If his ratings are high, they don’t give a damn.
Not much has changed since Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson, the entire Rat Pack nor George Goebbel (God rest all their souls). Ed and Johnny eventually cleaned up The rest? Nat really.
You know the entire Match Game panel (including Gene) got ripped while the show was filmed. If you see the later shows (they did 3 back to back) you can tell, but they were pretty funny. Rumor has it the same was true of Hollywood Squares.
IOW — nothing new here.
Not sure how THEY could pull it together for showtime.
For NOW, Fallon seems to be able to function after a night out.
But don't forget, even Johnny Carson got a DUI in the early 80s.
Jimmy better get it together, and fast.
Johnny was "unfireable".
Fallon is not.
Not sure where his ratings are, but I can't stand what the Tonight Show has become. Carson was the best, Leno was OK, but Jimmy isn't in the same league. His humor is very sophomoric, but it's not very funny. I know there were others before Carson, but I was in diapers or elementary school during that timeframe.
It makes me wonder about Foster Brooks on the Dean Martin roast shows. He was hysterically funny playing a drunk but you have to wonder how much of it was acting and how much real.
Gene Rayburn was a terrific host.