August 19, 2002

12:40 AM

The Johnny Carson website, where many episodes are for sale on VHS. Bad news: It will cost me about $3,000 to collect all the Albert Brooks appearances. This week they're playing a (quicktime) monologue from 1977. Anybody else got the warm fuzzies for Johnny?
posted by luser (13 comments total)

Just realized that Albert Brooks link was a deeplink, such a no-no. Go in the front door, great site.
posted by luser at 12:53 AM on August 19, 2002

Johnny was definitely a class act. He was a good interviewer, an excellent comedian, and he seemed like an all-around nice guy. His presence on the airwaves is sorely missed.
posted by omarr at 12:58 AM on August 19, 2002

Apparently he is also an excellent archer, for I have a tape of the 1950's and 1960's panel show "I've Got A Secret" where a very young Johnny shoots an apple off Garry Moore's head with beautiful precision (The show was taped on 8/19/1959. Gosh the internet is sure amazing!)
posted by evanizer at 1:46 AM on August 19, 2002

Johnny was definitely a class act.

Wayne Newton would disagree.
posted by MrBaliHai at 5:48 AM on August 19, 2002

A couple years ago, I was talking about Carson with a friend of mine, and he had a great idea (for which I will now take the credit):

The Carson Channel. On cable.

Show Carson repeats, and other talk shows (like Merv, Mike Douglas, etc.), and tag them with the date they originally aired, maybe even with some teasers like Robert Osborne does for AMC.
posted by ebarker at 6:06 AM on August 19, 2002

Carson was an important part of my kidhood. Yeah, Letterman was edgy, but something about that Malibu cool just sat well with me. I attribute it to having parents that were married just around the start of the Kennedy era, so even though I was a child of the 80s, there was a late 50s / early 60s vibe around the house. I could dig the new artists that would show up on the Tonight Show, but I knew the Vic Damones and Buddy Hacketts, so there wasn't a thing lost on me. I really miss that show. 11:30pm just is not the same without that theme song.

If only I could have a time travelling Tivo....
posted by grabbingsand at 6:16 AM on August 19, 2002

Great idea, ebarker. The only issue I see is getting clearances from all the guests.

Talk shows have changed so much since the "golden age" -- it's now all about plugging product and feeding the guests openings for their canned bits. Jiminy Glick excepted, of course. Johnny, Merv, Dick Cavett -- those guys had the luxury of carrying on an actual conversation, where you got to know the guest a bit.
posted by luser at 6:20 AM on August 19, 2002

I was never a big Carson fan (too young I suppose), but when you consider the monster ratings he got you have to laugh at the puny numbers Leno/Letterman bandy about. Johnny's the King.

Of course, Conan is the Clown Prince.
posted by owillis at 6:35 AM on August 19, 2002

Carson can make me laugh with just a look. You know, when he would just kind of glance at the camera with that quietly exasperated expression? None of the current hosts can even touch that level of subtlety.
posted by whatnot at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2002

Carson showed the way without doubt. No carson, not letterman, no letterman, no conan.
posted by justgary at 9:59 AM on August 19, 2002

It seems everytime I hit one of those sites that allowed you to see what celebrities share your birthday - it was just Johnny Carson (October 23)
posted by vacapinta at 12:16 PM on August 19, 2002

A sidenote regarding Albert Brooks. I'm not sure how many folks are aware that Brooks had to change his last name for show business.

He was born "Albert Einstein."
posted by NedKoppel at 12:43 PM on August 19, 2002

vacapinta - don't forget Weird Al Yankovic and Pelé! I agree, though, the 10/23 list could stand to have more company.
posted by madprops at 2:40 PM on August 19, 2002