walk, and then there's the legalities of licensing for the smooth jazz that accompanied it....another experiment in late-night programming. If the talk shows didn't put you to sleep, these shows certainly did.

According to one YouTube uploader, their biggest audiences appeared to be prisoners, no doubt vicariously living out their freedom through the show. Here's a taste....and try not to fall asleep...... If you're still awake, check out the Related Videos showing Night Walk and Night Moves.



At the time, it was incomprehensible to me that The All-Night Show could be cancelled and Night Walk/Drive/Moves could get airtime. Of course, I later discovered that The All-Night Show was cancelled due to contract disputes. Sad, but true.

Could The All-Night Show be successful in today's 24 hour cable/satellite/internet world? Perhaps. Besides the "18-24 year old" demographics, the show was watched by many midnight shift workers. The sad truth is that to watch those old Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Beverly Hillbillies episodes, we now have to pay to see them broadcast on channels like Deja View or TV Land. Shows that were once freely available over the airwaves with a good pair of "rabbit ears" are now captured and sold in programming packages.

Personally, I'd love to see a show like this again. Video cabaret over the public airwaves!....how revolutionary! But for me, and a lot of the old fans, it would probably take a lot to stay awake long enough to catch it now. I'll wait for the reunion show......maybe I'll tape it to watch later.