{"id":42969,"date":"2017-04-04T12:50:32","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T16:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eyesofageneration.com\/?p=42969"},"modified":"2026-05-17T13:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T17:44:46","slug":"april-4-1967-johnny-carson-quits-tonight-remember-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.eyesofageneration.com\/?p=42969","title":{"rendered":"April 4, 1967…Johnny Carson Quits “Tonight”! Remember This?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When people\u00a0think about hosts quitting the “Tonight” show, Jack Paar’s famous walk off is the one that comes to mind, BUT…few remember that Johnny did it too. Here is \u00a0the only interview he gave during this three week period that began Tuesday April 4, and lasted until Monday April 24th. It is quite interesting on many levels.<\/p>\n

Although Johnny and NBC\u00a0got their differences worked out on Friday April 14th, Carson would not under any circumstances return to air on Monday April 17…the day “The Joey Bishop Show” debuted against him on ABC. Johnny said it would look like a cheap publicity stunt and decided to wait till Monday the 24th to come back and let “Tonight” guest\u00a0host Jimmy Dean off the hot seat.<\/p>\n

It seems that during the AFTRA strike in early 1967, Johnny was honoring the picket line but in his absence, NBC was airing Carson reruns without having negotiated a fee in advance, which his contract called for. So, Johnny quit. He returns after three weeks, when NBC boosts his salary from $7,500 a week to $20,000 and gives him more control.\u00a0Carson says the Tonight budget is ridiculously low and that NBC treats their top money making show ($25 Million a year income) like a red headed step child. -Bobby Ellerbee<\/p>\n