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The first edition of Tonight went out on 18 February 1957. As one of the first programmes to fill the gap in broadcasting between six and seven - known as the "toddler's truce" – it promised something for all the family. Tonight's magazine format offered a mix of serious and light-hearted items, so discussion of the day's events mixed with calypsos by Cy Grant or humorous items. It was all anchored by Cliff Michelmore, whose ability to convey the varying tone of the programme soon earned him a loyal following of nine million viewers and the award of Television Personality of the Year 1958.

Tonight was put together by a young team with producer Donald Baverstock. Its informal style was at odds with the 大象传媒's reputation and influenced many other programmes. The first episode included "England after Suez" by Ed Murrow, in which he questioned ordinary people to get a picture of contemporary Britain. Other reporters seen on Tonight included Alan Whicker, Fyfe Robertson, Trevor Philpott, Magnus Magnusson and Julian Pettifer.

Tonight ran until 1965, at which point Michelmore and many of the production team went to its late night replacement, 24 Hours. The template set by Tonight has been followed by many other early evening programmes – offering wide appeal to attract an audience who then stay with the channel. These include Nationwide and, most recently, The One Show.