Johnny Carson on "David Letterman Show" part 1. 1985

[TheWolfhond13]

what a great man Johnny Carson was he was the best

[xander7ful]

Johnny Carson should have insisted on Letterman taking over for him, instead of just expressing his wishes to a few people. Nobody respects Leno for the way he campaigned for the job or for his mediocre talent. It's a shame that the suits at NBC won't admit their mistake and make things right.

[sevadaj]

There will never be another Johnny Carson!

[poissonnoir]

i won't hit the "Like" button. Is there a "Love" or "Absolutely Adore" button?

Two comic greats who obviously like each other so much.

[bensdadfrank]

Now that's entertainment.

[observer9670]

The similarities between Johnny and Dave are remarkable. Both were from the Midwest, both were from middle-class families, both were "middle" children, both had older sisters, both started out in local radio and TV and both had prime-time shows they were in cancelled and then went on to game shows before hitting it big. 

[observer9670]

Nobody can ever say they heard Johnny Carson say "I want Dave to take over the show when I retire". He never said it to anyone. It's probably true, since Johnny was very complimentary to Dave. But Johnny would not get involved in the succession controversy. He sold back to NBC his post-retirement ownership rights to the Tonight Show a few years before he actually retired.

[zufgh]

@observer9670 Have you not read the book on the Late Night wars? Various people have vouched that Carson personally told them that Letterman was to follow, You're right that he wouldn't get involved though.

[TheHockeyCentral]

Johnny's laugh is infectious.

[SuperRocktron]

Did you catch Eddie Van Halen jammin with the band! very cool

[MultiBudboy]

Shit sound quality for such an important event.

[PettyPettyWoodChuck]

Yeah that's not dave's mom, she has such a distinctive voice and that aint it

[CptSpauIding]

the phone call seems fake but whatever

[newt0830]

that was van halen in the band!!

[skers316]

its ironic, at 1:30 - 1:33, johnny says that in 20 years letterman will have that big of a desk, it is sad to know just 20 years later Johnny would pass away, and Letterman is so big now.

[ineedausernamenow999]

johnny said not to say anything dave! dave looked so embarressed haha

[ineedausernamenow999]

johnny said not to say anything dave!

[nailers99]

How could anyone dislike this?

[tony46214]

you learn from the master...and Carson was indeed the master.....Letterman learned a lot from Carson and that is why he is the best.....

[scottvska]

What a plug.

[33rdPatriot]

problem is, turns out, unpasteurized milk ain't as evil as they played it up as. see not milk dot com

[inrwizards]

6 40

i believe it was leno who hoped for that

[ff7masta]

Osama is dead.

[pretorious700]

Johnny was incredible

[AvantTrash]

Greatest Nebraskan that ever lived.

[iceaxe56]

@AvantTrash was he the only nebraskan that ever made it.

[DankWin]

"son!"

lmfao

[Lvduggo69]

True friends ! Why didn't Johnny go on jays show ? Cause jay is a fuckhead back stabber.

[KaptKan1]

Johnny was a nervous guest! How ironic!

[UglyBetty70]

Epic(lol)

[triumphant2]

"Another 20 years, you'll have this desk." Whoops.

[quattroday]

Holy crap, Eddie Van Halen is sitting in with the band.

[Bagelbutcher]

David Letterman should be hosting the Tonight Show right now, instead of that inbred Leno.

[Longsleeeves]

@lukeallyn It's true he's been quoted saying he thought David was a more superior successor than Leno and not only that he used to send Letterman jokes because he got a kick out of hearing him use them in his openning

[lukeallyn]

@1:29 you can see Jonny wanted Dave to be his era apparent.

[KevinGillese2]

Eddie Van Halen.

[OnTrack0901]

i cant believe jay leno has his job, not american but knew who mr. carson was but only found all these clips on youtube.... pure genius

[talall2000]

davied still using this shit calling his mother

[arleto3]

wow Carson was a great host and a great guest

[szqsk8]

LOL! El Monte....

[sevadaj]

Johnny Carson was the best! R.I.P. Johnny.

[soxhata]

To anyone who only knows Letterman and Leno and maybe,cough.Arsenio,Chevy<and Magic-Carson ruled for 20 odd years-HAIL TO THE KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kenytco68]

Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Eddie Van Halen... the good ole days.

[KaraBear567]

Wow - Paul had hair! 

[batrama310]

Any idea why it says El Monte in the back?

[MegaObserver1]

@batrama310 Dave was doing a special week of shows from California. The obvious thing would have a set with the famous "Hollywood" sign.  But Dave never went for the obvious, so they used a different LA suburb. As a parody. El Monte is a working class area, about as different from Hollywood as there is!

[batrama310]

@MegaObserver1 Wow, I had no idea. El Monte is east of Hollywood so it made me wonder why he would do that of all places, thanks. 

[Hairylegs25]

You see that! Johnny liked to do things off the cuff. That was the secret to his success. And that's what we're missing in today's TV. 

[Balin93]

Cool. The band with 80s clothes, and Paul has hair! I remember this like it was yesterday.

[mewiet]

"In twenty years you will have this desk."

I think that says it all right there. Johnny Carson wanted and expected Dave to inherit TTS when he retired.

[SuperNinja147]

Oh, Jesus - that folding desk is brilliant! I'd never seen this interview before. Man, I miss Johnny, I hate that Dave didn't take over for him, and now I hate how they treated Conan. The Tonight Show has been mishandled for almost 20 years and there's no end in sight.

[Bidil6]

Letterman has become too too political telling us his political views all the time. It doesn't matter what his political party is I just don't wish to hear about it. We turn on letterman to escape the realities and instead what we get is more of the same political realities. Then of course jay leno is no longer funny anymore. It's as if all his jokes just dried up and left. Bob mahar is humorless because his entire show is political. Letterman leno and the other guy in new York are has beens.

[richie8811]

hahahaaha Johnny asked about the 11:30 slot. didn't expect that cheeky move XD

[clintbronson5]

Johhny rules!

[DarbyB]

Eddie Van Halen was there. No wonder.

[MegaObserver1]

"You met my mom"..."About 38 years ago?"

[mjbab73]

Leno turned what was once gold into dirt. Watch Letterman!...Johnny would have.

[bobolob]

Johnny did.

[tommyrock69]

Johnny obviously wanted Letterman to take the torch. NBC made a serious mistake and now, David still wins.

[dasmackman]

I remember this skit i was watching it in my dorm room, thanx for the memories!

[DrDroXX]

Comedic dialogue and perfect timing, nobody but Johnny and Dave could pull that off. Excellent.

[gothamjediknight]

remember these days, when it was Johnny, then Dave on NBC, we didnt know how good we had it

[DrDroXX]

AMEN!!! These guys are cut from a different cloth. Both first class. That desk bit was brilliant!!!

[kstarpictures]

@gothamjediknight Better than Jay and Fallon. Can't stand Jay, and Fallon is lukewarm. And this is coming from a 24 year old. Wish I could have been around in the 80's. I've always been a fan of Letterman.

[andyrooney12]

@gothamjediknight

People 20 years from now will be saying the same thing about Jay Leno & Conan O'Brien.

[kjell1632]

@andyrooney12 About Conan yes, no way people say that about Leno.

[KellyGreen5555]

@andyrooney12 People will be saying what in 20 years?

[bandit9874]

Eddie Van Halen sitting in......

[KennethKaniffFromCT]

great stuff

[newman20072008]

Mr Carson GOD of talk shows

[RetroBoyWontDie]

This is absolutely '85, you can tell by Letterman's "hair"; prophetic words by Johnny about 11:30; yes, Dave's mom sounded about 15 years old, lmaooo!!!

[ezplosion]

This is Late Night. I think the actual year was 1995.

[318joe]

It is Late Night, but it can't be 1995. He started the Late Show in 1993.

[phiberoptikcable]

1985

[stephenmyers99]

this stuff is gold, GOLD I TELL YOU!

[rumpole33]

carson seemed to like letterman better than leno. i also think carson wanted letterman to get the TS hosting job rather than leno.

[themooddisorders]

@rumpole33 :)

[dkmoney007]

@rumpole33 Carson was very direct about how he wanted Letterman to take over the show and was disappointed by NBC's choice of Leno.

[meanwiddlekid]

@rumpole33

Ya think?

[dbreiden83080]

@rumpole33

He and Dave were friends and he did want him to get the job.. He felt Dave had paid his dues and should take over for him..

[KellyGreen5555]

@rumpole33 Carson and Letterman were great friends and Carson thought so highly of Letterman that he wanted Dave to take over The Tonight Show. Sadly, the NBC suits prevented it.

I also don't think Leno or Conan O'Brien belong behind Carson's desk...it's a bad joke. Blame Jeff Zucker for the latest Leno/Conan screw up.

[CainmosniMirrored]

@KellyGreen5555 How do you know what Johnny thought of Dave? Were you a personal friend? I doubt it. Anything that was said after he died is purely speculation and not provable.

[KellyGreen5555]

@CainmosniMirrored

You're the blinkered idiot (born in 1984) who just replied the same garbage to another comment of mine.

You wrote that Carson was "an old relic" so you know and care nothing about the man. Why waste your time littering the comments section on a subject you fail in? You should be fit for a dunce cap pronto.

[CainmosniMirrored]

@KellyGreen5555 At least I don't delude myself.

[rumpole33]

carson had more grace than leno. carson didnt tell nbc to give him a lead-in show at 10p when leno started hosting the TS.

nor did carson fight to get back the 11:35p spot in order to kick leno's TS gig to the next day at 12:05am.

leno is now spinning it like he had no choice - as if it was all the fault of the nbc execs. BULLCRAP.

leno had a choice. he chose to be a greedy, lying thief.

[rivercraig]

@rumpole33 Carson left because he wanted to retire on top, Leno was moved to 10pm because NBC didn't want to lose Conan or Leno so they kept Conan happy by giving him the tonight show and convinced Leno to stay by giving him 10pm.

The shows don't work out probably because they only gave them 7 months and in an effort to keep them both happy they lose Conan and Leno is back in the Tonight show go figure.

[ProveItsReal]

6:48

relevant to today!

[sevadaj]

R.I.P. Johnny, you are dearly missed!

[joe007ofrock]

Is this his old morning show or Late Night

[leroyinc]

This is "Late Night."

[bloddyslayer]

WTH that was van halen?

[starbuck17]

love dave's reaction to saying the name johnny carson. he's the greatest! after carson that is...

[Qermaq]

heh.... not really his mom, but funny

[davedropd1]

I don't miss that pedifile jackson AT ALL....I always REALLY MISS jOHNNY!!!

[num1Jaysta]

Fuck off with your BS hate!

[bobolob]

I bet Carson banged a lot of interns. That's right I said it. I mean that in a positive sense, he was the MAN! David Letterman should have gotten "The Tonight Show" too.

[mooreentstudios]

Amen!

[dialblova]

FUCK YES....LENO IS STUPID

[bobolob]

Apparently now NBC thinks so too. There are rumors about his show being canceled and Conan being kicked off The Tonight Show... And possibly Leno doing some random half hour show during the original first hour of the Tonight Show and Conan going on a half an hour later.

[dialblova]

@bobolob UPDATE.....LENO IS NOW DOUCHE STATUSSSSSSSSSS

I cant believe letterman did that commerical......

i guess he got over it....the only thing "worth" watching is jimmy kimmel or jimmy fallon....everything else sucks....

i wish tv was like the old days.....

[bobolob]

@dialblova

I don't watch much of anything these days.

I still prefer Letterman over all of them though.

What commercial are you referring to? Or

is there something in the video I forgot?

[dialblova]

@bobolob superbowl commercial with him, leno, and oprah....

[bobolob]

I clearly missed that one. They must have been a LOT of money.

[at1212b]

mannn, this is just classssic!

[ThinlyVeiledMetaphor]

This was a better time.

[LightningJanitorial]

I hate to be old and melancholy as well, but I couldnt agree with you more.

There was and never will be another Johnny Carson. God i miss him on TV, and watching Johnny and Dave late night with my dad.

[ThinlyVeiledMetaphor]

It was actual late-night TV... relaxed and witty and easy and comfortable. Today it's all hype and the audiences cheer wildly and applaud at every little thing, no matter what's going on. Johnny and even Dave back then would sometimes have a joke die and their reactions would be funnier than any joke they could've written. It used to be real.

[bobolob]

It's still the same with Dave today. I love it!

[babyfm]

Paul and "The Band" were much better back in '85.

[sevadaj]

R.I.P. Johnny, you are dearly missed.

[bobolob]

So maybe they were trying to elude here that Mr. Carson is Dave's dad? (at the end)

[q89747]

'allude'

[bobolob]

Thanks, DAD!

The price to pay for trying to use a homophonic word. I know the different between accept and except and even effect and affect. Are you proud of me?

[battalions3]

Late show with David Letterman and the host of Tonight Show Johnny Carson...

Funny with Class.

Immitate but, never duplicate

[paultheeggman]

Johnny tells the punchline to the joke. Does anyone know what the set -up to the joke was?

[HottBoi90210]

on this is classic. in '85, Letterman wanted Carson's 11:30 time slot, but he finally got it in '93 on another network.

[benputz]

it should have been the Tonight Show with David Letterman

[maroonoasis]

hell yeah

[Billzor69]

@benputz

Carson did want Letterman.

[hgates101]

@benputz Im with you on that one!

[MJG956]

@benputz Yes! I thought that Letterman should have got the takeover rights of the Tonight Show,not Leno. I think that David Letterman showed them for overlooking His raw charismatic talents,by getting his own show.

[TheAllKnowingTribute]

not to mention keeping it going for as long as it has beating Leno and Conan.

[goesdownsinging]

@TheAllKnowingTribute You are mistaken, Letterman has not won a ratings season over Jay Leno since 1995. Though he has an outside shot at winning the current one.

[bwahahachick]

@benputz What a great title that would have been.

[MegaObserver1]

@benputz And Dave should be thankful it wasn't. By going to CBS he got a lot more money, ownership of the show and he gets to stay as long as he wants. CBS isn't trying to push him out, like they did with first Leno and then O'Brien. CBS lets Dave do HIS show, the way he wants to do it, and they didn't pressure him, even after he fell to #2 in the late night ratings,

[inrwizards]

@MegaObserver1 by they u mean nbc

[stockinettestitch]

@benputz Absolutely! I've read and heard so often that Leno and his mgr were the ones behind his retiring when he did.

[mjbab73]

@stockinettestitch Johnny probably would have retired not too long after anyways, but it's shitty that NBC pushed him out because of Kirshner and Leno. They should have let Johnny go out when he was ready.

[Powderwombat]

@mjbab73 He didn't get pushed out, he gave it up.

[mjbab73]

@Powderwombat He gave it up with a big nudge from Helen Kushnick.  We'll never know exactly if Johnny was ready to retire or not.

[mistalizad]

My first thought was that Johnny was getting out his *cell phone* from his pocket.

Wow.

Epic fail on my part.

[simpsonsfan89]

@mistalizad did cell phones even exist back in 1985? I know car phones were around but cell phones?

[U3X6785]

Great stuff. I miss Johnny Carson.

[labrown9]

is that eddie van halen in the band?

[CusterFlux]

nobody else has that tone ... yeup, it's him.

[kyokogodai]

Oh yeah, it is!!

[rkau8671]

This is sooooooo awesome!!!!!!

[bagladey]

I love both Johnny and Dave. This is priceless footage. Thank you isobari for posting this.

[Alirezajazayeri]

two of the best in history chating ..