The Arsenio Hall Show (1989)

 On this day in 1989: 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙍𝙎𝙀𝙉𝙄𝙊 𝙃𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙒 debuted on US television.

This was a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by comedian Arsenio Hall, who had previously hosted The Late Show on Fox in 1987. The show debuted with guests Brooke Shields, Leslie Nielsen, and Luther Vandross and was one of two late-night shows to premiere that month; the other being The Pat Sajak Show on CBS. The Arsenio Hall Show (often just shortened to "Arsenio") was an immediate hit with 135 local stations carrying it out of the gate, targeting a younger, urban audience. The show was marketed as a "Night Thing" and had a party or nightclub theme.

A number of recurring themes were featured, including the "Dog Pound," which was a section of the studio audience behind the band. The show's intro, in which Burton Richardson would hold the letter "O" in Arsenio's name for as long as ten seconds, was another staple of the show. Hall was also well known for his long fingers, which he would often use to point at the audience. The house band, called "Posse," was led by Michael Wolff. A frequent joke in Hall's opening monologue was that he lived in Cleveland and drove to Los Angeles to host the show.

 
The show also gained popularity for its diverse guests not common on other talk shows and became the show for entertainers to reach the "MTV Generation". In June 1992, then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared on the show and played "Heartbreak Hotel" on the saxophone, an appearance that is often considered an important moment in Clinton's campaign, helping build his popularity among minority and young voters.