953 nut 59,889 #1 Posted May 22, 2016 5-22-1992 Johnny Carson hosts nbc’s tonight show for the last time Six months after Jack Paar made a stormy departure from "The Tonight Show" (over jokes about Communism, among other issues) and viewers enduring a succession of "substitute" hosts (and an ill-fated attempt at a magazine-type show), NBC (and middle America) finally got the comedian they were waiting for. Johnny Carson – who had honed his craft on radio and daytime television, and to that point was best known as host of Who Do You Trust – made his debut as host of "The Tonight Show" on October 1, 1962. Thus began a love affair with America that lasted 30 years, not only making Carson wealthy and powerful, but earning him the title, "King of Late Night." It started out shaky. NBC built Carson a cheap set on the sixth floor of 30 Rockefeller Center, not thinking the show would last. Ed McMahon was less confident; he still lived in Philadelphia and commuted for the next three years. In 1962, "Tonight" began at 11:15 pm ET and lasted 105 minutes. By then, most NBC affiliates had inflated their late-evening newscasts to half an hour. It meant that, unless viewers tuned in on the NBC owned-and-operated stations in New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, chances are they missed Carson's monologue. NBC quickly moved the start time of Johnny's show to 11:30 pm ET to ensure everyone could see the best part of his domain. In 1972, the show moved from New York to NBC's West Coast headquarters, thus setting up countless gags about "beautiful downtown Burbank." 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rjg854 12,175 #2 Posted May 22, 2016 Johnny Carson was a great host, loved to watch it when I could. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACman 7,655 #3 Posted May 22, 2016 I can remember being a young fella trying (begging), to stay up so I could watch . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 59,889 #4 Posted May 22, 2016 In '64 I was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and made the most of the opportunities for free entertainment offered through the USO. The Tonight Show was taped live in the early evening and I obtained tickets for several dozen of the shows. Some of the best stuff never made it to the air; They would announce a commercial break and then Carson and McMahon would tell jokes they couldn't tell on the air. 6 hours ago, ACman said: (begging), to stay up so I could watch I would beg my wife to let me stay up and watch too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
