The Future of Late Night

[firepoint525]

And it also calls to mind the jokes during the later years of Carson's reign -- "Oh, surprise - a guest host tonight." "Johnny's here, but it's a repeat." And the rare, "WOW! It's Johnny, and it's a NEW SHOW!" Looking back, the guest host idea made for a really good showcase at that hour.

Except for when the guest host was *groan* John Davidson! :

 

[searadiofreak]

And it also calls to mind the jokes during the later years of Carson's reign -- "Oh, surprise - a guest host tonight." "Johnny's here, but it's a repeat." And the rare, "WOW! It's Johnny, and it's a NEW SHOW!" Looking back, the guest host idea made for a really good showcase at that hour.

Except for when the guest host was *groan* John Davidson! :

Yeah, if memory serves he was a regular guest host for Johnny. Probably because he had a variety show on NBC, and he likely had a contract, and maybe the show was cancelled and maybe they needed him to work off his contract. ???
I'm sure somebody knows...

 

[onairb]

And it also calls to mind the jokes during the later years of Carson's reign -- "Oh, surprise - a guest host tonight." "Johnny's here, but it's a repeat." And the rare, "WOW! It's Johnny, and it's a NEW SHOW!" Looking back, the guest host idea made for a really good showcase at that hour.

Except for when the guest host was *groan* John Davidson! :

Yeah, if memory serves he was a regular guest host for Johnny. Probably because he had a variety show on NBC, and he likely had a contract, and maybe the show was cancelled and maybe they needed him to work off his contract. ???
I'm sure somebody knows...

Could 'working off the contract' also apply to the numerous guest-host apperences of McLean Stevenson(mid-70s) and David Letterman(early 80s, post-daytime show, pre-'Late Night')?
In Stevenson's case, after 'M*A*S*H', he signed to do a short-lived, eponymously-titled sitcom with NBC, which aired briefly in early 1976. I know he had been a recurring guest on Johnny's show during, and possibly even before, his days with the 4077th, and may have had his first hosting stint prior to his departure.
Interestingly, during '78-79, he had two failed sitcoms on two networks-'In the Beginning' for the first month of the season on CBS, and 'Hello Larry' at midseason on NBC. Anyone know if he was still used as a guest host for Johnny that season?
By 1980, NBC had had enough, and said 'Goodbye, Larry', right around the time that Letterman did his first daytime show. That was toast by fall, and we know how things panned out for Dave afterwards. Did NBC, in fact, designate Letterman as the 'only' guest host for the 'Tonight Show' in '80-81?

 

[1069_KIFR]

The way I remember it; David Letterman started out by doing some stand up routines on Carson. Got the waive over to sit down with Johnny. Eventually did Guest Host Honors. Then NBC signed Letterman for a show. It was after his guest host duties that the Morning Show "The David Letterman Show" debut. Yes it was short lived, I loved that show! Then NBC/Carson Productions developed Late Night with David Letterman.

The first half hour was owned by Carson Production and NBC owned the last half hour.

Carson Productions stated that Dave could not have a full band/orchestra. That is why Paul Shafer only had 3 other musicians that formed "The World's Most Dangerous Band"