# Guests don't stay around anymore on late night tv **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930 "2014-10-10T05:20:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/21 "2014-10-10T20:32:30Z")
I don’t watch Kimmel, is that his regular practice? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/22 "2014-10-10T20:47:00Z")
Sometimes. He’s really rather varied as to people sticking around. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/23 "2014-10-10T21:08:47Z")
Good grief people. Steve Allen’s standard setup was a [desk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8HRX5j7hNmfI63emNdPKM73-TfUETwsg&v=P1EKFL9ofMk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1039) where both he and his guest sat. (Usually one at a time.) Jack Paar had in later years a set of chairs, no desk, no couch. (Like Mike Douglas and some versions of Dick Cavett.) He did have a couch (and desk) in earlier versions. But it was secondary. He frequently interviewed guests sitting next to him at the desk like Allen. It was Johnny that made the couch a key item on the set. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/24 "2014-10-10T21:29:16Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It was Johnny that made the couch a key item on the > set. Well, where else was he going to stroke Zsa-Zsa’s pussy? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/25 "2014-10-10T21:38:17Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Good grief people. Steve Allen’s standard setup was a [desk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8HRX5j7hNmfI63emNdPKM73-TfUETwsg&v=P1EKFL9ofMk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1039) where both he and his guest sat. (Usually one at a time.) Jack Paar had in later years a set of chairs, no desk, no couch. (Like Mike Douglas and some versions of Dick Cavett.) He did have a couch (and desk) in earlier versions. But it was secondary. He frequently interviewed guests sitting next to him at the desk like Allen. > > It was Johnny that made the couch a key item on the set. And that’s why Johnny is, was, and always will be the king. Well one reason anyway. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/26 "2014-10-10T21:45:41Z")
Looking at that Johnny Carson clip. Dean Martin sure was chain smoking. I’m surprised he lived as long as he did with the perma tan, heavy drinking and chain smoking. I loved George Goebel. I was getting annoyed when 'ol Dean was flicking his ashes in his drink. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/27 "2014-10-10T22:00:33Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > It is presumed the bigger the celebrity, the more rushed he/she is, travelling from show to show, city to city, promoting the latest project. They flit in, chat, show a clip, and then they are off. They would not deign to waste a half hour anyway, while someone else is in the guest seat. That reminds me of this clip. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YpOGB4SkcM4/maxresdefault.jpg "Steve Martin Has to Leave | Carson Tonight Show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpOGB4SkcM4) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/28 "2014-10-10T23:51:30Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Well, where else was he going to stroke Zsa-Zsa’s pussy? I thought it was Raquel’s. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/29 "2014-10-10T23:55:13Z")
I do remember he offered a [year’s salary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2W8ZC7pkM) to peek under Dolly Parton’s shirt. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/30 "2014-10-11T00:02:18Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Good grief people. Steve Allen’s standard setup was a [desk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8HRX5j7hNmfI63emNdPKM73-TfUETwsg&v=P1EKFL9ofMk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1039) where both he and his guest sat. (Usually one at a time.) Jack Paar had in later years a set of chairs, no desk, no couch. (Like Mike Douglas and some versions of Dick Cavett.) He did have a couch (and desk) in earlier versions. But it was secondary. He frequently interviewed guests sitting next to him at the desk like Allen. > > It was Johnny that made the couch a key item on the set. Way to spoil a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/31 "2014-10-11T07:44:57Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Why don’t guests stay around on the late night talk shows anymore? For example, Seth Myers had Robert Downey Jr as his guest. Now he’s interviewing Emmy Rossum. Robert is nowhere to be found. I can remember guests scooting down on Jay’s couch, and occasionally adding their .02 to the interview. I was just thinking about this myself not too long ago. It used to be expected to hang around, that’s why there was a couch. Lately it seems like the expectation is that the guests will leave. > [@salinqmind](#): > > It is presumed the bigger the celebrity, the more rushed he/she is, travelling from show to show, city to city, promoting the latest project. They flit in, chat, show a clip, and then they are off. They would not deign to waste a half hour anyway, while someone else is in the guest seat. That seems to be the impression. Busy, busy, busy, no time to sit while somebody else promotes their gig. > [@](#): > > I’ve also read that it is a bad sign for any celebrity to just show up on a talk show, sitting there and nattering away, without any project to publicize. It’s seen as pathetic if they have nothing going on in their work lives, and have nothing better to do. Well, the primary role of these shows is to provide a forum for promotion. Sure, they’re funny and entertaining, but they make their money by being a platform for promotion. So having folks come on without anything to promote is kinda missing the point. > [@](#): > > I disagree, I remember Tony Randall doing bits, and sitting down to chat seemingly ‘on the fly’ many many times on David Letterman (of course he may not have had any actual ‘work’ at the time) and he was always interesting and funny. It seems in the past stars were more relaxed, maybe? I don’t know…Quite often the second or third guest on David Letterman was bumped to another night because the first and maybe second guest was so fascinating. Yes, the bumping of guests used to occur fairly often. Johnny would do that. Now it seems that everything is scripted more tightly. Jay was the king of keeping things on timeline, going through the banter, getting to the promotion, moving to the next segment. Having the other guests hang out is tempting to disrupt that flow. > [@etv78](#): > > Watched clip, yes it was. BTW, what’s the deal with Johnny’s scarf? It was 1969? > [@ftg](#): > > Good grief people. Steve Allen’s standard setup was a [desk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8HRX5j7hNmfI63emNdPKM73-TfUETwsg&v=P1EKFL9ofMk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1039) where both he and his guest sat. (Usually one at a time.) Watched the clip, Steve seems to be following the format of a radio program, where both sit behind the same desk and use the same microphone. Possibly carryover from that and possibly not coming up with the idea of using multiple mics, or the overhead boom mic. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/32 "2014-10-11T08:02:14Z")
I think they quit hanging around because the host was really irritable and yelling at them and flipping off the producer and shit. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/33 "2014-10-11T08:44:49Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/34 "2014-10-11T08:53:38Z")
+1. :_leafie_: ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/35 "2014-10-11T10:27:56Z")
> [@MissSwitac](#): > > … > I loved George Goebel. I was getting annoyed when 'ol Dean was flicking his ashes in his drink. No shit. “What an asshole,” I was thinking to myself. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/36 "2014-10-11T14:31:19Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I’ve also read that it is a bad sign for any celebrity to just show up on a talk show, sitting there and nattering away, without any project to publicize. It’s seen as pathetic if they have nothing going on in their work lives, and have nothing better to do. Every talk show host has a few regulars that show up when they need to fill in a spot. Letterman had Tony Randall and currently has Regis Philbin. And Craig Ferguson has Kristen Bell and a few others I’m forgetting. He even takes her with him on his overseas shows. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/37 "2014-10-11T14:43:22Z")
If Tony Randall turned up on Letterman without anything specific to promote it was usually because another guest had cancelled. Randall lived in Manhattan and he was always game to come over to the Ed Sullivan Theater if he was needed. Plus he could be counted on to be witty and engaging for 7 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/38 "2014-10-11T14:45:46Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > If Tony Randall turned up on Letterman without anything specific to promote it was usually because another guest had cancelled. Randall lived in Manhattan and he was always game to come over to the Ed Sullivan Theater if he was needed. Plus he could be counted on to be witty and engaging for 7 minutes. I just said that. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/39 "2014-10-11T15:51:21Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Yes, the bumping of guests used to occur fairly often. Bump guests like Matt Damon too often and [things like this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSfoF6MhgLA) can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930/40 "2014-10-12T00:52:51Z")
I wonder if guests who come on later resent if a previous guest keeps interrupting. They may not want their promotional spot to be hijacked by someone else, even if it was funny. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guests-dont-stay-around-anymore-on-late-night-tv/700930.md?page=3)