Danny Blankenship
I over the years may have watched from time to time "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" on a rare occasion when I would set up perhaps from not having school or being on school break, yet mostly my mom made me go to bed. Still thru classic footage and clips and old rerun shows on digital TV I've saw some episodes of Johhny Carson. And his show was a delight a treat the man was very funny and wise as the skits on his show were thoughtful and well done and his sidekick Ed MacMahon was always a good buddy what more can you say Carson ruled the late night airwaves for right at thirty years. Johnny helped pave the way for Jay Leno and David Letterman as they made appearances on his show many times doing stand up and even guest hosting when Johnny was out or away. And the guests of Carson were always A list from Hollywood's best, and he had sports and political figures on and many of today's well known comedian's got their first light of the TV camera on his show. So anytime you see an episode your looking at TV history and pop culture entertainment at it's best.
ajlposh
This show is downright hilarious! Johnny Carson is the funniest comedian ever! Period. You have to love Johnny. The moments on his show can't be beat. Ed Ames' tomahawk toss, Don Rickles breaks Johnny's cigarette box, Bob Hope's stand-up act about Johnny, the spoofs of Mr. Rogers, Walter Cronkite, and Tarzan, and many, many more. However, I wasn't even a year old when Johnny retired, so I didn't get to see him on NBC. But I have DVDs featuring highlights of his show which are hilarious. They ought to show reruns on E or TV Land or somewhere. I mean this is the King of Late Night, the Silver Fox,America's King of Comedy for 30 years. As my title of this review says, "Funny+Awesome+Classic=Johnny Carson." No matter what anyone says no one will be better than Johnny. No one! Not at all!
TxMike
We all received the sad news today that Johnny Carson, in his 80th year of life, died today. Carson had long been retired from his Tonight Show, a show taken over capably by Jay Leno. But there never was anyone like Johnny Carson, and there may never be.What I most liked about Johnny was his humble approach to his show. He opened with a monologue, he told his jokes plainly and simply, and waited for the laughter. It usually came. Some times it didn't. When the laughs did not come, he took on that familiar sad look of his, and that became the joke.I was a working person during the run of his show, but Johnny Carson's tonight show was one that I often stayed up late for, it was that good. When the show was still in New York, he of course told New York jokes. One I remember vividly was during one particular cold winter, Johnny simply said, "It was really cold today." Ed McMahon, his trusty sidekick, asked, "How cold was it?" Johnny answered, "It was so cold today, a cab driver was saying something to a pedestrian and his middle finger froze." Another I remember was, when doing his 'Carnac' routine, the answer was "Four on the floor." The question was, "Describe two 80-year old topless go-go dancers." Johnny of course went to Los Angeles, and there the show took on another dimension. Johnny was quite a prankster, and played a good one on Ed McMahon, not as part of the Tonight Show, but funny anyway. Ed was "set up" by placing some studio property in the trunk of his car. Leaving the studio, guards made a random trunk check, and "discovered" the stolen property. Johnny Carson actually dressed up as one of the guards, Ed McMahon was so flustered, declaring his innocence, it didn't even register to him that he was face to face with his boss!! But the best thing I liked about Johnny Carson was his interview style. He was the best ever. He would ask a question then shut up and let the guest talk. He didn't have a big ego, like many current TV personalities, and try to show how much he knew. He simply let the other person talk.Farewell and Godspeed, Johnny Carson.
John Langbein (medrjel)
As great as Steve Allen and Jack Paar were, Carson took the ball, reshaped it, and sent it in for a shot heard round the world. There is a reason he hosted the show for 30 years, 4 times longer than his 2 predacessors behind him. He was brilliant at making anyone seem interesting. Steve could do it, and so could Jack (though not as well from what I've seen), but Johnny really had a grasp of finding the way to question people to fit their response style. He really was the first true King of Late Night. If others say it's Paar or Allen, then I say Carson became Emporer!The skits were done cheaply, but they were so much fun, you laughed with them, not at them.Originally, the Carson's show was 90 minutes, and it was trimmed to 60 in the early 80's since he felt he could not keep the level up like he had in the past, which made the way for David Letterman. Thank You Johnny!
