'Funny Lady Tonight!' was Funny Lady's first foray into television. A tonight show, described by the docu-series 'Who Is Funny Lady?' as 'the greatest tonight show the world had ever seen' originally struck a sombre tone as Funny Lady was contractually obliged to be serious. Later, producer Michael Burbank famously tore up this contract, allowing Funny Lady free rein in telling jokes as she once had done to the troops in the Second World War.
'Funny Lady Tonight!' was groundbreaking for its time, pioneering the 'opening monologue', a staple of talk shows even to this day. It was also shocking for its scandals: such as when Funny Lady showed her knees, and then, later, her elbows on screen. Facing a backlash from advertisers, such as Chooms, Funny Lady found that she was able to make 'Funny Lady Tonight!' independently, thanks to her new husband, crabbing magnate and venture capitalist Serious Husband.