"Johnny's Guest Host Tonight Is..."

[Ultimajock]

And speaking of which, I seem to have a vague memory that at one time (probably in the very early days), the show started at :15, but too many affiliates were doing 30 miinute newscasts and wouldn't carry the first segment. Am I having an halluciation?

Oh, no. Indeed, Mr. Carson was very P.O.'d over this fact, and from early 1965 until the show was trimmed to 90 minutes in early 1967, he simply didn't show up for the first 15 minutes, thus leaving Ed McMahon and the bandleader to while away the interim.

...in fact, the show had started at 11:15 Eastern during the Jack Paar days; on the night Paar walked off the show, he did his usual monologue during the first 15 minutes and then announced he was quitting at 11:30, when he knew the full network was on the line...

 

[Rob Jason]

No, the affiliates didn't want more local spot time when the show went to an 11:35 start (which was Labor day weekend, 1991). In fact, it was something of a surprise. It meant we had to fill another five minutes of local news. The network was taking a page out of Turner's book -- starting the show at 11:35, so by the time you've started flipping around, you've missed the first five minutes of the competition.

 

[johnnya2k6]

Two other game show personalities who guest hosted during Carson's run:

In between runs of "Truth of Consequences", Bob Barker sat in for Johnny one time in 1966.

And in 1979, when he was riding high with "Family Feud", Richard Dawson subbed for Johnny.

 

[Ultimajock]

Two other game show personalities who guest hosted during Carson's run:

In between runs of "Truth of Consequences", Bob Barker sat in for Johnny one time in 1966.

And in 1979, when he was riding high with "Family Feud", Richard Dawson subbed for Johnny.

...and I distinctly recall Bert Convy pinch-hitting for Johnny on at least three consecutive nights sometime circa '78...