Don Lemon Tonight

Don Lemon Tonight
Also known as	CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (2014–2021)
Genre	News, interviews, commentary
Presented by	Don Lemon
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Production locations	30 Hudson Yards New York City
Running time	120 minutes
Original release
Network	CNN
Release	April 14, 2014 (2014-04-14) – October 7, 2022 (2022-10-07)
Related
Piers Morgan Live Erin Burnett OutFront Anderson Cooper 360°

Don Lemon Tonight (formerly CNN Tonight with Don Lemon) is a late evening news commentary program which aired from 2014 until its cancellation in 2022 on CNN, hosted by Don Lemon.^[1][2][3]

The show aired on weeknights live from 10:00 pm to midnight ET.

History

"CNN Tonight" logo used from April 14, 2014 to May 14, 2021

Don Lemon in 2018

CNN Tonight first premiered in April 2014, being introduced amid a revision to CNN's primetime schedule (including the replacement of the canceled Piers Morgan Live with CNN original series and specials in the 9 p.m. hour). The series was first promoted as featuring rotating anchors presenting "a live hour of the day’s biggest stories".^[4][5] The program would be initially hosted by Bill Weir using the former Piers Morgan Live studio.^[6][7]

The CNN Tonight title had previously been used for a short-lived program in 2001 anchored by Bill Hemmer,^[8] and a transitional program that temporarily filled the time slot of Lou Dobbs Tonight after Lou Dobbs' resignation from the network in November 2009 (the timeslot was later filled by The Situation Room after a realignment to CNN's daytime lineup, until its permanent replacement, John King, USA, premiered in March).^[9]

Don Lemon had been involved in pilot runs for several potential primetime shows, including The 11th Hour, and in March 2014, The Don Lemon Show, and a special nightly 10 p.m. program to provide additional analysis of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance. Lemon would later become permanent host of CNN Tonight,^[10] with it developing into more of a personality-based program.^[11][12]

On May 17, 2021, the program was renamed Don Lemon Tonight.^[13][14]

On September 15, 2022, with Lemon having been named to the panel of CNN's forthcoming morning show CNN This Morning, it was announced that Don Lemon Tonight would conclude its run.^[15] Alisyn Camerota and Laura Coates were named as interim hosts for the timeslot.^[16]

Don Lemon Tonight aired for the final time on October 7, 2022; in his closing remarks, Lemon stated that it was a "bittersweet" moment, but didn't want to be "sad" about it, that "a lot happened between 10 and midnight, or later", and concluded the show by explaining that "sometimes it was exhausting because some of the things that we discuss here are so personal and so consuming. So, I hope I made you proud, and I thank you for tuning in all these years, and I hope that you're going to join me in the morning."^[17]

References

1. Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (April 21, 2015). "Don Lemon Is the Anchor America Deserves". GQ. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
2. Donnelly, Matt (January 5, 2019). "CNN's Don Lemon Delivers Emotional Criticism of Kevin Hart's 'Ellen' Interview". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
3. Moloney, Aisling (November 22, 2017). "Where is Don Lemon? Fans have been missing the CNN anchor". Metro. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
4. Carter, Bill (April 10, 2014). "CNN to Show Documentaries in 9 P.M. Time Slot". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
5. "CNN Keeps Burnett, Cooper in Primetime While Adding 'CNN Tonight' at 10 P.M." Variety. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
6. "Really CNN? This is a desk?". NewscastStudio. April 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
7. "Where's CNN's Bill Weir Been? Turns Out, Just About Everywhere". TVNewser. November 24, 2014. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
8. Brian (July 19, 2005). "After Ten Years At CNN, Bill Hemmer Joins Fox News As Anchor & Correspondent". TVNewser. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
9. Stelter, Brian (June 13, 2012). "CNN Is Ending John King's Political Show". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
10. "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Is Now Don Lemon Tonight". TVNewser. May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
11. Crugnale, James (March 6, 2014). "CNN to Experiment With Don Lemon Show on Monday Nights". TheWrap. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
12. Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (April 20, 2015). "Anchorman: The Legend of Don Lemon". GQ. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
13. Haring, Bruce (May 15, 2021). "CNN's Don Lemon Panics Viewers With 'Ending' Announcement, But Then Claims He's Not Leaving Network". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
14. Steinberg, Brian (May 15, 2021). "CNN Gets Ready for 'Don Lemon Tonight'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
15. Johnson, Ted (September 15, 2022). "Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow And Kaitlan Collins To Anchor New CNN Morning Show". Deadline. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
16. Steinberg, Brian (September 22, 2022). "CNN Has Temporary Primetime Assignments for Jake Tapper, Laura Coates, Alisyn Camerota". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
17. Tinoco, Armando (October 9, 2022). "Don Lemon Says Goodbye To CNN Primetime Show With Emotional Farewell Ahead Of Morning Show Debut". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2022.

External links

• Official website