May 22, 2023 – The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

31 years ago today, the final episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson aired. An audience of more than 50 million people tuned in to watch, making it the highest-rated late-night TV show ever. The final episode didn’t feature any guests, but was instead a retrospective of his 30 years on the show, taped before an invite-only studio audience made up of family, friends, and crew. The night before, Robin Williams and Bette Midler were the final guests, with Midler winning an Emmy for her role in it. Carson conducted around 22,000 interviews over his 3 decades on the show. The Tonight Show  established the format of late-night talk shows we know today – a monologue followed by sketch comedy, guest interviews, and performances by comedians or musicians. By the mid-1970s, Tonight was the most profitable show on television, earning NBC $50-$60 million each year ($210-$250 million today). Carson had some truly memorable TV moments, like when he played Twister with Eva Gabor which caused sales of the game to skyrocket. Prior to the final episode, the most-watched show happened on December 17, 1969. That’s when Tiny Tim got married live on the show to his 17-year-old bride, Miss Vicky Budinger. Learn more here.