Antenna TV is going to start running complete episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on January 1, 2016. This is a good thing, especially if they really are complete and we don't have pieces omitted due to music rights. This article warns us that that may happen…
Tribune execs are determined to keep each episode as intact as possible — which means negotiating new agreements for the show's many musical performances on an episode-by-episode basis, in most cases.
It isn't just the musical performances but often the "play-on" music when a guest entered or a short tune in a sketch that could present a cost problem. And what about all those odd tunes when they played "Stump the Band"?
I'm going to be optimistic about this one. Those were great shows and I'll take what I can get. But I really hope they're intact…and I also hope they don't just run episodes with the biggest guest stars. Carson's mastery of the format was most evident when he didn't have a Jimmy Stewart or Robin Williams in the guest chair.