I watched the first Johnny Carson rerun on Antenna TV last night and enjoyed it a lot. The chat with McLean Stevenson reminded me (and a few other folks I discussed it with) that Johnny's interviews usually went at a more leisurely pace than we now get on talk shows. Stevenson was a very funny man, though this wasn't one of his stronger appearances. Still, Mr. Carson gave him plenty of time in the guest chair to score…and also spent ample minutes with Eddie Murphy, even to the extent of bumping a guest.
Linda Hopkins was there and presumably had rehearsed a number, possibly with extra musicians and back-up singers…but Johnny, who knew exactly what he was doing when he decided how long to let a conversation run, made the decision to cut her from the proceedings. I can't think of too many times these days when hosts make that call. And in some cases, I'll bet it's not the hosts but the producers.
I'm going to keep watching, of course. A reader of this site named "tory" sent me this link to a list of all the episodes Antenna TV will be running this month. They look like some good shows…though I have to admit some of the guests' names are unfamiliar to me. And hey, won't it be fun to see Kreskin again?