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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Latest News

  • 1962-2023
  • NBC
  • Talk & Interview, Variety Shows
  • TV14
  • Watchlist
    Where to Watch

Reruns of the popular late-night talk show that ran from 1962-92 and featured guests, stand-up comedians and musical performances.

Joan Rivers, Comedienne and Fashion Police Host, Dies at 81

Legendary comedienne Joan Rivers died Thursday after being taken off of life support, her daughter Melissa told The Associated Press. She was 81.

Thu, Sep 4, 2014

TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time

So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the "60 Greatest" lists we've compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can't wait to find out...

Mon, Dec 23, 2013

NBC Developing a Johnny Carson Miniseries

Johnny Carson is coming back to NBC. The Peacock is developing a miniseries based on the life of the legendary Tonight Show host, the network announced Thursday.

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

The Biz: Johnny Carson Comes to iTunes

Heeeeere's Johnny — on your iPhone, iPad or laptop. Starting Tuesday, fans of Aunt Blabby, Art Fern, Carnac the Magnificent, and Johnny Carson's biting monologues can download editions of his The Tonight Show from the '60s through ...

Mon, Jul 22, 2013

Comedian Jonathan Winters Dies at 87

Jonathan Winters, the actor and comedian best known for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Mork & Mindy, has died. He was 87.

Fri, Apr 12, 2013

Woody Allen Collaborator Mickey Rose Dies

Screenwriter Mickey Rose, a childhood friend of Woody Allen's who later collaborated with him on the screenplays for Take the Money and Run and Bananas, has died. He was 77.

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Joan Rivers Finally Confronts the Late Johnny Carson --- Seriously

Joan Rivers may finally get closure: During this week's Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?, Rivers will finally confront the late Tonight Show host Johnny Carson... seriously. On...

Fri, Apr 5, 2013

Writer Gore Vidal Dies at 86

Writer and cultural critic Gore Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills Tuesday from complications with pneumonia, his nephew told the New York Times. He was 86.

Wed, Aug 1, 2012

Monday TV: Remembering Johnny, Smash Finale, House

Imagine a TV world where the late-night comedy audience is not fragmented in a clutter of Dave or Jay or Stewart/Colbert, Conan, the Jimmys and Craig.

Mon, May 14, 2012

David Letterman Near Deal to Stay on Late Show Through 2014

David Letterman was passed over to succeed Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show, but is now poised to dethrone Carson as the longest-running late-night star in TV history. Letterman, 64, is nearing a deal with CBS that would keep him behind the desk of the Late Show through 2014, according to The New York Times. 2014 will mark his 32nd year in late night (11 years on NBC's Late Night followed by what would be 21 years on CBS).  Carson was on...

Fri, Jan 13, 2012

Report: Conan O'Brien to Officiate Gay Wedding on TV

Conan O'Brien is bringing his TBS late-night show to New York next week, and while he's here, O'Brien will officiate a gay wedding, TVGuide.com has confirmed.  O'Brien will marry a longtime staffer and his partner on-air during one of next week's episodes, according to Vulture, which first reported the news. A source from the show tells TVGuide.com that it's still unclear which night the wedding will take place.

Fri, Oct 28, 2011

Comedian Charlie Callas Dies at 83

American comedian Charlie Callas has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 83. Callas died at a hospice in Las Vegas on Thursday. The cause of death was...

Sat, Jan 29, 2011

Holiday Gift Guide: Must-Have DVDs!

Laugh It Up Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy ($27.99 Blu-ray, available December 21) Family Guy's first two Star Wars parodies were a perfect mix: one part reverence for the classic sci-fi film series and two parts Seth MacFarlane outrageousness. The latest and final riff-off in the planned trio, It's a Trap, premieres in this box set before making its TV debut next year. May the goof be with you. ...

Fri, Dec 17, 2010

Our Favorite Johnny Carson Moments

To celebrate what would have been Johnny Carson's 85th birthday, let's look back at some of the late-night king's greatest moments. From his outrageous characters to his winning banter with sidekick Ed McMahon to even a few emotional moments, heeeeeere's our favorites!The Tomahawk TossOn April 25, 1965, actor Ed Ames stopped by The Tonight Show to promote the TV show Daniel Boone, on which Ames played a Native American named Mingo. Carson asked Ames to demonstrate his tomahawk-throwing skills, and Ames' first toss landed squarely on the silhouette target's crotch. The instant classic moment was marked by uproarious laughter, which only worsened when Carson quipped, "I didn't even know you were Jewish!" ...

Sat, Oct 23, 2010

Johnny Carson Website Being Enhanced for Fans

Johnny Carson — the longtime King of Late Night — can reign again with a bigger presence on the Web than ever before, The Associated Press reports. The full Carson collection, which reaches back to October 1962, has been restored, digitized, annotated and transcribed for viewers on...

Thu, Aug 12, 2010

Jimmy Dean Dies at 81

Country music legend Jimmy Dean, who sang the country crossover hit "Big Bad John" and later became known for his sausage brand, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 81. See other celebrities we've lost this year Dean died Sunday at his home on his 200-acre estate near Richmond, Va., wife Donna Meade Dean told the AP. Though he had health problems, she said his death came as a shock because ...

Mon, Jun 14, 2010

Howard Stern: Jay Leno a Vomit-Inducing Thief

Howard Stern has never been a Jay Leno fan, and Leno's return to The Tonight Show hasn't changed that. The mention of Leno's name "makes me want to vomit," Stern says. "I don't like this guy. I don't disguise it," Stern said Tuesday on told CBS' Early Show. "Probably what irritates me the most is people in show business are afraid to say how much they dislike the guy, but I am not." Jay Leno's new Tonight Show: same as the old Tonight Show After accusing Leno of pushing...

Tue, Mar 2, 2010

Ed McMahon Fighting Foreclosure on Mansion

Despite being the guy who passes out million-dollar checks on peoples' doorsteps, Ed McMahon is fighting foreclosure on his own multimillion-dollar manse. The former Tonight Show sidekick and Star Search host had a default notice filed against him Feb. 28 after falling behind in $664,000 worth of mortgage payments, says Reuters.McMahon, 85, broke his neck 18 months ago and has not been able to pass out checks for American Family Publishers' sweepstakes, much less collect checks of his own. The good news, however, is that he may be able to work things out with his mortgage lender — but it's not yet clear if he and his wife can stay in their six-bedroom, five-bath house. The property, which sits atop Mulholland Drive, has been on the market for two years, for $6.25 mil. Now where's a sweepstakes check when we need one? — Anna DimondUse our Online Video Guide to see more of McMahon.

Thu, Jun 5, 2008

Holiday Gift Guide, Part Deux: The X-Files and Beyond

On the second day of my Holiday Gift GuideThere are more TV shows on DVDThat ya’ll need to find under your tree!Like…The X-Files: The Complete Collector’s Edition—Now, I wouldn’t call myself a collector, but I dug this show in a big ol’ way. And how could you not? David Duchovny has never been cooler, Gillian Anderson gets hotter as the seasons go on (the red hair simmas down, too) and the mythology is relatively easy to follow. And this set? Forget. About. IT! When they say “complete,” they ain’t messin’ around. Each season has a “making-of” featurette, there’s a 60-page episode guide and the deleted scenes are to die for. Oh, and the "Fight the Future" movie is in there, so you get the whole continuity thing. Honestly, this is one of those sets that every company should check out when planning full-show releases. Just be careful. Once you start sorting through the 201 episodes for one of those couch-devouring “f...

Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Tonight Show Vet Dead at 78

Former Tonight Show backup bandleader Tommy Newsom died of cancer Saturday at age 78. Newsom first joined the late nighter in 1962 as a sax player in the band before ultimately rising to the position of assistant music director and earning the sarcasm-laden nickname "Mr. Excitement" from Carson. Newsom retired along with Carson in 1992.

Tue, May 1, 2007

Johnny Carson Remembered

Americans felt as if we'd lost a personal friend when the news broke that late-night legend Johnny Carson died Jan. 23 of emphysema at his Malibu, Calif., home. He was 79. Here, some of Carson's pals and frequent guests share their fondest memories of his close to 30-year reign on NBC's Tonight Show.Tony Bennett: I [sang] "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" on his very first show. He had on Groucho Marx, Joan Crawford, Mel Brooks and Rudy Vallee. At the show's end, he said, "Well, that's the first show. Let's see how it goes." He had no idea. Dolly Parton: I realized how sensitive and caring Johnny was the night he did the famous joke about giving a week's pay to look down my shirt. During a camera break, he leaned over, patted my hand and said, "I really hope I didn't embarrass you — I didn't mean to." He really seemed to care. I was crazy about him. I would never do [Tonight Show] with a guest host

Wed, Feb 2, 2005

Oprah Remembers Carson

Late-night legend Johnny Carson, who lulled America to sleep for nearly 30 years as host of NBC's Tonight Show, died Jan. 23 of emphysema at his Malibu, Calif., home. He was 79. The sad news caught his colleagues in the showbiz world off guard. Here, Oprah Winfrey — who sat on Carson's couch back in 1985, before she was a full-fledged talk-show queen — shares her fond memories of Johnny.TV Guide Online: Were you hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show at the time you did Tonight Show?Oprah Winfrey: No, it was still called AM Chicago, and we were getting a lot of publicity for beating Donahue. So I was on [Tonight] for the first time then. TVGO: Was Carson proud of all your success?Winfrey: No, no, no. The thing about it is, when you're sitting there during the commercial break, he normally just focuses on whatever is on his desk at the time. So you're sitting there thinking, "He hates m

Tue, Feb 1, 2005