The Midnight Special (1972)

Music · Talk-Show

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 series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts. As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live. The program also featured occasional comedic performances such as Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman.

IMDb rating: 8.6 (467 votes)
Seasons: 2
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Browse all Rollercoaster seasons in the explorer → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Jul 3, 2026 · 2 seasons indexed

Seasons

Season 1 (1972)

7.18 avg 21 episodes 8.8 → 7.5 90 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
0	Pilot	8.8	30
2	Host: Helen Reddy; Guests: Ike and Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield, Don Mclean, the Byrds, George Carlin	7.3	15
3	Host: Johnny Rivers; guests: Albert Hammond; Spinners; Merilee Rush; Steely Dan	7.0	8
4	Host: Mac Davis; guests: Billy Preston; Doobie Brothers; Waylon Jennings; Joan Rivers	7.0	11
5	Host: Harry Chapin; guests: Curtis Mayfield; Hollies; Blood, Sweat & Tears	7.0	9
6	Host: Anne Murray; guests: Don McLean; Badfinger; the Association; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	7.1	10
7	Host: Paul Williams; guests: Loretta Lynn; Seals & Crofts; Ravi Shankar; Sha-Na-Na	7.0	8
8	Host: Paul Anka; Guests: Bobby Darin, the Doobie Brothers, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, the Coasters	6.9	11
10	Host: Ray Charles; guests: Aretha Franklin; Bill Cosby; Carol Burnett	7.4	8
11	Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: Jerry Lee Lewis; Gladys Knight; Johnny Nash; Skeeter Davis	6.6	9
12	Host: Bill Cosby; guests: Ray Charles; Waylon Jennings; Steely Dan; Billy Preston	6.6	8
17	Host: Chubby Checker; guests: Ben E. King; Shirelles; Ronettes; Jimmy Clanton; Little Anthony; Danny & the Juniors	7.6	9
18	Hosts: Gladys Knight & the Pips; guests: John Stewart; Dr. John; the Staple Singers	6.7	9
19	Host: Paul Williams; guests: the Stylistics; Statler Brothers; Argent; Gunhill Road	6.2	9
20	Host: Curtis Mayfield; guests: Jose Feliciano; the Spinners; Ravi Shankar; Canned Heat	7.4	9
21	Host: Jim Croce; guests: Little Anthony and the Imperials; Savoy Brown; Barbara Fairchild; Shawn Phillips, Wishbone Ash, Bobby Womack	6.7	9
22	Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: Wilson Pickett; Steve Miller Band; Jimmie Spheeris; Maxine Weldon	6.3	9
24	Host: Jose Feliciano; guests: Savoy Brown, The Staple Singers, Stories, Tower of Power, Johnny Winter	7.8	7
28	Guest Host: Al Green; guests: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Foghat, The Stylistics, Livingston Taylor, Bobby Womack	7.7	8
31	Guest Hosts: Loretta Lynn & Marty Robbins; guests: Conway Twitty, Don Gibson, Tom T. Hall, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Paycheck, Charlie Rich, Johnny Rodriguez, The Earl Scruggs Revue, Tanya Tucker	8.2	6
32	Guest Host: Billy Preston: guests: Buddy Miles, Bo Diddley, Ned Doheny, Gladstone, Maureen McGovern, Steely Dan	7.5	9

Season 2 (1973)

7.17 avg 16 episodes 7.3 → 6.8

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Host: Curtis Mayfield; guests: The Bee Gees, Jim Croce, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Natural Four, Wilson Pickett, Helen Reddy, Sly & the Family Stone, War	7.3	9
2	Host: Wilson Pickett; guests: Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Canned Heat, The Chi-Lites, Curtis Mayfield, Brenda Patterson, Spooky Tooth, B.W. Stevenson	8.4	7
5	Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: Chuck Berry, Apple & Appleberry, King Crimson, Barbara Mason, Lee Michaels	6.8	8
7	Hosts: Sly and the Family Stone; guests: Mark Almond, Little Sister, Melissa Manchester, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Freddy Weller, Atlee Yeager	7.0	8
8	Host: Chuck Berry; guests: Rick Derringer, the Edgar Winter Group, Fleetwood Mac, Shawn Phillips, Johnny Taylor, Muddy Waters	6.3	9
10	The 1980 Floor Show	8.1	22
12	Hosts: Procol Harum; guests: Humble Pie, Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre, Steeleye Span	7.8	8
14	Guest Hosts: Loggins & Messina; guests: The Guess Who, Leo Kottke, Martin Mull, Billy Preston	7.0	7
18	Guest Hosts: Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show; guests: Canned Heat, El Chicano, Jo Jo Gunne, Leo Sayer, The Spinners, Livingston Taylor	8.2	8
22	Guest Hosts: Ike & Tina Turner; guests: Electric Light Orchestra, David Essex, Jose Feliciano, Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, Mandrill, Todd Rundgren	7.7	9
32	Guest Host: Curtis Mayfield; guests: The Impressions, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Phil Ochs, Status Quo, Sugarloaf	6.6	7
35	Guest Host: George Carlin; guests: The Dramatics, Waylon Jennings, Puzzle, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Leo Sayer, Livingston Taylor	6.7	8
36	Guest Host: Frankie Avalon; guests: Fabian, Lou Christie, Jimmie Rodgers, The Fleetwoods, Sam & Dave, Frankie Ford, The Royal Teens, Shirley & Lee	7.4	10
37	Guest Host: Richard Pryor; guests: Bobby "Blue" Bland, Marvin Hamlisch, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Olivia Newton-John, Melvin Van Peebles, Boz Scaggs	5.6	8
39	Guest Hosts: The Kinks; guests: Electric Light Orchestra, Rory Gallagher, Buddy Miles, Alan Price, Suzi Quatro	7.0	6
50	Episode #2.50	6.8	7

The Midnight Special (1972)

Seasons

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