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Poster for The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980

Seen it?

1980 | 93 min | Music, TV Movie

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for most people.
The mood
Easygoing.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 33 min.
What might put you off
Nothing much for most grown-ups.

The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981. The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The program's theme song, a traditional folk song called "Midnight Special", was performed by Johnny Rivers.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

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Cast & crew

Directed by Burt Sugarman

  • Dewey Bunnell
  • Olivia Newton-John
  • Willie Nelson
  • Robbie Dupree
  • Eddie Rabbitt
  • Leo Sayer
  • Christopher Cross
  • Joan Armatrading