Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend

by Mark Malkoff, David Ritz

A wildly entertaining book by one of the most obsessed and informed fans on the planet of TV icon Johnny Carson, setting the record straight on Carson's legacy and shining light on the personality behind the legendary comedian and talk show host

Over the course of his thirty-year career, Johnny Carson appeared on some 4,500 broadcasts, interviewed over 25,000 guests, and solidified himself as a warm, witty, comforting presence to US audiences during turbulent times.

Carson aficionado Mark Malkoff has amassed more Carson stories from original sources than anyone in entertainment history, speaking to over four hundred individuals, and now, in Love Johnny Carson, he sets the record straight in this comprehensive portrait of Caron's life, career, legacy, and character. Read about the debuts of stand-up comics like David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres, the never-before-detailed reasons why Johnny stopped talking to Joan Rivers, why he banned guests like William Shatner and Orson Welles, the true origins of Carnac the Magnificent (it wasn’t stolen from Steve Allen), the part Johnny played in getting Nixon elected president, the beloved comedian who the Carson writers dreaded guest hosting, and many other behind-the-scenes stories of the funniest and most beloved Carson moments of all time.

In the end, Malkoff's book serves not only as a biography but also as a love letter; a love letter to show business, to personalities, and to the singular show-business personality of Johnny Carson.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Tv, History, Memoir

464 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Zehme famously labored over Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait for decades. But his posthumously completed work was, for the most part, underwhelming and unsatisfying. I found that to be particularly disappointing, since as memories of Johnny Carson continue to fade two decades after his death and more than three decades since he departed from the Tonight Show, it seemed increasingly unlikely that anyone might ever write - or that there would be any market for - a serious biography of him again.

Then along comes this book, a happy and unexpected surprise. I was a regular listener of Malkoff’s recently-concluded Carson Podcast, and while he was not necessarily the most polished host, his insatiable curiosity about Carson and the Carson-era Tonight Show was infectious. Over eight years and hundreds of interviews, he wrung every possible detail about the show and its host out of Carson friends, associates, show staffers and guests, and even the most mundane details could be fascinating.

This could have been a lazy book, a podcast in print form, stringing together portions of interview transcripts to form a kind of oral history. I almost expected that it might be, since the book’s title “Love Johnny Carson” made it sound like it would be a hagiography, while the subtitle “One Obsessive Fan’s Journey…” made it sound like it would be about Malkoff himself. Instead, I found this to be a legitimate, balanced, comprehensive biography that uses the Carson Podcast interviews as source material but not its only material, and succeeds in every way that Zehme’s did not.

The book touches on Carson’s personal life, his marriages, his temperament, but it’s mostly concerned with his professional life. Bookended by a brief look at his upbringing and a summary of his retirement years, the rest of the book takes a chronological look at Carson’s Tonight Show. All of the most memorable on-air moments, guests, sketches and more are referenced - fans of Carnac, or Ed Ames’ tomahawk throw, or the potato chip lady will not be disappointed.

But the book offers much more than a collection of the show’s greatest hits. The behind-the-scenes details of what we didn’t see on camera are what make the book really stand out. Malkoff seamlessly integrates quotes and anecdotes from his podcast into the narrative, and fleshes it all out with details from earlier books, unpublished manuscripts, contemporary news coverage, print and broadcast interviews, even unaired excerpts from interviews conducted for the 2012 American Masters documentary on Carson.

Beginning with an excellent description of his very first Tonight Show, we learn how Carson ultimately found his stride after mixed initial reviews. Looking back today, one might criticize him for being formulaic and eventually seeming out of touch, but it all stemmed from him having a strong sense of what he wanted the show to be. His reluctance to book modern rock acts, for example, was not so much because he was behind the times, but because he found such acts incompatible with his time slot - he felt a responsibility to lull people to sleep with light entertainment, not jar them awake with something loud and aggressive. And he once learned the hard way that booking a popular musical act brought out fans of said musical act, who filled the audience and were not the least bit interested in or entertained by anything he had to say.

This commitment to his vision of what the show should be also explains why some once-favorite guests were never invited back. The show was always more important than any one individual, so if someone disrespected the process by going over their allotted time, acting ungracefully, being discourteous to staff members, or having an act that had simply become stale, they suddenly found themselves no longer welcome, no matter how big a star they might be. And Malkoff digs up the dirt and names names.

At the same time, Malkoff is not shy about calling out Carson for what could only be described as petty grudges - some of his professional relationships could sour over something as small as a perceived slight. As one of his producers was quoted as saying succinctly, “Once he doesn't like someone, he doesn't start liking them later.”

Malkoff’s excellent sources help debunk, or at least offer fuller versions, of some longstanding myths. While there is truth to a Carson appearance launching careers, even the “overnight successes” were not necessarily instantaneous (Freddie Prinze, for example, was not, as often thought, offered a sitcom the day after his debut; rather, months of discussions and negotiations preceded his sitcom debut). Malkoff debunks the image of Carson as a recluse, noting that he had plenty of friendships and hobbies, but was often mobbed, uncomfortable and sometimes even assaulted while appearing in public, so he eventually preferred simply to avoid it. He also defends Carson from the claim that he stole his Carnac bit from Steve Allen, making the case that Carson in his pre-Tonight days debuted an early version of Carnac before Allen ever did.

And while Carson’s Tonight Show was looser than today's more tightly-scripted and -edited late night shows, it wasn't all improvised. Malkoff describes how staff perfected the now-standard process of pre-interviewing guests in order to ensure they came prepared with their most entertaining stories, how some conversations (complete with “ad libs”) were more or less completely planned out, and how “staff would sometimes engineer spontaneity into the show,” planning for the “unplanned” to happen.

That’s not to say that anything was staged - Ed Ames’ errant tomahawk throw was just as errant as it appeared on screen - but certain moments had to be planned out in order to appear effortless. It seems obvious when you think about it in retrospect, but a famous “spontaneous” event like Carson going across the hall during his show to confront Don Rickles during a live taping of his sitcom couldn’t possibly have been done with the technical limitations of the time unless the idea was planned for. It was still spontaneous in that Rickles didn’t know about it, but the idea also didn’t just happen to pop into Carson’s head in the moment, as it appeared to on TV.

Curiously, nothing is said in the book about Carson’s complicated relationship with Bob Hope. Maybe because there’s nothing more to say? But it felt worth exploring at least a little - was Carson just not a big fan of his style, or did he feel threatened by arguably the only NBC star who was bigger than him?

The book does, however, provide the best recounting I’ve read of Carson’s falling-out with Joan Rivers. The shorthand version, and Rivers’ telling of it, always made Carson look kind of petty - Rivers got a new job, failed to sufficiently grovel to Carson and seek his blessing, and he refused to talk to her for the rest of his life. The longer version Malkoff relates mostly blames Rivers for handling the whole situation gracelessly, keeping the secret for months so that she could continue to guest host and appear as a Carson guest herself when she had already committed to another network, telling a dubious story about how she was left off a list of potential Carson successors, and waiting until after Carson had already found out before even trying to tell him, when she knew he had always been supportive of guests who informed him of their plans to launch a competing talk show. And, as Malkoff’s insiders explained, Rivers then made a bad situation worse, acting disloyally and underhandedly by trying to hire away some of Carson’s key staffers.

Zehme’s take on Carson’s retirement years were tinged with sadness and longing - Carson seemed to want to come back on TV to do something, but couldn’t find the right project and instead faded from the public eye altogether. Malkoff’s take acknowledges that Carson never had a big comeback, but argues that he never seemed particularly troubled by it. Instead, he portrays Carson’s retirement years as fulfilling, giving him the space to pursue his own interests, like traveling and sailing.

The only thing about this take that seems rosier than it might actually have been, is that Malkoff doesn’t attempt to explain the status of Carson’s relationship with his fourth wife Alexis - other sources have indicated that they were essentially separated at the time of Carson’s death, though Malkoff mentions without elaboration that she was among those who were at his side when he passed away.

So while the book as a whole is far from whitewashed, it’s also far from a warts-and-all tell-all. But that’s not a bad thing, because there are enough of those. Malkoff does acknowledge touchy topics like Carson’s troubles with alcohol and with relationships. But where Zehme failed to crack the nut of what made Carson tick, Malkoff succeeds here by not really trying to. His book is more about the show than the personality, more about the performer than the person, more about what we saw (and didn’t see) on screen, and about how it all remains fascinating long after Carson left the scene.

Even after listening to the majority of Carson Podcast episodes, I still learned things from this book that I didn’t know, and was engrossed from start to finish. As a podcaster, Malkoff managed to make you share in his enthusiasm and interest in his subject. As an author, he has now succeeded in doing the same.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Dutton for providing an advance copy of this book for review, ahead of its October 21st release.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never swung from laughing to crying so many times when reading a book.
I appreciate getting an ARC of this book through Goodreads because it was an outstanding read.
First, as a lifelong Carson fan, having grown up in Nebraska where he is still a state institution, with parents who didn't mind their daughters staying up later than their friends, I thrived on a long diet of Johnny's monologues, which likely went over my developing brain, his skits--I immediately think of Carnac, his Dragnet skit, his Tarzan to Betty White's Jane, his interviews with normal people--the chip lady, the bird callers, so many children, his repertoire with Ed and Doc and Tommy, and his love of comedians--promoting to success the careers of Tom Hanks, Drew Carey, Ellen Degeneres, Joan Rivers, David Letterman, and so many more.

He created the persona of Ed McMann being quite a drinker, which he wasn't, though he played along. A favorite part of the book is about when Ed really was drunk on the show, having celebrated earlier in the day over drinks of gin+champagne. On air:
JC: Now, as you know, the San Diego Zoo is one of the finest zoos in the world, and we have had this young lady on the show very often in the past. I guess seven or eight years she's been appearing with us.
EM: Nine years. About nine years.
JC: Yeah, right. Several plus several would be about nine.
EM: You said seven or eight.
JC: No, I said... I didn't say seven or eight. I said several.
EM: Then you said seven or eight. And I said it's nine.
JC: Did I? Nine. Nine. Good. Thank you.
EM: Some of the animals you had as babies are now ten years old.
JC: That would be about right.
EM: Remember the animals that did something funny on your tie?
JC: Yes.
EM: Those little lions. Those baby lions were one year old.
JC: That's right.
EM: They are now treacherous and ferocious ten-year-old animals.
JC: Okay. Anyway, Joan Embery is here tonight.
EM: And she's now thirty-two.
JC: That's right. Joan is an animal handler and a trainer and (to Ed) ... You really think you're fooling everybody, don't you?
EM: Oh. No. No. No. No.... I'm just here to do my best to help you.

Reading about how Joan Rivers treated him publicly when starting her own doomed show was so frustrating. But reading about his true bonds with multiple Hollywood legends, how is most inner circle called him John, how David Letterman would become like a child at Christmas when in his presence, I fear I'll be on YouTube for the rest of the year reviewing old Carson videos.

Being an avid reader and a writer, I also appreciate how well written this book is, with a great flow and timeline of stories, so many stories. Hard to put down, so well done.

David Letterman: All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again. He gave me a shot on his show, and in doing so, he gave me a career. A night doesn't go by that I don't ask myself, "What would Johnny have done?"

[Nicole Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon starting this book, I feared that it would be just another story full of timelines and moments already documented in history. I was wrong - the author does a great job of pulling material from his podcast to tell the story of Johnny Carson. He covers the good, bad and ugly noting Carson as “the comedy version of Walter Cronkite.”

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance.

[Mediaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

There have been too many books about Johnny Carson and this new one doesn't help. It's a confusing mess of thoughts from podcast guests of a guy who doesn't really know what he's talking about.

For example, Malkoff repeatedly says things like, "Carson was a true Nebraskan" and "in his home state of Nebraska Carson had married his college sweetheart."

Johnny Carson was an Iowan. He spent his childhood there, moving around, before ending up in Nebraska when he was almost 9 years old. Nebraska is NOT Johnny Carson's "home state" nor is he a "true Nebraskan." Consider this--he spent almost the same number of "childhood" years in Iowa as he did in Nebraska before becoming an adult. Don't you think maybe THOSE younger years were the formative ones that should have more focus instead of proclaiming him simply a Nebraskan?

And when an author can't state basic facts correctly about the star he is writing about, how can you trust anything else he puts on the pages?

I've read the other books--Carson was a horrible man based on pretty much everyone's encounters with him, and Carson was nothing like he appeared on screen. However, this book claims many people say the opposite of that, people who were guests on the author's podcast. Did he ever think that many people now spin Johnny positive in death? Guests want to make themselves look good by associating with the positive public side of the talk show host? Americans love to do that--ignore the bad things when a guy dies and put him on a pedestal in order make themselves associated with someone great.

This is certainly filled with all sorts of stories, but that's not always good. Instead of sifting through what's accurate or important, this writer simply reinforces his own biased childhood love of what he saw on the screen. He filters history through his love of Carson's comedy instead of objectively coming to conclusions about the man himself.

That's the problem in the podcast era--a person that lacks critical thinking skills or professional training spins history to match their own bigoted narrow background impressions of the subject. This isn't academic research or even professional journalism; it's simply a comedian who gets warm fuzzies for the johnny he watched in childhood and wants to manipulate history in book form to sway others in the future. A good writer would research, filter, reject some things, and present objective conclusions instead of tossing in so much here that is contradictory or draws conclusions through a modern lens.

Go back and read a few of the really true gut-wrenching books about the terrible things the late night host did to his wives, kids, employees, coworkers, friends and even himself (especially his drinking and smoking). There should be no love lost on Johnny Carson no matter how much you liked his show.

[Christopher Dalla Riva · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for gobs of information about Johnny Carson, specifically on the Tonight Show, this is the place to go

[Diane OLeary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books about Johnny Carson but this one provided funny and interesting stories I had never read before and was extremely entertaining. I would keep picking up this book between the fiction and mystery thrillers I was also reading and wound up finishing this one first since I had such a difficult time putting down this addictive read. We will never see the likes of a JC again and I miss him to this day. This is a highly recommended read for JC fans.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and Dutton for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Last year, I had the opportunity to read the late Bill Zehme’s biography of late-night TV host Johnny Carson. I was utterly disappointed in the endeavor. In fact, nearly every book about the legendary television star that I’ve read has been severely lacking. Enter: Love Johnny Carson. All I can say is FINALLY!

For those younger than me or those not in the United States, Johnny Carson was the grand master of late-night television. He reigned supreme from 1962 – 1992, and almost no one posed a threat to his dominance. Everyone who came after him was a pale imitation. He had such broad appeal because he was apolitical, joking about the left and right equally. He had a genuine curiosity about people and also knew how to think on his feet to make the show as entertaining as possible. Johnny was must-see TV for 30 years.

Malkoff hosted a Carson Podcast for eight years and conducted hundreds of interviews with anyone and everyone who was in Johnny’s orbit, mining the information for this book. He also relied on newspaper and magazine stories, as well as TV interviews. This comprehensive biography leaves no stone unturned.

The book’s focus, however, is The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Those looking for a deep dive into Carson’s personal life might be disappointed. There is some content there, and even interviews with a few of his ex-wives, but that’s not the main event. The beginning and the end of the book are naturally focused on life before the Tonight Show and what came after.

I do have to say that most of the favorite moments from The Tonight Show are covered in this book, and plenty of others that I had not heard or remembered seeing. But, this book is more than a play-by-play of Carson’s best bits. The book also explores Johnny’s temperamental personality, exploring his grudges with certain entertainers. Malkoff doesn’t hold back on who and how they came to be persona non grata on The Tonight Show. On the other hand, Carson could be incredibly generous to acts like comedians, launching their careers with appearances on the show.

Speaking of comedians, this book also provides the best and most thorough examination of falling-out between frequent guest and guest-host, Joan Rivers, and Carson. Joan Rivers’ version, which changed over the years, was that Johnny was petty and pissed off and he never talked to her again after she got her own talk show on the fledgling FOX TV network. What really happened was that Joan signed the deal and had MONTHS to tell Johnny about the opportunity. Instead, Carson found out from someone else, right before the news became public. She then made matters worse by trying to hire some of The Tonight Show staff.

Three things also struck me about this book: one, the myth that Johnny Carson was a loner without friends simply isn’t true. He regularly had card nights with the likes of Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Steve Martin and more. Another thing I thought was interesting was that Malkoff doesn’t actually talk about Johnny’s fourth wife much, and does not indicate in any way that the couple was separated at the end of his life, as was indicated by several other media stories. Lastly, the author mentions Carson’s trouble with alcohol but doesn’t go into great detail.

As for those who came after Johnny, the late-night hosts owe him everything. There will never be another Johnny Carson. In my opinion, the only talk show host who can hold a candle to Carson is the UK’s Graham Norton, based on all the clips of the show that I’ve seen on social.

[Toober · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. While I became a huge fan of David Letterman in my high school years, Johnny was a staple in my life until he retired at the end of my freshman year in college.

This book brought back so many fun memories of the shows that I watched when I was young and gave many behind the scenes stories. The stories are told through quotes by famous actors, actresses, musicians, and the cast and crew of the show. It also spent a great deal of time on the end of the show, both in how the decision was made for Jay Leno to take over, and the extremely emotional end to his historic run.

The minute I finished the book, I hopped on YouTube and rewatched the final two episodes of the show, episodes that I haven’t watched since 1992. This book is a sure bet for any fan of Johnny Carson, helped me appreciate all that he did for the late night genre, and I will surely be watching more clips in the coming days!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Roberts Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Johnny Carson by Mark Malkoff (with David Ritz) is a dazzling act of devotion part biography, part cultural archaeology, and wholly a celebration of television’s most enigmatic host. In a world oversaturated with celebrity memoirs, Malkoff’s work stands apart as both a deeply researched historical account and a profoundly human love letter to the man who redefined late-night television.

Drawing on over four hundred interviews and a staggering archive of behind-the-scenes recollections, Malkoff reconstructs not only Johnny Carson’s career but his mythology. We see Carson as the consummate craftsman , meticulous, private, and haunted by his own perfectionism , and as the connective tissue of a generation’s nightly ritual.

The book captures Carson’s contradictions: warmth laced with detachment, generosity shadowed by solitude. With the precision of an insider and the empathy of a lifelong admirer, Malkoff peels back the curtain on the alchemy of charisma and control that made Carson an icon , and a mystery.

Richly detailed, fast-paced, and surprisingly moving, Love Johnny Carson reminds us that the story of late,night TV is, at its heart, a story about longing , for laughter, for connection, for permanence in an ephemeral art. For anyone who ever stayed up past midnight to catch a glimpse of brilliance, this is a definitive portrait of the man who made America laugh and think, night after night.

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BEST BOOK ON CARSON!
Zehme’s book CARSON THE MAGNIFICENT was such a snore and this book confirms it! I’ve read 3 books on Carson and though my favorite is Henry Bushkin’s - I think Mark’s beats it! It’s so easily readable and never analytical. He breaks down each sacred moment of Carson both on screen and off in such a wonderful breezy way that it’s so enjoyable! I loved reading about moments I remember, love and never knew about!

Also, “an obsessive fan”’s book on a man he adores could be nauseating, grossly bias and just nothing but sweetness and rainbows - but NOT this book! Malkoff is a honest, at times startling on his experience and breaking down of Carson. It’s refreshing! Particularly his breaking the cycle on the misconceptions of Carson, the man. Cold and Aloof? I learned for the first time, no no. Not at all. Perhaps misunderstood which spun into a myth that every comic and public as ran with.

Anyway, this book is so good! I loved it! Never listened to the podcast so I can attest to the critique that this is “the podcast in book form”. But that was my advantage! He’s a great narrator too!!! Podcasters who narrate audiobook often sound so robotic and too “News Anchorish”—it gets tiresome to listen to after a few hours, but Mark is so animated when he speaks that just made the listening experience more enjoyable!!! (I like to read along while listening to then audiobook)

10/10!!!!!!!! Make THIS the definitive Johnny Carson book!

[Wesley Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a devoted follower of Mark Malkoff's excellent podcast interviewing people connected to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, I confess my bias for liking this upfront. That said, Malkoff and his collaborator David Ritz have gone beyond what was revealed there for a plethora of many new revelations to savor on nearly every page, There's lots here to absorb, but it's all written in an engaging, easy-to-read format that makes it digestible and delightful. I found it especially enlightening about what Carson liked and didn't like to get from his guests and standup comics, as well as the extensive efforts to get Johnny to do more TV after he retired in 1992.

Malkoff clearly admires Carson and includes a great deal of stories about his hidden generosity to combat the general impression that the host was aloof offstage. At the same time, he doesn't shy away from the host's flaws, most notably his problems with alcohol and longtime addiction to smoking and ability to cut out people from his life totally when feeling they'd done him wrong. It's a thorough assessment that really makes the reader feel part of the show.

In short, this is highly recommended for both fun and informational reading. Great job here.

[Ken Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the definite book for anyone who was a fan of Johnny Carson, or even a fan of the 1970s when he was the king of late night television.

Mark Malkoff brings tons of stories about Carson and is fair in doing so. There are tales of Carson's kindness in helping people with financial issues, and there are stories about his control and jealousy and of his closing out people forever who betray him.

My favorite stuff is just the feel of that era. Now days, late night talk show hosts are so political; Jimmy Kimmel's entire monologue is on Trump's daily doings. Back then, Carson made more fun of culture. I tink Malkoff does an excellent job of showing that.

He also has so many anecdotes about the various stars who appeared on his show, Carson's feud with Fred De Cordova, Carson's producer, and many more. He has total access and research of all that is Carson.

This is a really good look at both the beginning of real talk show hosts (although Jack Parr was really the pioneer of that and Malkoff acknowledges that), and also a fantastic trip back in time to that era when things seemed simpler. Granted, I am old and seem to gravitate back to the 1970s and 1980s more and more. This book helped make that trip more enjoyable, too.

[Lucie HAND · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly good book. Fun to read and fun to recall so many of the episodes discussed in this book. It starts with the very beginning of Johnny's career, all the way until he dies. Beautifully written and well divided into sections that are coherent to the subject. Some sections on certain people, others on themes of his career, skits, backstage, his personal foibles. All of it is entertaining, fun and informative. This author is definitely obsessed with Johnny Carson and his career and life, but the reader is the beneficiary. I have gone back to re-read sections, because they are so entertaining and/or poignant..........My personal memories are of his show lifting me up at the end of the day during some very hard years in my life. I looked forward to the fun and positive attitude of his show after facing life day after day. He was always decent, so gentlemanly, so kind to his guests. There was no animosity, no derision. He truly tried to make each guest shine and had so much fun with guests and skits and, let's not forget, all the animals.

[Jan Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago, every night I would sit on my granddad‘s lap and we would watch Johnny Carson. I was very young then. But I loved the characters that he created. I always thought the people on his show was funny. But that was all I knew of Johnny Carson.

This Biography has shown me the depth of this man. He cared very much for people. He had his fault as we all do, but he also had his gifts. He gave careers to a lot of people. This book gives you little insights into a lot of his guests and their early years. He had all kinds of guests, be them actors/actresses, politicians, heroes, normal people, people that everyone found interesting.

He had such a huge impact on television. I am glad that I got the opportunity to see the show.

This is a man that I wish I could’ve known in person although it would’ve never happened. He is a total different league of than me. This book gave me the opportunity to feel like I knew this person and can also agree on what an impact he had on people..

[Cathy VanLear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon receiving this book, I expected a biography filled with timelines, already documented moments in Carson’s life, and portions of interview transcripts. However, I stand corrected as Malkoff and Ritz did an amazing job of telling the story of Johnny Carson, “The Comedy Version of Walter Cronkite” in a most entertaining way.

The book is a well-balanced tribute to Carson through the Carson podcast interviews and much more. Although touching on his personal life including disposition, marriages,and retirement, the main focus is on Carson’s professional career.

The book is well-written with great flow. If you are a Johnny Carson fan, this is a must read with lots of funny, interesting, and entertaining stories.

Thanks to Goodreads, Mallory, and Ritz for the opportunity to read and write an honest review on this brilliant book.

[Nancyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is NOT a biography of Johnny Carson, instead a meticulously reported love letter to America's greatest talk show host. Starting in 1962, Johnny's reign as the Tonight Show host for three decades is lovingly portrayed by the author(s). I was in elementary school in the '60s and being allowed to stay up to watch Johnny during summer vacation was the height of being "grown up". The show's dynamic changed as it moved from NYC to Burbank and Malkoff catalogs it all. Wonderfully written, I felt as if a friend and I were visiting over memories of Johnny. For those of us old enough to have witnessed all thirty years, you couldn't help but reminisce as to where your life was as dates are revealed throughout. Brilliantly done!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful account of Carson's 3 decades hosting the Tonight Show, compiled from interviews with dozens of individuals who worked on and appeared on the show. It's incredible how many people credit a huge portion of their commercial success to Johnny and being on the show. It was a different world. It's fun to read about the behind the scenes commentary on classic episodes, and then to go to youtube and be able to watch them.
This is a great read for anyone who loves show business and late night. Note that it's not a biography -- though you'll pick up some personal pieces. It's an all-in focus on Johnny's Tonight show, the ups and the downs.

[Lerrise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! If you ever watched The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with your dad while growing up, like I did, and laughed heartily together at the jokes, even if you didn't understand them all, this book is for you. If your parents or grandparents enjoyed the show, this book would make a great gift for them. I loved listening to the audio and all the interesting stories from behind the scenes of the show, which brought Carson back for a few, sentimental hours. Listening also brought back some precious memories of time spent with my dad, too. Thank you, Mark Malkoff.

[Rickee1368 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Johnny Carson, by Mark Malkoff (with David Ritz), is a really engaging book about the career and legacy of Johnny Carson. The book is full of behind the scenes details and insider stories, often told by the very people who populate them. The focus is firmly on the career of Johnny Carson; however, there are snippets of his personal triumphs and tragedies peppered within the narrative. This book struck a nice balance of being dishy without being gossipy. It was quite enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy.

[Rob Pruden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carson was must watch TV growing up and this book does a marvelous job bringing him to life. The mega fan/author did a fabulous job interviewing so many of Carson's staff and cross checking stories that may have differed over time. Nearly 12 years ago I read the book by Johnny's lawyer, Bombastic Bushkin and enjoyed it due to my extreme affection for Carson, but this book is so much better!!! Over the last 2 years I have had the pleasure of watching many of Johnny's shows from the 80's and with my new cable situation I have lost that easy access so this book's timing was perfect.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skip the Zehme, skip the Bushkin (definitely skip the Bushkin), and read this one.

This book acknowledges that Johnny wasn’t a saint, but refuses to paint him as an unfeeling monster whenever the cameras weren’t rolling, as other authors have suggested.

Entertaining and informative. The only problem with the audiobook was that they should have hired a professional instead of letting the author read it.

[John Schorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book on Johnny Carson that many people wanted the biography written by Bill Zehme to be: a journey through Carson's tenure on The Tonight Show, with most of the beloved highlights included. This author does not short on the nastier side of Carson's personality, but this is about the stuff people want to remember: Ed Ames, sis-boom-bah, Jim Fowler and Joan Embery, and Don Rickles. You can enjoy it for that alone, when you prep for an evening of watching highlights on YouTube.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly outstanding biography of Johnny Carson, and a vital document for anyone who wants to learn about the massive phenomena that was The Tonight Show, and why it continues to resonate so powerfully in America. Mark Malkoff's outstanding podcast on Carson has given him such insight and stories into the show, and his curation of the greatest moments and stars over Carson's 30 year run makes this an entertaining and scintillating read. The ending left me in tears.

[Jodi J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The truth is that I love biographies & behind-the-scenes classic Hollywood people. This book was fascinating to me! I enjoyed the descriptions of different guests of Johnny's & what went on through the years. I found myself SO frustrated with Joan Rivers (what this book's account of what really happened & her account of what happened are incredibly different), but other guests really warmed my heart. The descriptions of the last few episodes made me teary. I really enjoyed this book.

[Sharon Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnny was around my entire life. I grew up in small-town Nebraska, and he had grown up an hour away from me. Dreams can come true.

This is an exhaustive collection of stories about the Man, mostly love letters. Makes me want to watch a lot of YouTube clips. He was a master, the likes of which we'll never see again.

[James Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly well-written, well-researched tribute to the King Of Late-Night Television. By combining the chronology of Johnny Carson’s rise to top with the recollection and anecdotes of those who knew the man best, Mark Malkoff, with an assist from David Ritz, paints a compelling portrait of a complex comic genius who revolutionized television talk shows. Highly recommended.

[Paula Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a fan letter than biography, Love Johnny Carson chronicles his storied career on the Tonight Show. From his relationships with the staff, favorite guests and those that were blackballed. Even though the book was organized by decade, it felt like the timeline jumped around a lot. Would’ve preferred a more linear account.

[Mary C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the book brought back great memories of watching the Tonight Show. Enjoyed reading about the entertainers that got their start on the show. and the way Johnny Interacted with the guests. Enjoyable entertaining read.
#LoveJohnnyCarson #Dutton #NetGalley

[Ward Lehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff. Best Carson bio I’ve read (surprisingly better than Bill Zehme’s authorized one). Only quibbles I had were wishing to hear more about his experiences having David Brenner and George Carlin on, including as guest hosts.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting man, Johnny Carson was. He had some of the biggest stars of the time on, and I must have watched every night because I recognized 95% of the names mentioned. Late night talk shows that are currently on t.v. are schlock compared to his show.