`TONIGHT SHOW' TURNS 45 (SEPT. 27)

`TONIGHT SHOW' TURNS 45 (SEPT. 27)

BURBANK, Calif. (Wireless Flash) -- Here's an anniversary worth staying up for: "The Tonight Show" turns 45 tonight. On September 24, 1954, Steve Allen debuted as the host of "The Tonight Show," and it's been a hit ever since -- thanks to its "blandness." That's according to Syracuse University professor of film and TV Robert Thompson, who claims "The Tonight Show" has remained popular with generation after generation because it's like a bowl of plain pasta: bland enough to tolerate just before you go to bed. Because of that, Professor Thompson predicts "The Tonight Show" will be around long after competitors like Conan O'Brien and David Letterman.