Wherrrrrrrres Johnny? NBC 6B After The ‘Tonight’ Move…
Wherrrrrrrres Johnny? NBC 6B After The ‘Tonight’ Move…
The photo I posted yesterday taken from behind Johnny in 6B was from March 8, 1972. These two great shots were taken by our friend Glenn Mack a year later in March of ’73.
In Carson’s monologue of November 13, 1972 he said “this is our first show back in New York, since moving to Burbank”. So, beginning that Monday night, they returned for at least one week. Notice in the photo that shows the audience area, the ‘Tonight’ sound baffle panels are still on the band area wall. In the other photo, behind the camera with the lit tally lights, you can see on the floor, the outline of where the Homebase set was.
In that same photo, you can also see the huge column which supported the dimmer room, which has been removed now that ‘Tonight’ is back in 6B. Like all the other NBC studios at 30 Rock, this is a two story tall structure, except for the back rear third where the dimmer room is. You can see the end of the dimmer room just to the right of the column, but you can’t see the windows in it in this shot. Across the hall in 6A, that studio is a mirror image of B but the column is still there. I wonder if they will remove it too before Meredith Viera’s show starts there this fall?
I can answer that one, Bobby: No. The support column in 6A is quite different than the one removed from 6B. The column in 6A is actually two columns; one is concrete (possibly with a steel core inside) and the other is a small cylindrical post at the corner of the dimmer room above. But the biggest difference between 6A and 6B is the giant concrete beam along the floor that connects the studio wall with the two vertical columns in 6A. That beam is not going anywhere. I’m no structural engineer, but it may be necessary for that beam to be present. I don’t think it can be removed. In this photo, you can see the heavy concrete block column and the floor beam. The smaller round column is obscured by the ladder:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/3598441413/
Here’s the same location (mirror-image) in 6B after the dimmer room had been removed, but the steel column is still present:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/10187136926/
And finally, here’s 6B after the steel beam had been removed but before the studio was cleared for the installation of the Fallon Tonight Show set:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/10932460514/
I always liked that they parked the cameras tilting down just a bit, as to give them a rest!
Always found it amazing to have these huge open spaces, several floors up, and inside a skyscraper, especially, what, 8H?
I really love seeing all this classic photos.
I suppose the studio was gutted soon after as News Channel 4 started in ’74?
Great photos, coincidentally I so happened to have just watched a classic 1971 Tonight Show I have in my DVD collection of old American live shows just prior to seeing these pics.
Brings back memories thanks for sharing
Outstanding photos.