In 1950, he briefly hosted the comedy-variety show "Broadway Open House", TV's first late-night entertainment show, on NBC. One of the pioneering TV creations of NBC president Pat Weaver, it demonstrated the potential for late-night programming and led to the later development of "The Tonight Show". The show was originally to be hosted by comic Don "Creesh" Hornsby (so nicknamed because he yelled "Creesh" often), but he died of polio two weeks before the premiere broadcast. Hornsby's replacements, hosting different nights each week, were Amsterdam (Monday and Wednesday) and the raucous Jerry Lester (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), the brother of character actor Buddy Lester. Amsterdam soon exited the show, leaving Lester the sole host.