Question for anyone who watched Johnny Carson's on the Tonight Show
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Leno was never supposed to have been the permanent host of the Tonight Show in the first place. He was destined to be merely a footnote in late night TV history but somehow his agent managed to con and blackmail NBC into giving him the Tonight Show over David Letterman. That's when history got all askew.
Leno was never supposed to have been the permanent host of the Tonight Show in the first place. He was destined to be merely a footnote in late night TV history but somehow his agent managed to con and blackmail NBC into giving him the Tonight Show over David Letterman. That's when history got all askew.
Who knows what sort of dark arts he employs to get and keep his position. They must be powerful, though.
If you ever get a chance to watch American Masters on PBS about Carson, it is really interesting. I had no idea how long he knew Ed McMahon. JC's absences are responsible for SNL getting on the air. He wanted The Best of Carson to air on the weekdays so he could take time off, so they needed to come up with something for Saturday.
Sorry if someone said that already but I am too lazy to look at every post.
Leno was never supposed to have been the permanent host of the Tonight Show in the first place. He was destined to be merely a footnote in late night TV history but somehow his agent managed to con and blackmail NBC into giving him the Tonight Show over David Letterman. That's when history got all askew.
Really? I didn't hear that. I remember when Leno took over The Tonight Show. It was a rough going for the old boy. He wasn't a big hit, at first. People kept comparing him to Johnny and, although it wasn't fair, he did have a rocky start. Eventually, the old naysayers backed off and Jay was able to find his groove. I remember him saying, after a few months of doing the show, that he never wanted the show to be exactly like Johnny's show because no one could do it better than Johnny. He just wanted to develop a show that people would enjoy.
Considering he's been on as long as he has, I'd say he's done a fairly good job of it.
I always thought Leno and Letterman both weren't funny because their humor was based on cheap shots at people who weren't there to defend themselves regarding gossip from the tabloids true or false.
Chuck Barris wrote a good article about considering Carson a bully and not liking him because he did exactly that.
Chuck Barris wrote a good article about considering Carson a bully and not liking him because he did exactly that.
I remember that. I didn't like or dislike him. I could however, see the "bully" type of humor though. I just never saw the attraction. I think that Leno and Letterman carry on that tradition today. It's just not my cup 'o tea. Oh, and I do remember the Leno contraversy.
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