And you realize, the power of these shows to inform and to uplift. You want the truth . You cant handle the truth. To engage with issues that affect society. So, here we go. Syria. To be completely disruptive. To be a distinctlyamerican art form. You are watching a badLate Night, tvtalk show. Its exciting. Its electric. You are correct, sir. Its a part of american culture. Prepare to have your minds blown. I am happy to be able to report to you, today, that the State Of The Union continues to be good. So heres the that cost its happy owners just 9,000. Enjoy real Bigpicture Television at smallpicture price. 1950s The Year Zero for latenight television. In those days, the ownership of Television Sets wasnt widespread. Growing up in nebraska, i thought television will, eventually, come. Networktelevision shows all ended around 11 00. Well, i cant imagine not being able to turn on a tv and see something that is so crazy to me. Thered be a flag waving. It would go to a test pattern, for about30 seconds. And then, it would go, pshhhh. Late night began, as a way to kill time. It was the networks realizing, lets kick the football, a little further down the road. And see what happens at 11 30. Sort of a novelty, and it was cheap. And who is going to care . If all you have to do is be better than a test pattern, the bar was so low, they literally could have done anything. The only thing you are fighting is sleep, at that point. Anything to keep people awake. Its like you buy a house. And then, you realize theres just this big space in the attic. The stakes are low. Renovate it. Let the kids put a Hockey Table in there. Who cares . Thats how Late Night got started. Lets do these programs late at night to fill up time, to sell advertising. All the big, primetime, Network Shows had sponsors that bought the whole show. Sparkling pepsi. So, Late Night is completely new and fresh. You are not going to get, in one advertiser, to step up and say, yeah, i will pay for 90 minutes. And the man who gets credit for seeing the ludicrousness of this formula was a real pioneer. Im Pat Weaver. Ah, sylvester Pat Weaver. Head of programming of nbc. This is my office. Room 610 here at nbc. Instead of having one Company Sponsor the whole show, we could get multiple companies to sponsor parts of the show. So, that was a revolutionary, and new shift, which started a new show. The Twohour Morning Show called today. Well, here we are. Good morning to you. What i suspect will be a great many good mornings between you and i. And suddenly, it became this moneymaker. So, it was natural that Pat Weaver would say, okay, this is working at the beginning of the day. Why dont we make it work, at the end of the day . Of course, the title, appropriately, today. And tonight. You are here today in the today studio, in fact. They thought, well, who do we get to host it . Its not as though moses same down and said thats how latenight comedy had to be. Somebody had to figure that out. Found this guy named Steve Alan. Steve alan was the first guy to do everything. Everything you think is innovative now. Its like, its been done. Steve alan had been hosting a Latenight Radio Show here in los angeles. When you have to fill time on radio, live radio, you really have to experiment, a lot. Steve just took a Hand Mic out into the audience and just interviewed people there for the whole show. What is your name, sir . Fred collins, grand rapids, michigan. A rather long name. Where are you from, mr. Michigan . Got bigger laughs interviewing them, than he ever had interviewing his usualguest stars and thought, i found something here. And he had that luxury of years of experimenting in radio. To put the pieces in place, that would become the basic grammar of latenight television. We have a few warriors here. Congratulations on your new show. We feel like you definitely belong in radio. I think my father was excited but i think he was also anxious. He wrote a somewhat legendary memo to Pat Weaver, the president of nbc, saying i know youd like me to do more News And Weather and sports like you do on the today show. Im a comedian. From new york city, the national Broadcasting Company presents, tonight, starring Steve Alan. The Tonight Show was live. He wouldnt have that Safety Net that, if something went wrong, they could stop tape and fix something. There was something about it being in new york city. Appealing that there was this place and these people. And it was, in its own way, kind of glamorous. Whose idea was that having me jump through that old kleenex there . Did you think this was going to be the start of something big, to borrow a phrase . In all honesty, bob, i didnt. None of us connected with that show ever saw it as a capital b, capital d, big deal. Boy, you think youre tired now. Wait till you see 1 00 roll around. Tonight introduced the desk. It was comedy. It was sketches. It was standup. It was musical performances. You may call me by the name the other War Fighters have given me. Whats that . El chicken. Oh. The big risk is Steve Alan. The Tonight Show that steve did was shambles. I dont know what the heck we are doing here. There is no script. It is just a schedule. He adlibs for 90 minutes. I know this is probably a sensitive point with you, but i i have a sort of a rundown of show here. Well, good. And i better go, now. Late night is inherently experimental because its so late at night. After midnight, we dont let it all hang out. I just loved Steve Alan because he was unpredictable, crazy. And he did these bits that were really funny. And loose. What do you want me to say . I dont want you to say anything. I just want you to sit there and laugh. Turns out, people loved it. They loved the spontaneity of a scriptless program. The cameramen are abandoning ship. The second half of the 50s, we had sitcoms, a lot of variety. The formats were kind of fusty and old. Then, suddenly, Steve Alan, just joyous time killing, complete anarchy. Here we go. The Tonight Show is a big leap into the unknown. But Steve Alan didnt just leap, he leapt covered with tea bags. This is andy, my schwab financial consultant. Heres andy listening to my goals and making plans. This is us talking taxsmart investing, managing risk, and all the Ways Schwab can help me invest. This is andy reminding me how i can keep my investing costs low and that theres no fee to work with him. Heres me learning about schwabs satisfaction guarantee. Accountability, i like it. So, yeah. Andy and i made a good plan. Find your own andy at schwab. A modern approach to wealth management. Someday ill ask you a question find your own andy at schwab. That will change me forever. time after time begins to play softly yes. time after time continues to play softly start your someday with a ring from the neil lane collection. Available at Kay Burke Phone it in to 1800farmers and you could get all sorts of Home Policy perks like the claimfree discount. Go three years without a claim and get a discount. neighbor just by phoning it in . burke just Phone It in. painter 1 yeah, just Phone It in and save money for being claimfree. neighbor even if i switch to Farmers Today . painter 2 yep, three years claimfree with any home insurance. painter 3 im phoning it in and saving money for literally doing nothing. burke get your Policy Perks by calling 1800farmers. Go ahead, Phone It in. Grandpa Phone it in, why dont ya . at capella university, we know Bu Smart comes in many forms. Good boy so we made flexpath the kind of smart that keeps up with you. With flexpath, you can earn your Masters Degree in 14 months for 14,000. Thats the kind of smart i like. Capella university dont just learn. Learn smarter. Life. Doesnt stop for diabetes. Be ready for every moment, with glucerna. Its the number one doctor recommended brand that is scientifically designed to help manage your blood sugar. Live every moment. Glucerna. Every Day Unilever does good for communities across america. Every squeeze every smile every drop every style every spray every bubble every day dove, suave hellmanns donate everyday products to local communities. Every Day U does good. Unilever Late Night, you can have as much fun as you want because children arent watching. There really was a sense that, wow, youd never see that from 8 00 to 11 00. Versus what we call the push technique. Its very gentle. There is no, whack, right in the face. Its just a nice, easy push. Look at the Steve Alans whole career. It was a certain subversive sensibility. It was the idea of doing things that, in some sense, didnt really belong on television. Theres one more technique. Theres the sneaky Johnny Wilson technique. Oh, i see. Steve alan, despite being on this majortelevision network, was almost considered underground. He was almost considered, like, a seek cret handshake. Johnny wilson, you are going to get it tonight. If you went to Steve Alan, and you knew what was up, you were cool. He was really hip and funny. But he was so straight and that you didnt see it coming. We are going to pass out bars of soap. All, take a community shower, right now. Steve alan was the generator of a lot of ideas that were way ahead of its time. Several critics, through the years, called my father the mostimitated man in television because many of the early experiments he made were often used and developed by other comedians, to great effect. And here he is now. The question man. Like, the question man. Where he would provide the question to an answer. Buffalo bills. The question . When you buy a buffalo, what do you get at the first of the month . Johnny did a later version. Sis boom ba. Sis boom ba. Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes. Steve alan is the guy who basically is credited with inventing the man on the street pieces. Looks like, what, is it a camera. He found humor on the street just as Jay Leno did so brilliantly with jay walking. What was his first name . Louie. Louie armstrong. Dave and i had seen him jump into a vat of jello. That was basically the same model as jumping on the velcro wall. The alk selzer thing. He influenced all of that. Do i go under . [ cheers and applause ] the only person in america who didnt enjoy those stunts was my mother. The writers figured out, early, that if i was in danger, literally sometimes in danger, i was funnier. They were going to launch him out of a canon, over Someones House and land in someones pool. He said, lets just test this once in rehearsal before the live show. Put a sack of sand, about my weight and size, and lets just see if it makes it, safely, to the center of the pool. And, of course, the sand crashed and exploded all over the concrete deck. Hes like, what . No, im not doing this canon bit. The Tonight Show with Steve Alan was a big hit. But its, still, latenight television. Primetime is the bigcash cow. You want to get to Prime Time. And for years, Ed Sullivan had been clobbering nbc. They said to Steve Alan, we would like you to go up against the Ed Sullivan show on cbs. It occurs to me that there might be some people who dont know Ed Sullivan is on this time. The Steve Alan show was scripted so they put a lot more thought into it. We would attempt to bounce from the springboard with a somersault. The Primetime Show was very different. It buzz more of a presentationalvariety review. Although, just as wacky as the Tonight Show. When my father stepped down from the Tonight Show to focus on his Primetime Show, nbc didnt think the show could continue without him. But they tapped another guy, who was definitely born to do television named Ernie Kovachs. When someone leaves, its not easy to fit into their shoes. And what do you do . I really feel we shouldnt waste too much time. Greatesthidden gem of Late Night, no question about it. Ernie kovachs. There was some funky, freaky, hallucinogenic stuff that went on in early latenight television. What got me interested in comedy . Well they have an indelible memory. Which was that he did a drawing of a house, and then, a light went on. And i thought that was the greatest thing i ever saw in my life. Im still not over it, actually. Nbc hoped Ernie Kovachs would remain the new host of the Tonight Show. But after six months, he said, no, i cant do that. Thats too much work for any one man. There would never have been a Tonight Show again had it not been for the fortuitous circumstance that the show they replaced it with was beyond lousy, into the Twilight Zone of terribleness. It was called America After Dark. The national Broadcasting Company presents a new look at America After Dark. Nbc went back to more of a todayshowtype format. What they did was hire a bunch of newspaper columnists from each city. Who had no television experience, no comic ability, to host a show about what was going on in america, live, late at night. On tuesday, theres one place you got to be. Its patsys new villa capri. In hollywood, as patsy says, please, come and wish us good luck. A joke made the rounds in nightclubs, at that time. Tonight, America After Dark was such a bad show, people went to their Neighbors House to turn it off. And they didnt have time to Dream Um a third alternative that, in their panic, they said, what are oh, i know, we will get the Tonight Show back. Which means that Somebody Else, now, needs to host. There wasnt a lot of people to choose from. There was only these tvkind of personalities. Amsterdam or Jerry Lester who did a Latenight Show out of new york called broadway open house. Lots of networks give a lot more money and a lot more time to young, white men, finding their footing. You know what i mean . Because if we go back to the people who are actually putting the shows together. They dont have breasts. But, at the same time, before Steve Alan, there were so many Women Pioneers learning how to host. In fact, a couple of years before the Tonight Show, a very first, in my estimation, latenight talk show, was hosted, believe it or not, by a woman. Something different. Oh, we can help with that. Okay, imagine this. Your mover, rob, hes on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. We cut to downtown, your Sales Rep Lisa has to send some files, asap so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee. Yeah i shouldve just led with that. With at t business. You can pick the best plan for each employee and only pay for the features they need. Hello. Faye emerson. This was a big moment in the history of latenight television. And no ones heard of her. Yes. Yes. Oh, boy. She had a Latenight Tv show, from 1949 to 1951. I got to focus this camera. Over here. It was the first time a show moves beyond the frontier of 11 00. She had been an actress in hollywood making a couple movies. Faye emerson was most famous for her plunging neckline. But, she wasnt afraid to bring up politics. And became involved in the political discourse of the time. Will there be a war . Well, thats a pretty hard question to answer, ms. Emerson. She interviewed people. There was some singing and performing. There were, sometimes, comedy. It was really embryonic but they were experimenting with a lot of the Building Blocks that merged together, into what we think of as a latenight talk show. I want to read this, because i dont quite agree with this gentleman. So let us stick to the plunging neckline, say politics is not for little girls. Its 1950. Women and men are sitting around in their living rooms, in the latenight hour, watching this Woman Exercise her power, her feminism. Wearing wearing a pair of slacks, when that was a big thing. But yoi dont think thats true, altogether. I think politics is everybodys business and im not a very little girl, either. In 1951, Faye Emerson was actually nominated for an emmy for the most outstanding television personality. Why not be a blonde and see . As television began to evolve and sponsors realized how big and important Latenight Tv could be. Women were relegated to daytime television, where they could be selling commercial programming to the mrs. Daytime consumer. The men started to take over. And the women were really never to return, in a lot of ways. Good night. President eisenhower began his second term as leader. 2995 to make movies as easy as snap shots. In 1957, i think, when the Tonight Show was going to come back after America After Dark. Good, old Steve Allen is off on Prime Time doing pretty well against Ed Sullivan. Ernie kovachs was out of the question because he was out in hollywood Making Movies so thats when they went to jack par. Jack par was a journeyman comedian. He got his initialperformance chops at military bases all around the world. Parr didnt have a whole lot of experience. He got a couple of breaks and did some Game Shows and stuff. He was, you know, visible. Are you suffering from Air Deficiency . Thousands of people suffering from nb, no breath, would be alive today if they had continued using air, air. Nbc had him under contract, anyways, so they threw him on the Tonight Show just as a random try to see if it would work. And if you look at The Press leading up to the first episode, variety said Jack Parr has a chance to succeed with the Tonight Show. A slim chance but a chance. The national Broadcasting Company, and its affiliated stations from Coast To coast present the new tonight. Its Opening Night and we have been rehearsing for almost, oh, 14, 15 minutes here. The differences between Steve Allen and Jack Parr. Steve allen was an entertainer. Jack parr was a person. Were all a little nervous in television, these days. What made Jack Parr different was that it was all conversation. He made it a talk show. The Jack Parr show is basically just talking. Like, you know, you think of talk shows. An ambition of my life was to be successful enough to buy a german shepherd and thats the greatest dog in the world, in my opinion, and i was able to buy one a couple months ago. And i told you about on the paper, on the paper but not when i am reading it, you know. Got the sense that we were having an intimate conversation because he told us intimate stories. Johnny, i am in the back. I am standing here shivering, im in the nude. His daughter getting her first bra. Oh, yeah, thats what you want dad telling to a national audience. He was just a brilliant, open wound on television. I went on working up this anger about nothing. And you watched him on eggshells because he was that close to the surface. So, see, how can a man be all bad . Who wears elastic stockings with a garter and a garter belt. Boy, did he hook people. It made you glued to him on the screen. I got to see the show, when i was, like, 1960. That was my first time ever in a television studio, of course. Studio 6b at nbc in new york. The same studio, where Jimmy Fallon now does the Tonight Show. And it was the band playing. The audience was and then, parr walked out and you could tell the that you are making contact with this person who is talking to you and talking to an audience, and seemed to be enjoying himself. It it was thrilling. And it got the highest ratings, in the history of the Tonight Show, up to that point. This show just caught the countrys imagination, in a huge way. And kind of, like, we rocketshipped latenight television, from there. [truck horn blares] vo the subaru forester. Dog tested. Dog approved. [sfx psst psst] allergies dont have to be scary. Spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. Psst psst all good maybe i didnt love you quite as often as i could have were delivering for the earth. By investing in more electric vehicles, reusable packaging, and carbon capture research. Making earth our priority. I thought id seen it all. Brad Apartmentsdotcom ha scoured the earth to find the most listings. And that means the most petfriendly listings for pet loving renters. So you might say that weve brought more joy to more sweet, innocent and adorable little creatures than any other site. employee ow, stop it. brad with the most listings, youll most definitely find the Mostright Place on apartmentsdotcom. Brad Vo watch out, juice box. Brad Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Lisa here, has had many jobs. And all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. With home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults. Apply today. Two years out of college working for Time Magazine, i was a copy boy. Thats one step above the janitor. Typed out two pages of what sounded like Jack Paar jokes to me. By the way, his version of this is that i cornered him in the mens room. Jack told a story about this guy, who came up to him. I put these pages in a Time Magazine envelope. That caught Jacks Eye and i gave him the envelope. The show starts. Jack with a Hand Mic, in the audience, and the woman says, what do you think about the Pirate Ship in the papers . Jack said one of my jokes. Must have been a strange feeling for those people. You know, hear a voice come over saying, hello, this is your pirate speaking. Well, this got a big hand. Jack says, you know, some of the jokes are pretty good so i hired him. And so, thats his introduction to show business. Topical stuff was a favorite with with jack. He liked to look smart and more educated than he felt he was. So that i dont look too naive, a tough question right off the bat . Whether i am a Democrat Or Republican . Jack paar invented, for better or for worse, the idea of a Latenight Show being a Campaign Stop for a budding politician. It was nixons idea. He wanted to show off, he thought he was good. Was he . No. It was just running up and down a scale. Jack just loved the whole idea of being part of history. Fidel castro has just come down from his suite in the havana hilton. And when Fidel Castro came into power, Jack Paar went to cuba and filmed castro, and came back to the Tonight Show. And talked about how Fidel Castro was a great man and how we could use somebody like castro here, in the united states. You are a good neighbor to me, personally. You live right up there. Does he understand . And you are not noisy. Boy, did he get hammered by The Press. Atom bombs fell on him from all over the place. And it caused such an uproar in new york and washington that it was being debated, on the floor of the senate, at the time, how dangerous this was. But thats what jack liked to do. It was kind of earlyreality television. But, everybody who watches Reality Tv knows that its fake. This is the real deal, for better or for worse. There was always a popular question. What is Jack Paar really like . And Jack Paars answer to that is, im just what you see on television. That was his magic, and you watched because there were likely to be fireworks, every night, on the show. And you wanted to be a part of that, as a viewer. Jack was hard to work for because of his temperament. It was like living with a Neurotic Ant or relative. I had a neurotic aunt. Jack would not like mine changing not one bit. Jack paar could turn on you real fast. He was the Fabrige Egg that was valuable but dont get too close, and dont touch. Jack took an instant hatred to mickey rooney. The call came from mickey and he was going to come over and punch me in the nose. Well, i dont want to get hit, you know, so. Got in a feud with Ed Sullivan. Ed sullivan has said many snide remarks about me in the last couple of days. He took offense at some comments that a columnist had made about him. I cant very well attack him. There is nothing to attack. But i imagine mr. Windchill sitting there making notes with his crayon. Jack paar is like, im interesting, im neurotic, im high strung. Im emotional. When you did the show, it was all hell could break loose, and very often did. Yes. And what was that . Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if you take a look at this bit of evidence, jack, describe what is transpiring here. Well, obviously, im leaving. Yeah. In 1960, Jack Paar was telling a story to the audience. A somewhatrisque story. This lady was wanting to know where the wc was, which is short for water closet. Which means bathroom. Now, how shocking is that today . They censored it and they knew not what they did. Then, they admitted that they had made a mistake. And i said, then if you made a mistake, you should admit it. Yeah. Well, they didnt. So i said, well, then, i have a surprise for you. Jack came on the next night. Did his monologue. Sat down at the desk, statrted the show. And just suddenly, like a lightning bolt. There must be a better way of Making A Living. You have been a chief for me, always. And jack walked off his show. We are all dumbfounded in the control room. My first thought was, this is a joke. It was a stunning, shocking moment. It its richter scale. For the months after Jack Paar leaves, you dont know whether jacks going to come back. And the future of the Tonight Show was in jeopardy. Because if paar didnt come back, that might have been a nice, little experiment that stopped right there. Someday ill ask you a question that will change me forever. time after time begins to play softly yes. time after time continues to play softly start your someday with a ring from the neil lane collection. Available at kay rely on the experts at 1800petmeds for the same medications as the vet, but for less with fast free shipping. Visit petmeds. Com today. All of a sudden, Jack Paar was gone from the show. Thats how volatile this guy was. Oh, Jack Paar. You dont walk off your show, midbroadcast. Jack left and went to hong kong. He went off on a retreat with his life. Wept to florida. I believe went to japan. He was at his house in connecticut. He is depressed. He is on sedatives. His wife has to go and call nbc, to try to get them to come and, you know, talk him into maybe coming back on the show. He says i Cant Work under these conditions. Youre making me do a show thats too long. I dont want to do commercial plugs. And nbc gave him that. But it took about a month for nbc to, finally, convince him to return. And his First Night Back was was big, big news. He walked out to thunderous applause. [ cheers and applause ] he walks back out and he says as i was saying before i was interrupted huge, huge laugh. One of the biggest laughs in the history of Late Night. I believe my last words were that there must be a better way of Making A Living than this. Well, i have looked. It didnt hurt him. What do you know about Jack Paar . He walked off a show, a live show. Thats his legacy, in a way. Jacks five years on television remade talk show. Remade the television world. The format they had on the Jack Paar show is still the format that exists today. Jack paar was the first to do a monologue. We have a wonderful show coming up for you. I dont know the exact date but eventually. I dont know why the standing and doing the monologue still works but it does. Remember that guy who used to host The Apprentice . I dreamed we elected him president. Jack paar out of the couch. I think i just broke the couch. You just broke the Couch Jack invented the familiar image of the Tonight Show. And when Somebody Else would start a show, they made sure they had a desk and a mug where they drank during the show. How are you . Im great. Cheers and whats been perfected, by Jack Paar, is the formula of whats called Latenight Tv. Its a host, a monologue, its a desk, a comedy bit. Its back and forth, its some standup. Its a good night. Thats latenight television. In 1962, paar left and he left, on his own terms. I have never said this publicly. But he told me, once, kid, its the worst decision i ever made. So now, there was a real challenge. Who could replace Jack Paar . Good evening. Its very nice to see all of you her here. They hired a litany of Guest Hosts. And then, Johnnys Name came up. He is middle america, yeah. Guy coming from a small town of, you know, 10, 15,000. I always had an eye on johnny from when i was still in High School in lincoln, nebraska. He was a big star in omaha on the radio. Then, one day, they said he is coming to lincoln. Hes doing his Magic Act. My little friends and i. We were about in 8th grade, i would say. I led them backstage and there was this tall, goodlooking man, setting up his Magic Act and he gave us the filthy look magicians give you. And then, i said were magicians, johnny. He said, oh, okay, fellas, come on over. He was so nice to us. After the show. I thought i i got to know this guy more. In some dim way, i thought, maybe, well have some kind of future together. Hello, hello, hello. How are ya out there . Hello there. We are all ready to play that fabulous, new game. Is everybody in the audience ready to play take it or nothing . Thats the spirit we like to see here on the program. Johnny carson had a lot of television experience, including a lot of daytime and live stuff. So, carson was, very much, A Person Of Interest to nbc. If you dont mind, i would like to read you a part of a letter that i received from a very warm, personal friend of mine. Dear occupant. Johnny carson turned down the Tonight Show job. He said who is going to take Jack Paars place . Nobody. There was still naysayers who said, well, hell never be able to fill Jack Paars shoes. But it didnt matter how well he did. Johnny did not have the confidence he could pull this off. And his second wife, joanne carson, said you need to take this. You can johnny decided to say yes. He had millions of eyeballs on him. Is carson going to succeed . Is he going to fail . And nobody knew. 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When i was about 9 years old, i woke up and there was a guy when i was about 9 years old, i woke up and there was a Guy Sleeping on the couch, and it was my uncle dick. And he was from california. And my mother said, dick has come out here because Uncle John is going to become the host of the Tonight Show, and dick is going to direct it. So we went from having a famous relative who was a Game Show Host to a famous relative who was the host of the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson. At the time Johnny Carson was hosting a Game Show on abc television. Who do you trust . These are sensational pictures. How about a caption for this one . Yikes, you mean thats the whole Bathing Suit . Abc did not want to let go of Johnny Carson yet. So the people at nbc had to wait for Johnny Carson. Merv griffin was one of the people asked to be a Guest Host during this transition period. And before Johnny Carson was available. He wows them, gets great ratings, great raves from The Press. And nbc thought, maybe we picked the wrong guy. So on october 1st, 1962, Merv Griffin debuted, hosting the Merv Griffin show. Who signaled you to stop applauding . From the same studio and the same set that Johnny Carson would premiere that night. An unjustifiably harmful to one of hey, are you mr. Griffin . No. Im Jack Paar, pal. It was meant as a threat. Johnny, if you dont work out, weve got your replacement waiting in the wings. This is kind of an emotional thing for me because ive known about this show for a long time. I only have one feeling as i stand here knowing so many people are watching. I want my nana. Jack paars shadow was still there. And in those first few months, johnny seems a little hesitant and a little uneasy. And who wouldnt be . As i mentioned, Peter Ustinov was kind enough to send me the best of Johnny Carson, which to me is probably the most thrilling gift of what . Weve been on 13 weeks now, and this is the best of Johnny Carson. My alltime favorite moment the Tonight Show 1964, Ed Ames from daniel boone. He plays a sidekick, an indian named mingo. Keep your arm extended and put only one revolution on the once around . Once around on the way. The classic Ed Ames tomahawk. The fact that that was live, unexpected. They went nuts. It was spectacular. And as ames goes to retrieve the tomahawk, carson grabs him by the arm, pulls him back. When Ed Ames threw that Tomahawk And Johnny wouldnt let him remove it to watch how he works with Ed Ames to keep him in the moment and extend the laugh is just great stuff. He just milks the laughter. He just waits. I didnt even know you were jewish. [ laughter ] i think Johnny Carson became Johnny Carson in that moment. And now heeeeres johnny. During the 1960s doing the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson came into his own. Youve had a few running battles with The Press also. Do you find that The Press often misquotes out of context what people say in your particular case . Well, i understand theres some press here, so any other questions . Never knew if johnny was a Democrat Or Republican. You didnt know if he was a methodist or a catholic. He played to middle america. He played to the cities. He played younger. He played older. He transcended demographics. He gave his opinions, it was going to alienate people, and that was the last thing he thought people wanted. Its with a great deal of Pride And Sense of wonderment i present to you someone who is just a day old. Little mr. 1968. [ applause ] the culture is changing in profound sort of ways. What constituted a joke in 1962 when carson begins the Tonight Show had totally been redefined by 1968. I drink a toast to 68. Yes. I lift my champagne cup. If its anything like 67, i think i may spit up. So much controversy. Black panthers, womens liberation, prowar, antiwar. And the question is can he survive this intense Paradigm Shift . Will this flame of Late Night that was Lit By Allen and carried by paar is it going to be able to survive the 60s . Will the flame of Late Night simply go out . There are colonies of hippies springing up in most american cities. Its all related, the psychedelics, the war, the protesting. Im planning on having a good time as long as i can. Smoke pot with your kids, then youll understand why the kids are happy. Its a giant lovein. People should be uninhibited in their sexual expression. You cannot ignore it, a change in morality. Theyre fascists. They dont like hippies. And they dont like the things we do. We do have to maintain law, Order And Decency on the streets. What were thinking about is a peaceful planet. Were not thinking of anything else. Theyre trying to do what no