Idiots or is it me . It was going to be shocking. You got to get the laughs. We are not going to have sex. It is really real. I am sorry we are experiencing technicality difficulty. It is revolutionary. It completely changed my life. My experience with late Night Television was all about my relationship with my dad. My dad was a comedy haven. He would always say just watch the monologue. I understand we have this special Group Tonight of legally mothers here. A couple of old bats along also. They got a commercial. And it says lets just see. A 100yard dash. He was funny and sharp. He had this ora about him. What happens after you eat 100 yards prunes . Johnny carson was not black or white or asian or nothing, he was funny. Funny funny, i think, trumps everything. He was apart of culture. I thought Johnny Carson came with a tv set. There are rituals where every american gather around and Johnny Carson was the guy. The lights, they were bright and curtains, they were loud. And there was Ed Mcmann who was fun and Johnny Carson who was even more fun. It brought all this energy into your little room. All of a sudden, the happiest place in america was sitting At The foot of our bed. Well, lets get right into the news, nothing can be funnier than that. Johnny carson was the one that made Late Night tv important. He was the one that changed the monologue to reactions to what happened that day and it looks like according to the paper that president nixon brought an end to the war, i have only one question. Who won . Johnny created The System where he tells jokes and put it across the board and across the li lincoln studio. That coolness is unmatched. Today is the anniversary of k k custard. When he would bomb, that would be the funniest joke. You never have to worry about electrical failure because everything is built into this wonderful little freezer. There is no rewatching , if you miss it, you missed it. You wanted to see who was popular. The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson back then was the only game in town. This is a little set. Thats a tough pill to swallow ch. Swallow. It spontaneously jumped from my hand to Johnny Carsons arm and his shoulder. It had the tendency to go to its highest point. Cute little thing. Was he spitting, was that saliva. It urinated on his head. I said well, hes smart. Well, i am glad you ding bring a Baby Elephant along. One of the keys was when they return directly into the camera and stare. It felt like he was doing the take to you at home. I have never had a Baby Animal releasing himself on me ever. He was the most popular performer on television. But, he was still a loner. When i got the Job Writing for the Tonight Show, i used to watch johnny standing in the room and wait and after the theme music, Johnny Just C came hes only happy for that one hour of his day. He had a presence. It was not friendly. It was aloof. People may say oh, hes conceited or aloof. Actually it is more shy. When i am in front of an audience, i can feel comfortable. Why . I am in control. My wife didnt want to sit next to johnny At The Dinner Table because johnny would sit there and not make any conversation. Please, dont put me next to johnny. Johnny was a complicated person. He admired things that mattered to him and it was not just coffee. Off screen, he had his political point of views and it is quite liberal and progressive. By watching his show, you would not be able to figure it oit. I think it is so simple. Why aoffend any part of the Awe Y Aud audience. He made 25 of revenue for nbc. The civil Rights Movement and antivietnam war movement. Society began to change. Whats the actual technique of your meditation . The actual secret is finding the right single word to meditate. Any program that did not embrace the Counter Culture and all of these changes ran the serious risk of looking incredibly irrelevant. That word was love. The actual word was money. It would have been easy for the flame for the Tonight Show to go out in 1968. It is the most dangerous moment in Johnny Carsons regime of the Tonight Show. I hope this is flower power. [ laughter ] the light. It comes from within. It drives you. And it guides you. To shine your brightest. As you charge ahead. Illuminating the way forward. A light maker. Recognizing thAt The impact you make comes from the energy you create. Introducing the allelectric lyriq. Lighting the way. Vo Nobody dreams in conventional thinking. It didnt get us to the moon. It doesnt ring the bell on wall street. Or disrupt the status quo. Tmobile for business uses unconventional thinking to help you realize new possibilities. Like our new work from anywhere solutions, so your teams can collaborate almost anywhere. Plus Customer Experience that finds solutions in the moment. And firstclass benefits, like 5g with every plan. Network, Support And Value without any tradeoffs. Thats tmobile for business. What if younger looking skin could start at midnight . New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal. With our exclusive antioxidant complex. Reveals millions of new Skin Surface cells. Gives my skin a new beginning every night. See fewer wrinkles, firmer, radiant, youngerlooking skin. And its preferred to the 1 luxury night serum. New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal paris. Because you are worth it. When i was young nonononono please please no. I never needed anyone. Front desk. Yes, hello. Im so. Please hold. Those days are done. I got you. All by yourself. Go with us and find millions of flexible options. All in our app. Expedia. At panera, we take care of dinnertime. It matters who you travel with. We use fresh, clean ingredients expedia. To make mouthwatering masterpieces. Order our new Flatbread Pizzas for Dinner Tonight with delivery or pickup. Only at panera. We are the people. Well get to the promise land. 1968 america was a pressure cooker. One of the biggest challenges, Johnny Carson had was doing a Comedy Show in a time where the culture was changing. He had to walk this Fine Line between keeping his older and traditional audience members happy and the same time trying to keep that show relevant enough to seem like theyre not completely out of touch with reality. May we have the two washes, too. If you will just look over here of the bleer watch. We have two from the clan. Carson was an equal Opportunity Light Jab guy. I pick grand bleera. Are you the whitest . He never takes a serious controversy. Johnny was aware of all the civil Rights Stuff going on. It was painful for him. Johnny knew if he let his personal view show thAt The Tonight Show audience would be cut in half. He was in this bind. Carson was a political person. The best illustration of this was when he went to invite a substitute for him in 1968, he chose harry bellifonte. Do you believe to maintain the war in vietnam and to address ourselves fully to our domestic difficulty. Johnny carson used all kinds of Guest Hosts. Frequently they book guests that johnny would not have when he was there because they were too controversial. Ladies and gentlemen, dr. Martin luther king. Carson is making a statement without him making a statement but he made the statement in a big way. Well, i am delighted to be here, i flew out of washington this afternoon. The plane had mechanical difficulty. Carson loved watching this. Bellifonte said a lot of things he could not say. It was a volatile tide. Me lost the whole southern audience because he did that. Good night, thank you for being here. Carson was still popular. As soon as he came back, the audience came flooding back to him. Two of the guests that bellifonte interviewed had been assassinated and two months later, Robert Kennedy. When there are terrible events, Late Night is a wonderful thing to have because these are people who have a talent to say the right thing At The right time. We cant learn how to live together in this country and how well ever learn to live with anybody else in the world. It is almost as if they are speaking only to you. That stays with us especially when it comes to someone you have been with in those quiet hours when the phone does not ring and the kids are in bed and you are less likely to be fiddling with your remote control. He was friends with kennedy. Johnny carson did something that he had never done before. Thank you, for joining us tonight. We dont plan to do the usual plan tonight. The people who have been assassinated like The Kennedys and martin luther king. Carsons greatest gift was to talk to a range of people and get just about everybody on his room. Somehow Johnny Carson walked this tight rope and managed to stay relevant on either side of the late 1960s where everything changed. Thats what made him the king of Late Night. All i can say is i hope Robert Kennedy would have liked this program. Good night. Look, if your Wireless Carrier was a guy youd leave him tomorrow. Not very flexible. Not great at saving. You deserve better. Xfinity mobile. Now they have unlimited for just 30 a month. 30. And theyre number one in customer satisfaction. His number. Delete it. Im deleting it. So, break free from the big three. Xfinity internet customers, take the Savings Challenge at xfinitymobile. Com mysavings. Or Visit And Xfinity store to learn how our Switch Squad makes it easy to switch and save hundreds. Johnny carson had the field opened to himself to about 67. Other networks covered the Revenue Stream but they were all afraid to go up against Johnny Carson. Eventually they were like enough nbc raking in millions of dollars off this territory. They started putting joey bishop. Joey bishop was very different from Johnny Carson. Next week Johnny Carson may do a show just like this. Joey was in awfully bad mood. Cbs meanwhile hires Merv Griffin. He was just fun and light and fluffy. He loved everybody and he had the funniest people on. Here is woody allen. I am too cowardly to be a protest come eck. I am in favor of all those things we come to know and hate. Merv griffin despite a Milktoast Reputation was almost willing to have people on that represented aspects of the Counter Culture. In 1969 when the Merv Griffin show debuted. There is been much discussions if the papers and magazines about the threeway competition. I want to set the record straight. I think carson does a great job, bishop does a great job. We are going to try to entertain you and there is room for everybody and may the best man win. The Merv Griffin show really cuts into the audience of joey bishops show. Ladies and gentlemen, di dick cavett. Dick cavett was our first intellectual. I realized then that johnny does not have a Ram Up His what does carson does not have that a competing Talk Show can use to draw viewers away. The answer was combination of entertainment and thinking. I Cant Help noticing that you have an anteater with you. Dick cavett was one of the last great Unscripted Shows where anything can happen. I want to ask you something, are you truly idiots or is it me . Oh that was an easy answer. Tension was wonderful. Why dont you aplologize to people. I remember one show where lester maddox, The Governor of georgia, hes on with jim brown. If i call any of your Admirers Bigots who are not, apoli apolo. I offended the guests. Wait a minute, there is more time. When i envision doing a Talk Show, i never thought about what happens if there is some spectacular events going on in the world. The Democratic National Committee trying to solve the crime intruder. I will do everything in my power to ensure the guilty is brought to yus justice. I was so enchanted of watergate that i realized that i like it when the ice gets thin. Hello, i am dick cavett, i am seated now in what has been called the hottest chair in the country. Dick cavett was doing a show from the Watergate Hearing in the room. What do you sa i to the people, every administration has lied or tap wired or cheated or so and so. This one had the bad luck to get caught. I am told i am on the Nixon Tape 26 times. When i was sitting in that witness chair, i felt guilty. It is a strange feeling. Maybe the first one. Dick cavett was doing things in way that is Carson Johnson did not. We can count on cavett having somebody from watergate on. More people liked Carson And Cavett can never crack that. Hold it, hold it. Well be right back. Well be right back. What if younger looking skin could start at midnight . New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal. With our exclusive antioxidant complex. Reveals millions of new Skin Surface cells. Gives my skin a new beginning every night. See fewer wrinkles, firmer, radiant, youngerlooking skin. And its preferred to the 1 luxury night serum. New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal paris. Because you are worth it. Ok, at at T Everyone gets our best deals on all smartphones. Let me break it down. You got your new customers they get our best deals. You got your existing customers they also get our best deals. Everyone. Gets. The deals. Questions . Got it. But, why did you use a permanent marker . Because i want to make sure you remember. I am going to get a new whiteboard. Its not complicated. Only At T gives new existing customers the same great deals on all smartphones. Get up to 800 off our latest 5g smartphones. In the late 60s, television was so monochromatic. There was no color. We need a place of our own and we dont see ourselves on television. He did that on our show with a show called soul. Good evening, i am ellis. Soul is on public television which is different on whats happening on abc, nbc and cbs. Sitting with me now is james baldwin. And billy preston. We are seeing africanamerican artists and icons being themselves. What advise do you want to offer the young guys coming up that are interested in sports . Use their brains and not their fists. Soul was gorgeous. Historically a show like soul is very important. Without soul, you may not have an arsennial hall. Carson starts in 1962 and hes a huge success by 1972. In 1972, peter La Salle felt it was time to move the show to the west coast. You could get better guests out here and it was easier than New York. Johnny of course loved the lifestyle of california. That helped convince johnny it was the right move to move the show to burbank. His royalty At This point and Carsons Hair got a silver corona. Carson was the most important star in nbc, he wanted to work fewer days a week. In a weird way Johnny Carson was responsible for snl. They should show the best of the Tonight Show on Nbc And Carson was like what if we take the best of Carson And Citinste of having on Monday Night i can play tennis and relax. The ceo of nbc said i would like you to come here and help us build a new late Night Franchise on Saturday Night. It was crazy. I knew nothing about entertainment of comedy. I have been in l. A. For almost four years. Every time i worked on a pilot of some sort, it would always be, you cant do this or that. A lot of restrictrestriction. It was more a courtesy than anything else. Okay, tell me about the show. It was funny because he kept on saying, 90 minutes one time a week. We were so precious and thoughtful about what we were going to do in our one the concept was regular programming has stopped at 11 30 and these young kids have taken on the network. I think we were by definition disruptive. The network will see it the same time the audience does. I thought if i can get true to the audience thats interested in Music And Politics and films and all thats happening in 1975 would be a hit. Live from New York, it is Saturday Night live. It is so revolutionary and so anything goes. It was me trying to start laughter on sketches the audience had no idea whAt The hell we were doing. Telegram. Oh, just a moement. I love that energy and the danger of being live and it felt really cool. Hey, when i get older, i want to move to New York city. Welcome to the three televised president ial debate between President Gerald R. Ford and his challenger governor Jimmy Carter of georgia. Johnny carson did not like Saturday Night live, they did a few jokes about him and he thought it was live. Carson whos been doing the show dead for the past 15 years. He could not explain how he was going to make thAt Trans sesse transition. The sophistication there. Hes wearing a tie. And suddenly on Saturday Night live, you have Burt Reynolds looks like he was walking into 7eleven to buy beef jerky. The big revolution is very hard to explain to People Today that nobody is wearing a tie. It is 43 years later and people are still watching it. The entire time in college, D David Letterman was redefining Late Night. I thought i would never want to do the show with you. Yeah, why . Because you thought i was an watch this. Whoa the light. It comes from within. It drives you. And it guides you. To shine your brightest. As you charge ahead. Illuminating the way forward. A light maker. Recognizing thAt The impact you make comes from the energy you create. Introducing the allelectric lyriq. Lighting the way. At panera, we make dinner easy. Lighting the way. And cheesy. Order our delicious Mac And Cheese for Dinner Tonight with delivery or pickup. Only at panera. vo conventional thinking doesnt disrupt the status quo. Which is why tmobile for business uses unconventional thinking to help your business realize new possibilities. Only one 5g Partner offers unmatched network, support, and valuewithout any trade offs. When i was young nonononono please please no. I never needed anyone. Front desk. Yes, hello. Im so. Please hold. Those days are done. I got you. All by yourself. Go with us and find millions of flexible options. All in our app. Expedia. It matters who you travel with. Lash impact goes Sky High. New lash sensational Sky High mascara from maybelline New York. Limitless length plus volume. Sensational from every angle. New lash sensational Sky High mascara. Only from maybelline New York. My garden brings us together. My garden is my therapy. Find more ways to grow at miraclegro. Com. You know there is no greater thrill for me to have somebody who comes out here unknown and standing up in front of the audience. The Tonight Show with Steve Allen and broke comedians. Johnny carson took it to a different level. The early 70s if you didnt have the Tonight Show, you did not have a career in comedy. He would periodically come into The Club. Mccauley was the most powerful person in comedy because he had the ears to Johnny Carson. When he was in The Club, i would gentt nervous seeing him The Club. I still do day job, i was delivering futons. Mccauley came on The Club one night. He toll my manager lets get him on. Lets get him on. Oh, Johnny Carson wants you to do the show, really . Yes . Okay. I called my mother and i said guess what, she says what . I remember the first time i went on, it was like losing your virginity, once you Go On that wall then you are forever on that side. I always say i have two t birthdays. The day i was born and the day i did the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He turned it down and could not make it because he had to do homework. I am 18. I remember thinking what i do the next five minutes will change my life forever. I am back behind the curtains and my hands are seized up. I cant feel my hands. Theyre paralyzed with fear. It is like Sky Diving and you dont want The Go but once you are out of that plane, you cant go. You know i have been incarcerated. I dont think anything has been frightening as walking through that curtains of the Tonight Show. This is the first time, please welcome ray romano. You are walking and you are screaming you are jump out standing of the plane. First time on the Tonight Show, i am still a little bit nervous and maybe how many of you would skip this and go for coffee. Anybody at all . Johnny carson sitting there. Not a body experience. I am the only child and being latino, you are thinking thats ethically impossible. Thats you and a microphone and a spotlight. I have a real hip teacher, gives us problems that we can relate to. If bob has 100 hosts of T Twinkies how many joints did he smoke . It did not occur to me, that it could be dangerous and oh boy, i sit up front. Boom, this is so great. True, i forgot my next joke. I can remember the panic running up my spine. Things are crazy. Sooner or later theyre going to make a phone into a little microchip thaT Everyone will have it surgically implanted in their ears. It is my gold medal. It went exactly the way i thought it would go. I would never forget that moment. I finished Anda Johnny gave e one of these. I walked off like an athlete winning the super bowl. You got to be kidding me. The next day, offers stacked to the sky. Stacked to the sky. And never looked back. Outside of my kids being born and i am only saying that because you are supposed to. It was a coolest moment of my life. It was great. It was great. It was a great night. Everybody loves carson and considers him to be this really important figure in their lives. We dont hear from the female performers so i never got on the Tonight Show forever. Unbeknownst to me, helen ready was going to Guest Host. Helen said, should i put Elaine On . I hear shes great. Put her on. Would you please welcome a brandnew comedy talent. Its confusing because you do what you have to do and you come out. There is an attendant there. You come out. You have to figure this person. I have never figured out. 15 of what . I got 13 applause breaks. It was unheard of. Youre really good. Thank you. So are you. Excited . Yes. The night before i did the Tonight Show, i couldnt buy a piece of carrot cake. Two nights after i did the Tonight Show, i bought a car. I hope everybody got it. So the road to Fame And Fortune is through studio 1 in burbank where they now tape the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Jay leno is from boston, New York. He goes to l. A. And suddenly, the great Comedy Migration was on. If youre taking cosentyx and your Insurance Or Coverage changes or you need help paying cosentyx connect is here to help. Dont use if youre allergic to cosentyx. Before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory Bowel Disease symptoms develop or worsen or if youve had a vaccine, or plan to. Serious allergic reactions may occur. Call us or visit us online. Were here for you. What if younger looking skin could start at midnight . New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal. Call us or visit us online. With our exclusive antioxidant complex. Reveals millions of new Skin Surface cells. Gives my skin a new beginning every night. See fewer wrinkles, firmer, radiant, youngerlooking skin. And its preferred to the 1 luxury night serum. New age perfect Midnight Serum from loreal paris. Because you are worth it. vo conventional thinking doesnt disrupt the status quo. Which is why tmobile for business uses unconventional thinking to help your business realize new possibilities. Only one 5g Partner offers unmatched network, support, and valuewithout any trade offs. You did it. A steakhouse with a vegan menu. That serves dinner at 4 30. Personal assistance just a text away. One of the many things you could expect when youre with amex. Which shows will you be getting into tonight . How bout all of them. Netflix. Cause Xfinity gets you really into your shows. When one burns for someone who does not feel the same. Daphne, lets switch. From live tv to sports on The Go. Felix At The finish you can even watch your dvr from anywhere. Okay, thats just showing off. You get all of this on x1. So Go On, get really into your shows. You need a breath mint. Xfinity. Its a way better way to watch. In come the smart alecs. Meet the always provocative David Letterman. Letterman was always a provocative television perso personality. He came out of indianapolis. Perfect midwest. Did the weather. Portions of indiana at one time yesterday were under a flash flood warning. He had just driven out in an Orange Red Pickup Truck because he didnt think he was going to make it. His dream was to some Day Host the Tonight Show. My Best Friend says to me, i want you to see this young comedian nameD David Letterman. He says this guy is going to be the next Johnny Carson. How to lose weight without diet or exercise. Pretty much leaves disease, doesnt it . I mean, he was okay. And i said, i honestly dont see the carson thing. David letterman. David . It was fascinating watching letterman do his first Tonight Show. How to lose weight without diet or exercise. Pretty much leaves disease, doesnt it . You get it right down to he was movein ready. He was just letterman. I have a feeling you will be working a lot outside the comedy store. I hope you come back with us. Thank you. I would love to. Yeah. Well be right back. Letterman got chances because Johnny Carson, the most powerful man in television, was behind him. There was a fire and i lost like an entire set of dishes, you know . Well, you know, paper burns. And he did standup twice and then they asked him to Guest Host the show. Its quite remarkable. And now heres David Letterman he always looked like a Talk Show host. I could see that he had thAt That hosty thing. Hes the hostiest. Your tie is interesting. It looks like there was a big Remnant Sale down at carpet city. And then out of the blue, he suddenly gets a Morning Show. Its the David Letterman show. It was wildly inappropriate for the morning. Wildly inappropriate. He had to take the show because he wanted to be on television. Good morning. Good morning. Could i have the ladder, please . I thought doing a Morning Show didnt make any sense because it didnt seem to be in the time of day that i would watch a show. We had to change a bulb yesterday, and since No One Else was available, i said whAt The heck, give it to me and ill do it. Here it is. The Morning Show was largely kind of an on the air audition. It was written with his girlfriend. That Morning Show was a Crash Course in how to write a David Letterman Talk Show. She was a genius. She understood how important foolishness was. Merril marco was the soul of our show. Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. Im sorry. Were experiencing technical difficulties. It looks like minnows. The thing is full of minnows, dave. She came up with stupid Pet Tricks and viewer mail. I would like to introduce now our first pet and his owner in stupid Pet Tricks, ladies and gentlemen. History is being made here today. All the remotes. You just cant beat eating near a car or a truck or a bus. The whole show is all from her mind. If anybody had watched the show from the first day, i think they would have seen a really strange experimental evolution. Hi there. Good morning. I remember very clearly, it is my senior year in high school. Im rushing out the door. My sister, kate, yells out, get back here. Get back here. You got to see this. Get ready to enjoy the David Letterman show. Everything was off. And i was hooked. Were outside of the rca building this morning. It seemed to be building a Cult Following of sorts. But the ratings didnt seem to be that good. We came to that Show Thinking we had all of the answers, and we realized we didnt have hardly a clue. I would just make a brief announcement here and well move on. A week from friday is our last show. Weve been canceled. Thats it. And i think that cancellation probably changed him. It was a great period of anxiety for me. I was worried that i would never get another shot. He was not at all happy. He thought his career was over. Xxxxx. When we see the Old Black And White movies of the fight for civil rights, it is easy to forget that we are still right in the middle of it. But racists took an offering on to the information super highway. This is not just an episode of television. This is a recruitment video. Black folks, we need you to be scientists, technologists, engineers, mathematicians and future imagine nay tors. We have these already, but we need a lot more. It is like John Lewis said