Laurier LaPierre, mercurial co-host of This Hour Has Seven Days in the early 1960s, made a television comeback with a talk show of his own. The series, originally entitled Midnight, debuted in Montreal in October 1974 and was picked up by a number of other CBC stations. Thirteen episodes were broadcast on the entire CBC network in the 1976-1977 season as The Best of LaPierre, a collection of highlights.

The programs held the line between information and entertainment, with guests representing a broad spectrum, from show business to science, from art to history, from opera to sports. Although LaPierre's speciality was history, which often meant politics, he steered clear of political angles.