Heeere’s Johnny! Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” returns Jan. 1 on the Antenna TV network airing here on WSTR-TV’s Channel 64.2.
The Carson shows have not been seen since he retired in 1992.
Starting Friday, his “Tonight” show will air every night on over-the-air Channel 64.2 and Time Warner Cable Channel 996, and on 125 on other Antenna TV stations from coast to coast.
His guests are a Who’s Who of Entertainment from the 1970s and ’80s: Bob Hope, Jerry Seinfeld, Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Oprah Winfrey (as a new talk show host in 1986), Raquel Welch, George Carlin, Flip Wilson, Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams (on the same show), Michael Landon, Sean Connery, Goldie Hawn, Cybill Shepherd, John Ritter, Peter Falk, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Don Rickles and Lawrence Welk. Below is his guest list and original air date for every January show.
One hour “Tonight” shows from 1980-92 will air weeknights at 11 p.m., repeating at 2 a.m., starting Friday.
On weekends, Antenna TV will air 90-minute “Tonight” shows from 1972-80 at 10 p.m., with a repeat at 12:30 a.m.. Carson cut the show to an hour in 1980. He died in 2005 at age 79.
Here’s the January lineup from Tribune Broadcasting, which owns Antenna TV:
Jan. 1: Eddie Murphy, McLean Stevenson 1/1/1982
Jan. 2: Foster Brooks, Joan Embery 1/1/1975
Jan. 3: Michael Landon, Carol Wayne, Bob Hope, Don Rickles 5/21/1974
Jan. 4: Charles Nelson Reilly, A. Whitney Brown, Peter Fonda 10/9/1986
Jan.5: Richard Pryor, Sean Penn 10/9/1986
Jan. 6: Alan Thicke, Oprah Winfrey, Rosanna Arquette 11/7/1986
Jan. 7: Christopher Reeve, Dana Carvey, Frank Olivier 3/11/1987
Jan. 8: Jay Leno, Raquel Welch, Ray Anderson 6/22/1988
Jan. 9: Flip Wilson, Susan St. James, George Carlin, Ann-Margaret 2/29/1972
Jan. 10: Charlton Heston, David Brenner, Norman Mailer 5/22/1974
Jan. 11: Michael J. Fox, Harry Lorayne, Larry Miller 11/3/1988
Jan. 12: Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, Park Overall 9/19/1991
Jan. 13: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Sean Connery 10/5/1983
Jan. 14: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal, Michael Ammar 6/11/1986
Jan. 15: Annie Potts, Shelly Winters, Ronnie Shakes 6/20/1984
Jan. 16: Don Rickles, Eli Wallach, Lou Brock, Colleen McCullough 9/1/1977
Jan. 17: Goldie Hawn, Buck Henry, Dennis Dugan 2/22/1978
Jan. 18: Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Mull, Scot Morris 4/24/1984
Jan. 19: Christy Brinkley, Robert Blake, Dr. Ruth sketch 3/1/1985
Jan. 20: Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Douglas 2/221/1992
Jan. 21: Martin Short, Cybill Shepherd 6/8/1989
Jan. 22: Tim Conway, Donald O. Cram, Kevin Rooney, Jester Hairston 10/15/1987
Jan. 23: Dr. Michael Fox, Skip Stephenson, Orson Bean 10/6/1977
Jan 24: Joan Embery, Davie Brenner, Kreskin 2/20/1974
Jan 25: Christina Pickles, John Mendoza, Gene Greytak, Ed Gillette 9/2/1987
Jan 26: Elya Baskin, Jim King, JoBethWilliams 4/26/1985
Jan 27: John Ritter, Jimmy Aleck, Lori Leoneli, Robyn Douglas 3/2/1984
Jan 28: Chevy Chase, John Suter, Thalassa Cruso 5/26/1986
Jan 29: Vlasta Kresk, Alan King 12/10/1985
Jan. 30: Richard Harris, Ann Turkel, David Horowitz, Buck Henry 2/10/1077
Jan. 31: Lawrence Welk, Peter Falk, Joan Embery, David Brenner 9/13/1974
