The series was first promoted as featuring rotating anchors presenting "a live hour of the day’s biggest stories".

[4][5] The program would be initially hosted by Bill Weir using the former Piers Morgan Live studio.

[6][7] The CNN Tonight title had previously been used for a short-lived program in 2001 anchored by Bill Hemmer,[8] and a transitional program that temporarily filled the time slot of Lou Dobbs Tonight after Lou Dobbs' resignation from the network in November 2009 (the timeslot was later filled by The Situation Room after a realignment to CNN's daytime lineup, until its permanent replacement, John King, USA, premiered in March).

[9] Don Lemon had been involved in pilot runs for several potential primetime shows, including The 11th Hour, and in March 2014, The Don Lemon Show, and a special nightly 10 p.m. program to provide additional analysis of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance.

[16] Don Lemon Tonight aired for the final time on October 7, 2022; in his closing remarks, Lemon stated that it was a "bittersweet" moment, but didn't want to be "sad" about it, that "a lot happened between 10 and midnight, or later", and concluded the show by explaining that "sometimes it was exhausting because some of the things that we discuss here are so personal and so consuming.