some of Carson's popular older albeit usually recent shows. Prior to the debut of Saturday Night Live in October 1975, NBC aired The Best of Carson on Saturday nights at 11:30 pm. During Leno's tenure as permanent guest host, The Best of Carson usually aired on Mondays with Leno hosting on Tuesdays.

Also featuring prominently on Carson's show was his sidekick Ed McMahon, who introduced Carson and typically appeared alongside him for the entire episode. By the end