When did The Tonight Show move into 30 Rock, and from which venue?

When did The Tonight Show move into 30 Rock, and from which venue?

• A. 1962, from the Ed Sullivan Theater
• B. 1968, from the Rockefeller Plaza stage
• C. 1960, from the Hudson Theater
• D. 1955, from the Capitol Theatre

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is how The Tonight Show shifted its production home as NBC expanded its late-night ambitions. In its early years, the show was staged in a Broadway venue, but in 1960 NBC moved it to a purpose-built studio in the RCA Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. That move from the Hudson Theater to the new studio at 30 Rock reflected NBC’s push to modernize and expand the program, leading to the long-running format the show would enjoy under its next host. The other venues mentioned were not the site of this particular relocation.

The key idea here is how The Tonight Show shifted its production home as NBC expanded its late-night ambitions. In its early years, the show was staged in a Broadway venue, but in 1960 NBC moved it to a purpose-built studio in the RCA Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. That move from the Hudson Theater to the new studio at 30 Rock reflected NBC’s push to modernize and expand the program, leading to the long-running format the show would enjoy under its next host. The other venues mentioned were not the site of this particular relocation.