For nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson sat behind the desk as host of The Tonight Show and interviewed thousands of guests. While he had his favorites, Carson also reportedly disliked one comedy legend enough for him to be considered the late-night TV star's least favorite guest.
Whether they've publicly admitted it or not, every late-night TV host has a guest they disliked or just didn't connect with. Johnny Carson was no different, and he carried an ego and status that could make it difficult for any guest that didn't gel with Carson.
Bob Hope fit that category according to the book Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin. The inside story reveals that while Hope was Carson's most frequent Tonight Show guest, the host didn't care much for Hope or his act.
"Carson never warmed to Hope, either personally or professionally," Zoglin wrote. "The Tonight Show host would often mimic...
Whether they've publicly admitted it or not, every late-night TV host has a guest they disliked or just didn't connect with. Johnny Carson was no different, and he carried an ego and status that could make it difficult for any guest that didn't gel with Carson.
Bob Hope fit that category according to the book Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin. The inside story reveals that while Hope was Carson's most frequent Tonight Show guest, the host didn't care much for Hope or his act.
"Carson never warmed to Hope, either personally or professionally," Zoglin wrote. "The Tonight Show host would often mimic...
- 4/17/2025
- by Matt Moore
- Last Night On
Johnny Carson might have been furious with Don Rickles for busting his cigarette box, but Rickles wasn’t the comedian Carson most hated having on The Tonight Show. That honor went to a comic who’d been entertaining U.S. presidents since Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Bob Hope. “Johnny admired Hope’s place in show business, but he was not a great admirer of his work,” said Tonight Show producer Peter Lasselly in the book Hope: Entertainer of the Century (via Last Night On).
The difference between the two comics? Carson preferred off-the-cuff improvisation while Hope relied on scripted punchlines, according to Andrew Nicholls, Carson's former head writer. Hope “was a guy who relied on his writers for every topic,” explained Nicholls. “Johnny was very quick on his feet. He appreciated people who he felt engaged with the real world. There was nothing to talk to Bob about.”
Carson grew...
The difference between the two comics? Carson preferred off-the-cuff improvisation while Hope relied on scripted punchlines, according to Andrew Nicholls, Carson's former head writer. Hope “was a guy who relied on his writers for every topic,” explained Nicholls. “Johnny was very quick on his feet. He appreciated people who he felt engaged with the real world. There was nothing to talk to Bob about.”
Carson grew...
- 10/23/2024
- Cracked
Johnny Carson is the gold standard. He did for late night what the Beatles did for rock music, and he will likely never be surpassed. Especially with the current state of the medium, and the fact that late night is ceding more and more ground to the internet.
But we digress. Johnny Carson's reputation is airtight, and he was chummy with a great many of his guests. He was not, however, a fan of every single celebrity who was invited to sit on his couch. There was one comedian who rubbed Carson the wrong way for decades, despite the fact that he appeared on The Tonight Show multiple times.
Johnny Carson felt Bob Hope was too rigid Actor Bob Hope | Evening Standard/GettyImages
The comedian in question? Bob Hope. The most decorated man in entertainment history was also a headache for Johnny Carson whenever he stepped out in front of The Tonight Show audience.
But we digress. Johnny Carson's reputation is airtight, and he was chummy with a great many of his guests. He was not, however, a fan of every single celebrity who was invited to sit on his couch. There was one comedian who rubbed Carson the wrong way for decades, despite the fact that he appeared on The Tonight Show multiple times.
Johnny Carson felt Bob Hope was too rigid Actor Bob Hope | Evening Standard/GettyImages
The comedian in question? Bob Hope. The most decorated man in entertainment history was also a headache for Johnny Carson whenever he stepped out in front of The Tonight Show audience.
- 10/22/2024
- by Danilo Castro
- Last Night On
Richard Zoglin is the author of Hope: Entertainer of the Century, published this week by Simon & Schuster and cited by reviewers as the definitive biography of the comedy legend. In its current issue, People singles it out as the book of the week. Here, an excerpt from the work.Viewers of The Tonight Show during the 1970s and '80s might have assumed that Bob Hope was one of Johnny Carson's favorite guests. No one appeared on the show more often than the comedy legend, and his guest appearances clung to a familiar, almost comical ritual. He would walk...
- 11/6/2014
- by Richard Zoglin
- PEOPLE.com
We open on Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Olivia (Kerry Washington) doing what they do best … bitterly arguing in between bouts of boinking. The sheets aren’t even dry following some hotel room romp and they’re already making with the bickering. The gist … she’s still upset he made Jake Command, and he’s all jealous about her making Jake her beard.
And it doesn’t help matters that everything out of Fitz’s mouth is some offensively derogatory term, as he calls Liv a “Hen” and “Prize” (not to mention “Sweetie,” “Honey,” “Doll,” “Tootsie,” and “Toots”). Hey, Liv, don’t be so upset! He also uses those terms of endearment with waitresses, lap dancers, and the Israeli Prime Minister.
They exit the room and promptly wipe their feet all over the doormat outside — the doormat being Jake (Scott Foley) who is stationed there waiting to escort Liv home in fake boyfriend mode.
And it doesn’t help matters that everything out of Fitz’s mouth is some offensively derogatory term, as he calls Liv a “Hen” and “Prize” (not to mention “Sweetie,” “Honey,” “Doll,” “Tootsie,” and “Toots”). Hey, Liv, don’t be so upset! He also uses those terms of endearment with waitresses, lap dancers, and the Israeli Prime Minister.
They exit the room and promptly wipe their feet all over the doormat outside — the doormat being Jake (Scott Foley) who is stationed there waiting to escort Liv home in fake boyfriend mode.
- 3/7/2014
- by Steven Frank
- The Backlot
Toronto -- Canadian animation producer Cookie Jar Entertainment has stepped up its push into live-action comedy with a Cartoon Network pilot from scribe Steven de Souza ("Die Hard," "48 Hours").
The new live-action programming remit also has Cookie Jar developing "Decidedly Debra" for Family Channel Canada, a tween live-action comedy from the veteran Los Angeles comedy writing team of Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers.
The Family Channel pilot, to be directed by Stacey Curtis ("Majority Rules!") with Peter Benison ("The Wild Girl") as director of photography, follows 14-year-old Debra, who sprinkles her magic and special skills to bring out the best in people.
Cookie Jar's live-action development slate also includes a primetime young adult romantic comedy for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. set in a Montreal coffee shop.
While the Canadian producer's lineup is still mostly animation -- Cookie Jar showcased at Miptv the new animated series "Doodlebops Rockin' Road Show" and new seasons of "Caillou,...
The new live-action programming remit also has Cookie Jar developing "Decidedly Debra" for Family Channel Canada, a tween live-action comedy from the veteran Los Angeles comedy writing team of Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers.
The Family Channel pilot, to be directed by Stacey Curtis ("Majority Rules!") with Peter Benison ("The Wild Girl") as director of photography, follows 14-year-old Debra, who sprinkles her magic and special skills to bring out the best in people.
Cookie Jar's live-action development slate also includes a primetime young adult romantic comedy for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. set in a Montreal coffee shop.
While the Canadian producer's lineup is still mostly animation -- Cookie Jar showcased at Miptv the new animated series "Doodlebops Rockin' Road Show" and new seasons of "Caillou,...
- 4/16/2010
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every time I walk into Barnes and Noble I see Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" front and center and knowing it is a highly respected piece of literature that is about to be turned into a feature film adaptation I can't help but think I should be picking it up to read it as soon as humanly possible. Of course, my time for reading is damn near zero as I have more books I have started and not yet finished than I can even count, it's unfortunate, but true. However, that doesn't mean others aren't doing the reading as Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio have joined forces to produce a film adaptation of Huxley's dystopian work with an eye to direct and star respectively. Scott, who was recently attached to direct a prequel film to his 1979 sci-fi classic Alien, was first attached to Brave New World for Universal back...
- 8/6/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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