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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,876
Registered: ‎03-24-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

Good!! About time.

Esteemed Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

On 2/18/2014 BonnieBelle said:

Carson must have been a real a-hole and Leno for carrying it on. How ridiculous. Good for Fallon and Joan.

According to the stories I have read Joan was personally chosen by him to be the Tonight Show permanent guest host. He went to bat with NBC over this because they were not sold on her. Giving her this spot was a REALLY big deal. She would have been next in line if Carson left for the permanent host position. Instead after two years she entered very secret negotiations with FOX. For a competing show going head to head with the Tonight Show. negotiations were completed and the contract was signed. The news leaked out and became public earlier then intended. Only after she found out that the news had leaked out did Joan bother to try to reach Carson by phone to tell him that she was not only jumping ship but would be launching a competing show after all he had done for her. Carson refused to take her call feeling (quite rightly I think) that she had betrayed him. They never spoke again. I think Joan's actions were sneaky and underhanded and I don't blame Carson for feeling the way he did.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,602
Registered: ‎03-21-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

Johnny Carson retired in 1992...so that would be approximately 22+/- years that Joan was on The Tonight Show.

The ban was stupid, Carson was upset...furious actually that Joan was given a show on Fox...which bombed. He banned her...and NBC went along with it, which shows you how much influence he had at NBC at the time. Leno was wrong to continue the ban.

She knew things were over when she was chosen to appear on The Apprentice. I was glad to see her there last night. I hope Jimmy has her on soon as a guest.

Esteemed Contributor
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Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

On 2/18/2014 RedHeadedWench said:

Johnny Carson retired in 1992...so that would be approximately 22+/- years that Joan was on The Tonight Show.

The ban was stupid, Carson was upset...furious actually that Joan was given a show on Fox...which bombed. He banned her...and NBC went along with it, which shows you how much influence he had at NBC at the time. Leno was wrong to continue the ban.

She knew things were over when she was chosen to appear on The Apprentice. I was glad to see her there last night. I hope Jimmy has her on soon as a guest.

Carson certainly had his reasons for not having her on after what happened between them but I do agree that having the ban continue when Leno took over was dumb.
Valued Contributor
Posts: 658
Registered: ‎06-17-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

On 2/18/2014 KathyPet said:
On 2/18/2014 BonnieBelle said:

Carson must have been a real a-hole and Leno for carrying it on. How ridiculous. Good for Fallon and Joan.

According to the stories I have read Joan was personally chosen by him to be the Tonight Show permanent guest host. He went to bat with NBC over this because they were not sold on her. Giving her this spot was a REALLY big deal. She would have been next in line if Carson left for the permanent host position. Instead after two years she entered very secret negotiations with FOX. For a competing show going head to head with the Tonight Show. negotiations were completed and the contract was signed. The news leaked out and became public earlier then intended. Only after she found out that the news had leaked out did Joan bother to try to reach Carson by phone to tell him that she was not only jumping ship but would be launching a competing show after all he had done for her. Carson refused to take her call feeling (quite rightly I think) that she had betrayed him. They never spoke again. I think Joan's actions were sneaky and underhanded and I don't blame Carson for feeling the way he did.
Perhaps initially Carson was entitled to feel undermined, perhaps, but not for decades afterwards. Business is business, and the entertainment business is particularly cut-throat. You move on. Even years later, when Carson's son died tragically in an accident, he wouldn't take Joan's call to express her condolences. It was petty of him, and if the so-called ban was perpetuated by Leno out of some gesture of loyalty to Johnny or by network fiat, that was petty, too.
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Registered: ‎08-03-2013

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

On 2/18/2014 KathyPet said:
On 2/18/2014 BonnieBelle said:

Carson must have been a real a-hole and Leno for carrying it on. How ridiculous. Good for Fallon and Joan.

According to the stories I have read Joan was personally chosen by him to be the Tonight Show permanent guest host. He went to bat with NBC over this because they were not sold on her. Giving her this spot was a REALLY big deal. She would have been next in line if Carson left for the permanent host position. Instead after two years she entered very secret negotiations with FOX. For a competing show going head to head with the Tonight Show. negotiations were completed and the contract was signed. The news leaked out and became public earlier then intended. Only after she found out that the news had leaked out did Joan bother to try to reach Carson by phone to tell him that she was not only jumping ship but would be launching a competing show after all he had done for her. Carson refused to take her call feeling (quite rightly I think) that she had betrayed him. They never spoke again. I think Joan's actions were sneaky and underhanded and I don't blame Carson for feeling the way he did.

Ok so I can understand Carson's feelings but what did she do to Jay or was he ""grandfathered"" in?

"And suddenly you just know it's time to start something new
And trust the magic of Beginnings..."
Esteemed Contributor
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Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

it may have been petty but I don't think the entire thing was one of Joan's shining moments either. instead of being upfront with Carson she kept everything a deep dark secret and only tried to talk to him after the news was leaked. I agree that business is business but he did a lot to promote her career and perhaps he felt he was owed some consideration.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,162
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

Huge Fallon fan. Thanks for sharing. I fell asleep and didn't watch it. grrr. I'm going to have to catch it later.

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau
Valued Contributor
Posts: 658
Registered: ‎06-17-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

On 2/18/2014 KathyPet said: it may have been petty but I don't think the entire thing was one of Joan's shining moments either. instead of being upfront with Carson she kept everything a deep dark secret and only tried to talk to him after the news was leaked. I agree that business is business but he did a lot to promote her career and perhaps he felt he was owed some consideration.
Maybe he did feel as though she "owed" him, but he held a grudge for decades. And perhaps Joan wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue, either. As I said, you move on.
Super Contributor
Posts: 449
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Joan Rivers-First appearance on Tonight Show in 40 years.

I understand why Carson would ban her after she went behind his back to get her own show (especially after all he did for her) but he really took it to his grave.

Having said that, Carson had his own demons and if you blinked at him with the wrong eye or drove a better car than him or wore a red sweater instead of blue, he would cut you from his life faster than a New York minute.

People in power in Hollywood are tough and they can chew you up and spit you out without any remorse, guilt, or caring.

I didn't know that Leno had grandfathered that ban on Joan - shame on him!!