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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Heeere’s Johnny: Lineup For Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’ Reruns Jan 1-31

Tribune Broadcasting

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 TVstations 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:

Credit Wikipedia
Don Rickles

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

Credit NBCUniversal
Jay Leno

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

Credit NBCUniversal
Jerry Seinfeld

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

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.