Johnny Carson remains one of the top modern late-night hosts, and for good reason. As the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, Carson made a serious dent in pop culture and influenced late-night hosts who would precede him. He forged genuine connections with his guests and developed iconic bits, it’s hard to imagine what late-night TV would be like if Carson had never been a part of it. Now, Jimmy Kimmel is revealing what he learned about how late night changed after Carson's last night on air, and it’s definitely humbling.
The New York native joined the late-night world via his own show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which debuted on ABC in 2003 and is still airing 21 years later. While he has become a fan-favorite over the years, especially with bits such as “Mean Tweets” and “I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy,” the comedian has a humbling take on his celebrity status. Kimmel told the LA Times that he knows he’ll never be on Carson’s level, and he’s just fine with it:
The number one thing I learned was that I would never be anywhere near as good as Johnny. Maybe Frank Sinatra would shop up, and he and Johnny were equals, but that’s it. I can assure you that if Taylor Swift is on my show, it does not feel like we’re equals.
It’s honestly hard to match Johnny Carson's late-night greatness. Jimmy Kimmel even says he “was the most important” within the the TV landscape, even with Steve Allen and David Letterman also in the mix. After all, Carson peaked at 9 million viewers per night. Ultimately, it was Carson's on-air persona that made his show as impactful as it was and continues to inspire Kimmel and others.
The notion of legacies is a major topic for Kimmel, who's been talking about retirement again and when it could possibly happen for him. Considering the grind that it is late-night TV and the fact that Kimmel has been doing it for so long, it's understandable as to why he's giving it serious thought these days. In time, many are sure to evaluate his own TV work.
Jimmy Kimmel may be no Johnny Carson, but he has certainly had his own impact. He’s one of the best Oscar hosts and, while he won’t be returning for 2025, there’s still a possibility he’ll sign on in the future. He's also become something of a pop culture figure, as Chrissy Teigen thinks Kimmel is the Internet’s next Zaddy. On top of all this, he may not be considered an equal when it comes to Taylor Swift and other celebs, but he sure can round up plenty of bigwigs for a star-studded dinner party.
Johnny Carson passed away in 2005 over a decade after his final show aired in 1992. While the late-night TV landscape continues to change due to shifting audience interests, people in the business still owe Carson a great deal for setting a keen standard. It's wonderful to see that Jimmy Kimmel has such reverence for that and is aware of his place in TV history.