Who was Johnny Carson's favorite guest?
Viewers of The Tonight Show during the 1970s and '80s might have assumed that Bob Hope was one of Johnny Carson's favorite guests. No one appeared on the show more often than the comedy legend, and his guest appearances clung to a familiar, almost comical ritual.
But it was the penultimate show that really signaled an era was ending. Carson's last two guests were Robin Williams and Bette Midler, and both put on — in the words of another pioneering talk-show host — a really big shew.
He had also become known for his playfully spiky chatshow appearances. Johnny Carson liked him so much that he put Grodin under contract as a guest in 1973. He would appear once a month, to the exclusion of all other talk shows.
Perched on his stool, his posture, as always, ramrod-straight, Carson said his last words in a lower, warmer tone than usual: ”I bid you a very heartfelt good night.” His voice broke; his eyes watered.
The first Carson episode featured guests Joan Crawford, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks, Groucho Marx, Ed Metzger, and Rudy Vallee. Originally filmed in New York City (later moved to Burbank, CA), The Tonight Show was “taped live”. This meant the show was recorded uninterrupted unless a serious problem occurred.
Johnny Carson was an American talk show host, comedian, and writer who had a net worth of $300 million at the time of his death. He was best known for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," which he hosted from 1962 until 1992.
Carson could pull in 9 million viewers when one of his shows popped; he averaged 19 million viewers a night his final week on air in 1992.
Grodin appeared on “The Tonight Show” 36 times, where he'd playfully butt heads with Johnny Carson.
After three decades with the hugely successful Tonight Show, Carson decided to retire. He hosted his final show on May 22, 1992. Comedian Jay Leno took over hosting duties the following day.
Death. Grodin died from Multiple Myeloma at his home in Wilton, Connecticut, on May 18, 2021.
Who appeared the most on the Johnny Carson show?
- Joey Bishop (177 times, mostly in the 1960s)
- Joan Rivers (93, during the 1970s and 1980s)
- John Davidson (87)
- Bob Newhart (87)
- David Brenner (70)
- McLean Stevenson (58)
- Jerry Lewis (52, mostly in the 1960s)
Johnny Carson Hated This Tonight Show Guest More Than ANYONE
According to her he hung up on her before he'd given her the chance to talk. She later blamed his reaction on misogyny, saying Carson treated her as if he owned her. Biography quotes Rivers: “I think [Carson] really felt because I was a woman that I just was his. That I wouldn't leave him.
Carson had no guests on his final episode of The Tonight Show on May 22, 1992, which was instead a retrospective show taped before an invitation-only studio audience of family, friends, and crew.
Johnny Carson
Rickles appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show alone more than 100 times, serving as guest host on occasion when Carson decided to take a few nights off.
Ed McMahon is best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on TV's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," from 1962 to 1992.
After three decades with the hugely successful Tonight Show, Carson decided to retire. He hosted his final show on May 22, 1992. Comedian Jay Leno took over hosting duties the following day. Carson, who was married four times, stayed largely out of the public spotlight after retiring.
