I have
read many books about Johnny Carson. Three Carson books have been released
lately, not far apart. The last two that came out were disappointing. They did
not have as much information as was expected. I wanted something that took a
deep dive into the life of Johnny Carson, the king of late night. I had high
hopes for this latest book since it was written by Mark Malkoff, who was the
host of my favorite podcast of all time, "The Carson Podcast." I
listen to lots of podcasts, such as "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend,"
"Fly on the Wall," "The Letterman Podcast," "Late
Night Playset" and others. Mark's podcast had interviews with big stars
such as Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Carol Burnett and many others. Often times,
the best guests were the behind-the-scenes people such as writers, segment
producers and technical crew members. The research for the podcast was
impressive and extensive, so I knew it would be the same case with the book.
The book is broken up into three sections: 1962-1972, (the first decade of The
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, based in New York City) 1972-1982 (the
first decade with the show based in Burbank, California) and 1982-1992 (the
final decade of Johnny's show, which wrapped up on May 22, 1992). The final
section also covered Johnny's retirement years, in which he traveled to exotic
locales like Russia and Africa and spent time on his 130 foot yacht, The
Serengeti. This book is great since it has many anecdotes from the show,
offering behind-the-scenes insights. This book reveals a lot of facts you never
knew about Johnny and his landmark show. The quality of Johnny's show was
impeccable, and the show ran like a well-oiled machine. Everyone on the staff
was the best at their craft. There are many myths or urban legends about Johnny's
show. This book tells if they are true or false. You can read about David
Letterman, Freddie Prinze, Byron Allen, Joan Rivers, David Brenner, Ellen
DeGeneres, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rodney Dangerfield and so many other
stars. The sensitivity of Johnny is discussed, as well as his feuds, his
shortcomings and his generosity. He demanded loyalty and if he was double
crossed, he would hold a grudge. He was competitive, and he wanted to be #1,
which he was for his 30-year run. Johnny was something special, and part of his
success with the show was his breadth of knowledge in many different topics. He
had a thirst for knowledge. He loved animals, travel, drumming, jazz music,
astronomy, studying languages, comedy, magic and tennis. Producer Peter
Lassally called Johnny the most well read person he ever met. Johnny was not a
flawless person, but no one is. The book looks at the fact that Johnny was not
a perfect father or husband, and he had challenges with alcohol. At the same
time, this book presented an optimistic picture of television's premier
entertainer. Johnny was a different person off the air as opposed to when he
was on the air, and this book takes a deep dive into the complexities of his
personality. This book presents an in-depth look into the iconic Johnny Carson,
and it's highly recommended for any fan of Johnny, late night TV, or
entertainment in general.
