The series was the oldest known television talk show, running uninterrupted from 1951 to 1993. It was hosted by the experienced comedy writer Joe Franklin, the credited creator of the talk show genre. Franklin was considered an authority on the popular culture of the early 20th century, and the episodes typically focused on veteran performers of show business. He also invited up-and-coming performers, and Franklin claimed that his show featured some of the earliest television appearances of Woody Allen, Garth Brooks, Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Al Pacino, and Barbra Streisand.