LUCY on TONIGHT

1960-1985

“The
Tonight Show” is a late night talk show first broadcast by NBC in
1954 and still airing as of this writing.

It
is the world’s
longest-running talk show,
and the longest running, regularly scheduled entertainment program in
the United States. It is the third-longest-running show on NBC, after
the news-and-talk shows “Today”
and
“Meet
the Press.”
It
has had seven official hosts, beginning with Steve
Allen (1954–57),
followed by Jack
Paar (1957–62),
Johnny
Carson (1962–92),
Jay
Leno (1992–2009,
2010–14), Conan
O’Brien (2009–10),
and Jimmy
Fallon (2014–present).
It has had several recurring guest hosts, a practice especially
common during the Paar and Carson years.
Carson
is the longest-serving host to date. “The
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” aired
for 30 seasons between October 1962 and May 1992.
The show currently
broadcasts from the NBC
studios
in Rockefeller
Center in
New
York City and
previously from various studios in the Los
Angeles area.

For
most of Johnny Carson’s run on the show, the show’s band was led by
Doc
Severinsen. Carson’s co-host / sidekick / announcer was Ed McMahon.

The show’s iconic theme tune “Johnny’s Theme” was written by Carson and Paul Anka.

McMahon would traditional introduce Carson with the now familiar 

“Heeeeeeeere’s
Johnny!” 

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“Tonight
Starring Jack Paar”

• Jack
  Paar (Host)
• Hugh
  Downs (Announcer)
• Joe
  Melis
  (Bandleader)

December
29, 1960
– Hugh Downs (guest host), Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr., Chester
Morris, Kay Thompson

Ball’s
first appearance on “The Tonight Show” is with guest host Hugh
Downs. Eight months after her divorce, she also brings along her
children. Lucy is in New York City appearing in the Broadway musical
‘Wildcat’.  Later that week she appears on “What’s My Line” and
“The Today Show.”  

January
12, 1961
– Arlene Francis (guest host), Betty Johnson

Ball’s
second appearance is just two weeks after her first, but Jack Paar is
still on vacation. She was still in New York appearing in “Wildcat”.

January
26, 1961
– Vivian Vance, Cyril Ritchard, Arthur Treacher, Joan Fairfax

In
her third and final appearance on Paar’s incarnation of “Tonight”
she finally is interviewed by the host in the title. She is in the
company of her “I Love Lucy” co-star Vivian Vance. She was still
in New York appearing in “Wildcat”. Ten days later, “Wildcat”
went on a two-week hiatus due to Lucille Ball’s illness.  

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“The
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”

• Johnny
  Carson (Host)
• Ed
  McMahon (Announcer)
• Doc
  Severinson (Bandleader)

July
11, 1968
– James Garner, Richard Pryor  

In
July 1968 Lucille Ball had ended “The Lucy Show” and was
reformatting it as “Here’s Lucy.” Her film ‘Yours Mine and Ours’
was released in late April 1968.  

November
20, 1968 – Steve Allen

Four
days earlier, Ball had appeared on ’The Tennessee Ernie Ford
Special.’  Although Ball and Steve Allen had appeared together on
panel shows, he wouldn’t act opposite Lucy until “Lucy Calls The
President” in 1977 in which he played himself.

November
26, 1968 –
Peter Lawford (guest host),
Ann-Margret, Richard Pryor, Bobbie Gentry (musical guest)

The
previous evening “Here’s Lucy” first aired “Lucy Sells Craig to
Wayne Newton” (HL S1;E9, above). Ann-Margret would guest-star as herself
on “Here’s Lucy” on February 2, 1970. In September 1964, Lucy and
Peter Lawford played “Password” together, alongside Vivian Vance
and Gary Morton.

August
20, 1969
– Flip Wilson, Ricardo Montalban, Friends of Distinction (musical
guest)

“Here’s
Lucy” was just about to kick off its second season with a four-part
story arc filmed on location at the Air Force Academy and the
Colorado River. In 1971, Flip Wilson played himself on “Here’s Lucy” (HL S4;E1). In 1972, Ricardo Montalban appeared as Prince
Phillip Gregory Hennepin of Montalbania
on
“Here’s Lucy” (HL S5;E12, above). 

November
18, 1969
– Red Buttons, Louie Nye (sketch cameo), Ozzie & Harriet Nelson,
Della Reese & Trini Lopez (musical guests)

The
previous evening “Here’s Lucy” premiered “Lucy
and the Used Car Dealer”
(HL S3;E9, above) starring Milton Berle as Cheerful Charlie. Ozzie Nelson
played himself in the Lucille Ball film ‘The Big Street’ (1942).
Harriet Nelson appeared with a young Lucille Ball in the 1934 film
‘Follow the Fleet.’

December 1, 1969 – “Lucy and Johnny Carson” (HL S2;E11)

An episode of “Here’s Lucy” in which Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon play themselves as Lucy Carter goes to see “The Tonight Show” and is picked to play Stump the Band. 

February
23, 1970 – Buddy Hackett, Roger Miller (musical guest)

Earlier
in the evening on CBS, “Here’s Lucy” premiered “Lucy Takes
Over” (HL S2;E23, above). Buddy Hackett had appeared as Harry Barton on
“The Lucy Show” in “Lucy and the Stolen Stole” (TLS S6;E19)
in January 1968.  

November
16, 1970 – Doug McClure, Alan Sues, Della Reese and Roger
Miller (musical guests)

Earlier
in the evening on CBS, “Here’s Lucy” premiered “Lucy
and the Diamond Cutter” (HL S3;E10, above)
featuring Wally Cox as a nervous jeweler. Also that same night
Lucille Ball did cameo appearances on Bob Hope and Jack Benny’s
specials, meaning that Lucille Ball was made four appearances on TV
that night. Two months earlier, Ball and Alan Sues both did cameos
on “The Dean Martin Show.”

May
21, 1971 – Debbie Reynolds, Johnny Brown

Lucille
Ball was then preparing a fourth season of “Here’s Lucy.”  

August
16, 1971 – Victor Buono, Broderick Crawford, Kaye Ballard
(musical guest)

A
month later, the fourth season of “Here’s Lucy” premiered with
guest star Flip Wilson. Kaye Ballard had guest-starred as “Lucy and
Harry’s Italian Bombshell” (HL S4;E3, above) which aired on September 27,
1971. Ballard had starred with Eve Arden in the Desi Arnaz-produced
series “The Mothers-in-Law” (1967-69). Victor Buono had
guest-starred on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy Gets Her Man” (HL
S1;E21) in February 1969. He also did an uncredited cameo in “Like
Hep” which co-starred Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball, and Dinah Shore in
April 1969.  

November
5, 1973 – “Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9)

An
episode of “Here’s Lucy” starring frequent “Tonight Show”
guest host Joan Rivers as a no-nonsense juror sequestered with
a contentious Lucy Carter.  

March
22, 1974 – Tommy Newsom (guest bandleader), Dom DeLuise,
Charleton Heston, Desi Arnaz Jr. (surprise cameo), Ace Trucking
Company (musical guest), Fred Willard (sketch cameo)

Lucille
Ball had just finished her sixth and final season of “Here’s Lucy”
with “Lucy Fights the System” (HL S6;E24, above) airing four days
earlier. Her son makes a surprise appearance. She was also promoting her new musical film ‘Mame.’ Dom DeLuise had
appeared with Lucy on “The Dean Martin Show” in both 1968 and
1970.  

November
15, 1974
– John Byner, John McKay, The Jackson Five (musical guests)

This
appearance came just five days after “Happy Anniversary and
Goodbye” (above), the first of the Lucille Ball specials.

December
2, 1975 –
Sam Blotner, Johnny Matthis (musical guest)

Lucy
was promoting her special “Three for Two” (above) with Jackie Gleason,
which aired the following evening.  

April
28, 1977 –
Jay Leno, Erma Bombeck, Joey Heatherton

Earlier
in April 1977, Ball also appeared on “The Irv Kupcinet Show” (in
Chicago), and “Dinah!”.  

November
18, 1977
– James Caan, Phoebe Snow (musical guest)

Lucy
is promoting her special “Lucy Calls The President” (above) which aired
three days later. Her husband was played by “Tonight Show” announcer Ed McMahon, and Steve Allen played himself. James Caan would be in attendance at “An All-Star
Party for Lucille Ball” in 1984.

February
7, 1980
– Kelly Monteith, Dick Enberg

Ball
is promoting “Lucy Moves To NBC” (above), which aired the next day. The
all-star special included Johnny Carson. Lucy was now under contract
to the same network as “The Tonight Show.”  

June
4, 1982
– Joan Rivers (guest host), Steve Guttenberg, Anthony Newley (musical
guest)

Lucy
is reunited with Joan Rivers (subbing for Carson) who guest-starred
on a 1973 episode of “Here’s Lucy” titled “Lucy and Joan Rivers
Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9). Anthony Newley had appeared with Ball in
the 1966 special “Lucy Goes To London” (above) filmed on location in
England.  

December
3, 1984
– Joan Rivers (guest host), Doc Severinson (guest announcer), Tommy
Newsom (guest bandleader), Sandy
Duncan, Morgan
Fairchild,
Betty
White

With
Carson and McMahon both absent, Tommy Newsom is brought back to lead
the NBC Orchestra. On November 18, 1984, Lucille Ball was celebrated
with “An All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” (above) to honor her as Variety
Clubs Woman of the Year. The show would be aired a week after this
“Tonight Show” appearance. Lucy’s “Password” partner
Betty White is also a guest.

November
1, 1985
–
Joan Rivers (guest host), Steven
Wright, Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Lucy
is promoting her TV film “Stone Pillow” (above) which will air in five
days.

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AND THERE’S ALSO…

Feuding
with Johnny Carson and NBC, Joan Rivers started her own late night TV
talk show on Fox in October 1986:
“The Late Show with Joan Rivers.”
Lucille Ball, promoting “Life With Lucy,” was one of her first
guests. Like Lucy’s show, Joan’s program was not a success and she
was criticized for even doing it.

Carson’s
predecessor also did a rival late night talk show on ABC titled “Jack
Paar Tonite” which
only ran from January to November 1973. His sidekick was Peggy Cass.
Lucy appeared on the show on May 28, 1973 along with Rich Little and
Florence Henderson.

In 1976, Johnny Carson was one of the celebrities who were featured on “Lucy and CBS: The First 25 Years.” 

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