Johnny Carson

[S&W45Colt]

Does anybody else miss Johnny's Tonight Show?

Maybe it's me, but I miss Johnny. I saw a special on him recently, it reminded me how much I missed him. His departure from TV left a hole that I don't think will ever be filled, certainly not by Leno etc, it was almost like losing a friend.

 

[jinx]

I didn't miss many of his shows. He was the best.

 

[427mach1]

I watched him for many years and have missed his show since it went off the air. He had some big shoes to fill and I don't think any of the current talk show hosts can match him. They each have their qualities, but none are overall as good as Carson.

 

[bluegrassarms]

Carson was special. It was a national shared experience, like baseball when it was truly the national past time. As a comedian, actor, public figure, you knew you'd "made it" when you were on Carson.

The way entertainment is today I doubt we ever again see a show or entertainer that is so ubiquitous in our culture, and it will be a long time before we see an entertainer so perfected in his skill.

Every now and again I cue up some youtube bits from the show, esp. when he had on some of his closer friends like Buddy Hackett or Bob Newhart. Also the Tea Time movie skits, which are classics. "Drive till you get to the Schlausen cutoff, get out of your car, cut off your schlausen"...

 

[vytoland]

johnny carson was a master at his trade. NONE of what is on today could hold a candle to him.

 

[max]

He was the best.

 

[Rgoodwin]

First time I saw Steve Martin was on Johnny Carson's show. My dad let my little brother and I stay up to watch. We were in stitches and so was J.C.

 

[mc5aw]

Here's a tribute piece from the archive:

Heeeere's to Johnny...: Johnny Carson, 1925-2005 | PopMatters

 

[radar1972]

If you get TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on cable or satellite, Conan O'Brien has been hosting some classic Johnny highlights from the old Tonight Shows. Mondays at 8:00pm EDT. Good stuff.

 

[shouldazagged]

I miss him a lot. I have never thought Leno was funny or that good an interviewer, and Letterman isn't much better. Carson could be wicked but never, ever mean-spirited. He made his guests look good--having him collapse in his chair laughing launched many a young comedian.

I haven't seen anyone to equal him. When Steve Allen had his show many years ago it often was wonderful stuff. Dick Cavett was a fine interviewer. But Carson had it all.

 

[Engine 21]

Johnny Carson was the King of Late Night- everyone else pales in comparison.

 

[BigCityChief]

I enjoyed Johnny Carson from childhood into adulthood. He came into our living room 5 nights/week and we laughed with him. He made us feel as if we really knew him. I miss him too.

 

[HalfStack]

Yeah, I missed Johnny Carson, I missed Steve Allen too. They were the kings and I watched them ever since I was a Kid.

 

[walkin jack]

The original Tonight Show host was Steve Allen. He always made me nervous. I was just a kid and my parents loved him so I watched it with them when they'd let me stay up.

When Steve left a nobody from nowhere named Jack Parr took over. It took me about 15 minutes to wish I had Steve back. Jack was a crybaby and had no humor and no personality. He was a world class wimp. The night he said the words "water closet" on the air and the network cut him off he quit with big tears in his eyes. He was pathetic.

Then we got Johnny Carson. He was a class act the like of which we are not likely to see again. I kind of got used to Jay Leno...a little bit. He had a few good features on his show but he isn't a patch compared to Carson.

Carson had the best guests and the best gags and the most humor and the most class.

Letterman is a dork. his humor is stupid (Will it float? ) and As far as O'Brien if it wasn't for the stupid haircut he'd be totally forgetable and Kimmel IS totally forgetable. I may not be the best judge of anything but I do know what's funny and what's not and these guys are NOT.

I will always remember the last Carson show. One of his good friends, Bette Middler, sang a song to him, "Gimme One Drink For My Baby and One More For The Road...." The friendship and affection between those two was memorable

 

[chief38]

CARSON was the BEST and there will never be another Carson IMHO.

 

[Jst1mr]

I used to love when they had various animals on the show - Johnny always seemed nervous around animals, and of course they would react accordingly. Johnny had a gift - he was funny even when he wasn't funny...I doubt we will ever see his equal.

 

[yaktamer]

As Carnac:

"Siss, boom, bah."

"Describe the sound of a sheep exploding."

 

[jaykellogg]

Carson was a class act. Johnny had running gags about Wayne Newton. Finally, Newton confronted Johnny and told him the series of gags was harming his career. Carson discontinued the gags. Now an awful lot of the jokes are political and most of those have a left slant.

When Jack Paar was taken off the air for the joke "The Wayside Chapel" I was in High school. My Civics class was taught by the coach and he told the class that my mother had told him that joke and he didn't consider it off color. The entire class turned their heads and looked at me. Jeeze!

 

[Jst1mr]

As Carnac:

"Siss, boom, bah."

"Describe the sound of a sheep exploding."

More Karnac:

A: "Yassir Arafat"
Q: What's the sound made when Dolly Parton removes her bra?


A: "Zippo Marx"
Q: What do you get when something gets caught in your zippo?

Classic!

 

[mkk41]

As risqué as Johnny was back in his day , he'd be too clean in today's TV world.

Face it , TV today is downright filthy compared to the 1970s-1980s.

I still like Leno's show. His monologue , Headlines , Jaywalking.