Tonight, on Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute, airing at 10pm EST on NBC, stars including Chelsea Handler, Neal Patrick Harris, Jean Smart, J0el McHale, and many more will pay tribute to the comedy legend, who passed away on September 4, 2014 at the age of 81. They’ll honor every aspect of Joan Rivers‘ 50-plus year career, which took the icon everywhere from comedy club stages to QVC. However, Joan’s time as a talk show host is a category all its own.
From her long-running stint guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, to The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, which made her the first female late-night host, to In Bed with Joan, which was airing shortly before her death Rivers hosted seven talk shows, from late night to web series. No matter the format, Rivers was always herself — chatty, self-lacerating and unafraid of pushing the envelope.