Fox originally asked country musician Dolly Parton to host a new late night program; the network's first since The Late Show (1986), originally hosted by Joan Rivers, and later hosted by both Arsenio Hall and Ross Shafer, was cancelled in October 1988. Parton turned the network down, and suggested Chase for the job.
Fox spent $1 million renovating the Aquarius Theater for the show. In a highly publicized ceremony, it was renamed The Chevy Chase Theater.
Richard Lewis, Greg Kinnear, and Howard Stern were considered to replace Chevy Chase after the show was cancelled.
The program's lead-in featured a clay-animated Chevy Chase stealing letters from notable Los Angeles landmarks to spell the name of his show. As the credits rolled at the end of each episode, Chase was seen shooting basketballs at an onstage backstop.