I remember The Joey Bishop Show as one of those late-night programs that always seemed to live in the shadow of Johnny Carson, but there was a lot more to it than I realized.
ABC launched the show in 1967 as a direct competitor to The Tonight Show, and Joey Bishop was no stranger to that world. He had already guest-hosted for Carson many times, so putting him behind his own late-night desk made plenty of sense.
Sitting beside him was a young Regis Philbin, long before Live! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? made him a household name. One of the strangest moments came in 1968 when Regis dramatically quit on-air after saying he believed ABC executives thought he was hurting the ratings. Years later, Regis revealed that the whole thing had actually been planned with Joey as a publicity stunt.
Then came an even stranger ending. On the final broadcast in December 1969, Joey said goodbye and walked off the set early, leaving Regis and the guests to finish the show without him.
The series also had an incredible parade of guests, including Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Cash, Sonny & Cher, the Three Stooges, Debbie Reynolds and many more.
And the music had its own pedigree. Johnny Mann served as musical director and wrote the opening theme, “Joey Is the Name.”
It only lasted a little over two years, but between Joey, Regis, the celebrity guests and some very unusual television moments, it left behind quite a story.
Do you remember staying up late enough to watch Joey Bishop and Regis Philbin together?
