Which late-night talk show did Joan Rivers host on Fox from 1986 to 1987?

Joan Rivers hosted Fox’s The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers from 1986 to 1987.

The program premiered on October 9, 1986, as Fox’s attempt to challenge the established late-night dominance of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Rivers had been a frequent guest host on Carson’s program and became the first permanent host of a major network late-night show to compete directly with it.

Her move created a significant television controversy because Rivers had been closely associated with Carson’s show. Carson stopped speaking with her after she accepted the Fox opportunity, according to accounts of the period. The Fox series also featured a house band led by bandleader Doc Severinsen.

The program ended in 1987 after weak ratings and internal difficulties. Rivers later hosted The Joan Rivers Show, a daytime talk show that premiered in 1989. That later title is a common source of confusion with her short-lived Fox late-night program.