Johnny Carson’s nephew reveals what late host would think of ‘Tonight Show’ now — and why he refused to take a helicopter to work

NY Post ^ | 04/11/2025 | Alexandra Bellusci

[ChicagoConservative27]

Johnny Carson was America’s ultimate late-night host.

The comedian’s most beloved gig was hosting “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” for 30 seasons from 1962 until his retirement in 1992.

His nephew, Jeff Sotzing, worked alongside his uncle, starting off as a receptionist in 1977, before becoming a producer on the show by ’92.

“I think he’d be flattered,” the television producer exclusively told The Post of how the late star would think of the current “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

“It has so many elements that the ‘Tonight Show’ that I worked on did not have because of the technology. It is this analog, so you can’t roll tape into the show. … It’s this very fast-paced [show]. I think he’d be fine with it. I think he’d be proud of it, actually. It’s a good franchise.”

[linMcHlp]

Su Casa Restaurant, La Jolla

[VetoBill]

Modern late night talk shows aren’t about entertainment, they are part of a daily media pipeline that sets out talking points early in the morning and carries that message to late night entertainment.

Perhaps one could point at the 2007 JournaList as the start of this unified media message. Ezra Klein created the Google group which brought 400 academics, reporters, and political advocates together to “discuss” daily news in a private manner. It certainly skewed into a discussion of how to politically deflect unfavorable news towards messaging favorable to leftists.

Even though JournaList was shut down, there still seems to be a well practiced script legacy media operates on. Set a talking point starting with rumors and press the issue all day until it becomes a fact by night.

For example: a morning show might promote an unsourced story, “there are concerns in Washington”

By midday, as the talking point takes root, “there is a growing political scandal the public is increasingly concerned about”

By the time nightly news airs, “growing calls for elected leaders to act”

Then the nightly opinion shows cast blame for the imagined issue.

And it is all wrapped up with late night talk shows which lampoon conservatives who deny that the issue even exists.

[x]

The point in those days was still not to offend anybody. Network news departments had an agenda, but the entertainment departments just wanted high ratings.