Editing Johnny Carson (section)

== Early radio and television {{anchor|Squirrel's Nest}} ==
Carson began his broadcasting career in 1950 at WOW-AM (now [[KXSP]]) and WOW-TV (now [[WOWT-TV]]) in [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/bio_johnny.jsp|title=Johnny Carson|website=JohnnyCarson.com|access-date=August 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804132814/http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/bio_johnny.jsp|archive-date=August 4, 2009}}</ref> He soon hosted a morning television program called ''The Squirrel's Nest''. One of his routines involved interviewing [[pigeon]]s on the roof of the local courthouse that would report on the [[political corruption]] they had seen. Carson supplemented his income by serving as master of ceremonies at local church dinners—attended by some of the same politicians and civic leaders he had lampooned on the radio.

[[File:Jack Benny Johnny Carson Benny Show 1955.JPG|thumb|upright|Carson as a guest on Jack Benny's television program, 1955]]
The wife of one of the Omaha political figures that Carson spoofed owned stock in a radio station in [[Los Angeles]], and in 1951 referred Carson to her brother, who was influential in the emerging television market in [[Southern California]]. Carson joined [[CBS]]-owned Los Angeles television station KNXT (now [[KCBS-TV]]).

In 1953, comic [[Red Skelton]]—a fan of Carson's low-budget sketch comedy show, ''Carson's Cellar'' (1951–1953) on KNXT—asked Carson to join his show as a writer. The following year, Skelton accidentally knocked himself unconscious during rehearsal, an hour before his live show began. Carson successfully filled in for him.{{r|tynan19780220}} In 1955, [[Jack Benny]] invited Carson to appear on one of his programs during the opening and closing segments. Carson imitated Benny and claimed that Benny had copied his gestures. Benny predicted that Carson, who readily admitted Benny's substantial influence on aspects of his comedic delivery, would have a successful career as a comedian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUd1-_91YTk | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/mUd1-_91YTk| archive-date=October 28, 2021|title=Jack Gives Johnny Carson Advice (1955) | date=November 28, 2006|publisher=YouTube |access-date=April 26, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Carson hosted several shows besides ''Carson's Cellar'', including the game show ''Earn Your Vacation'' (1954) and the variety show ''[[The Johnny Carson Show]]'' (1955–1956).{{r|tynan19780220}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047746/ |title=The Johnny Carson Show |publisher=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> He was a guest panelist on the original ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'' beginning in 1960, becoming a regular panelist from 1961 to 1962.

After the primetime ''Johnny Carson Show'' failed, Carson moved to [[New York City]] to host [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Who Do You Trust?]]'' (1957–1962). It was on ''Who Do You Trust?'' that Carson met his future [[sidekick]] and [[straight man]], [[Ed McMahon]]. Although Carson believed moving to [[daytime television]] would hurt his career, ''Who Do You Trust?'' was a success. It was the first show where he could [[ad lib]] and interview guests,{{r|pioneersoftv}} and because of his on-camera wit, the show became "the hottest item on daytime television" during his six years at ABC.{{r|tynan19780220}} From his experience as a radio host, Carson would later write a parody for ''[[The New Yorker]]'' of former talk show host [[Dennis Miller]] having the new role at the time (2000) as an [[NFL]] sports announcer, titled "''Proverbs of Dennis Miller''".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=October 23, 2000 |title=Proverbs According to Dennis Miller |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/10/30/proverbs-according-to-dennis-miller |access-date=March 6, 2023 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{clear left}}