 After "The Tonight Show" moved from New York to California in May  1972, Carson took Monday nights off and the show would be hosted by  a guest performer. Until Joan Rivers (qv) became "permanent guest  host" in September 1983, the most frequent of these "guest hosts"  were: Joey Bishop (qv) (177 times) Joan Rivers (qv) (93 times)  Bob Newhart (qv) (87 times) John Davidson (II) (qv) (87 times)  David Brenner (I) (qv) (70 times) McLean Stevenson (qv) (58  times) Jerry Lewis (I) (qv) (52 times) David Letterman (qv) (51  times)