Dang! That was tough luck! Who was hosting? And hi to Wally and the Beave! :-)
You know, I'll have to ask him. I'm pretty sure it was during Johnny's reign that he saw the program. I also remembering him saying that the set was not very impressive--just as you had said in your remembrance.
My brother got back to me. Here's what he wrote--not much:
Yes, I went there in about 1985. Gary Shandling was the guest host. I got to sit up front and the set was much smaller in person. Doc Severenson was there also.
When you had talked about the set, I had remembered him telling me the same thing. Beave and Wally say hello back.