Editing Johnny Carson (section)

== Retirement ==
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2015}}
[[File:Johnny Carson portrait.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Carson in the 1990s]]
Carson retired from show business on May 22, 1992, at age 66, when he stepped down as host of ''The Tonight Show''. His farewell was a major media event, often emotional for Carson, his colleagues, and the audiences, and stretched over several nights. In tribute to Carson and his enormous influence, several networks that had late-night variety talk shows "went dark" for the entire hour he did the last show. After 13 tries, ''The Tonight Show'' finally won the Emmy for [[Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series]] later that year, buoyed by the penultimate broadcast, which featured Johnny's final two guests: [[Robin Williams]] and [[Bette Midler]].

NBC gave the role of host to the show's then-current permanent guest host, Jay Leno. Leno and David Letterman were soon competing on separate networks.

=== Post-retirement appearances ===
[[File:JohnnyCarson1994.jpg|thumb|upright|On a trip to Tanzania in 1994]]
At the end of his final ''Tonight Show'' episode, Carson indicated that he might, if so inspired, return with a new project. Instead, he chose to go into full retirement, rarely giving interviews and declining to participate in NBC's 75th-anniversary celebrations. He made an occasional cameo appearance, including voicing himself on the May 13, 1993, episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' ("[[Krusty Gets Kancelled]]"), telephoning David Letterman on a November 1993 episode of ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', and appearing in the 1993 NBC special ''[[Bob Hope]]: The First 90 Years''.

On May 13, 1994, Carson appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. During a week of shows from Los Angeles, Letterman was having Larry "Bud" Melman ([[Calvert DeForest]]) deliver his "Top Ten Lists" under the guise that a famous personality would be delivering the list instead. On the last show of the week, Letterman indicated that Carson would be delivering the list. Instead, DeForest delivered the list, insulted the audience (in keeping with the gag), and walked off to polite applause. Letterman then indicated that the card he was given did not have the proper list on it and asked that the "real" list be brought out. On that cue, the real Carson emerged from behind the curtain (as Letterman's band played "Johnny's Theme"), an appearance that prompted a 90-second standing ovation from the audience. Carson then asked to sit behind Letterman's desk; Letterman obliged, as the audience continued to cheer and applaud. After some moments, Carson departed from the show without having spoken to the audience. He later cited acute [[laryngitis]] as the reason for his silence. This turned out to be Carson's last television appearance.

Carson played [[tennis]] throughout his retirement.<ref name="ew.com">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Johnny Carson dispels doomy emphysema report |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/09/20/johnny-carson-dispels-doomy-emphysema-report/ |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>

Carson also reviewed clips of the ''Tonight Show'' included in DVD compilations, and he had humor pieces published in ''[[The New Yorker]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zehme |first1=Bill |title=The Man Who Retired |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a28131/johnny-carson-0602/ |access-date=January 21, 2022 |work=Esquire |publisher=Hearst Communications |date=June 2002}}</ref>

=== David Letterman ===
Prior to his death, Carson occasionally sent jokes to David Letterman.<ref name="todaySuccessor" /><ref name="cbsLetterman" /> Letterman would then use these jokes in the monologue of his show, which Carson got "a big kick out of", according to [[Worldwide Pants]] Inc. senior vice president [[Peter Lassally]], who formerly produced both men's programs.<ref name="todaySuccessor">{{cite web |date=January 18, 2005 |title=Johnny Carson writes jokes for Letterman |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/johnny-carson-writes-jokes-letterman-wbna6841123 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050120213348/https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6841123/ |archive-date=January 20, 2005 |accessdate=June 9, 2021 |website=TODAY.com}}</ref><ref name="cbsLetterman">{{cite web|accessdate=June 9, 2021|title=Carson Feeds Jokes To Letterman|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carson-feeds-jokes-to-letterman/|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=January 18, 2005 }}</ref> He also said Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor".<ref name="todaySuccessor" /> In his first broadcast after Carson's death, Letterman delivered a monologue compiled entirely of jokes sent in by Carson, a fact the host revealed a short time later in the program.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 1, 2005 |title=Letterman pays tribute to Johnny Carson |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/letterman-pays-tribute-johnny-carson-wbna6891980 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050203030906/https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6891980/ |archive-date=February 3, 2005 |accessdate=June 9, 2021 |website=TODAY.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=June 9, 2021|title=Dave delivers Johnny Carson's last monologue|url=https://ew.com/article/2005/02/01/dave-delivers-johnny-carsons-last-monologue/|website=EW.com}}</ref>