Johnny Carson, the undisputed King of Late Night TV died in Los Angeles in January 2005. From 1962 and for nearly 30 years, he tucked millions of Americans into bed every night as the host of NBC’s “Tonight” show. His humour and laid-back demeanour attracted the cream of global talent night after night and his famed monologues helped Americans take in the day’s news with a wry smile. But away from the cameras, Johnny was a troubled man, haunted by an emotionally impoverished childhood leading to heavy drinking and womanising in his adult life. His distant relationship with his 3 sons culminated in tragedy when one of them, Rick, died in a car crash at the age of 39. Johnny paid a heavy price for the stresses in his personal and professional lives. A heavy smoker from childhood, he was diagnosed with the lung disease emphysema nearly 20 years before his death. This made it increasingly hard for him to breath and took a heavy toll on his heart, culminating in a heart attack in 1999 and his death six years later from respiratory arrest. World renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Hunter, re-examines Johnny’s life story and medical history to find out exactly how his emotional and physical health combined to silence this giant of the small screen.
