You and jay, youre my favorite. Are you better off than you were four years ago . Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll. Yellow features gobbles dots. Did you see a picture in the magazine of reagan riding his horse on the ranch, with George Bush running behind with a Pooper Scooper . Johnny had a sweeping popularity. He was around for a very long time. There was something about his presence that, when he speaks, everybody listens. And everybody else falls silent. Be kind of interesting to see reagan as president , wouldnt it . Might not be so bad. Well, im kind of tired of president s that Play Golf and play softball and jog. Id like to see a president who just sits there and dozes off. Heres how i realized how good Johnny Carson was. I was a guest, and i was doing a bit from the couch. And the bit was about how people annoy you when they touch you. You just want to deck em. Its just so anyway and as im doing the joke, i see he realized his arm was not really close enough. So, rather than move it, he actually did this. Put his hand up, scratched his hand, and then reset it two inches closer to me. They go, so, we moved all our savings to a cd. Thats genius and and and great. And its tiny, and he probably did that 20 times a day for 30 years. In 1980, carson was The Star on nbc. So, hes negotiating a new contract, and he is going to hold nbcs feet to the fire. He had all the leverage, and he got a massive contract which included control of the next show, following the Tonight Show. He says, im going to control the 11 30 hour, which is the Carson Show. And the 12 30 hour. Following johnny was, originally, tom snyder. And tom was just straight interview. Did you think, when you were starting, that it would ever evolve into this mystique that has come to surround the group called the Grateful Dead . We didnt think when we were starting. Johnny carson took out Tom Sm Snyder and he put David Letterman in there. David letterman had the great luxury of the most powerful man in television being his biggest fan. David Letter Man is back, going to host a Latenight Television Program that premieres monday night. What are critics likely to say Tuesday Morning . I dont much care, because i found a way to deal with that. Pills and whiskey. The buildup to that show was just immense. I mean, because we were still on the heels of that morningshow cancellation. Even though we didnt win emmys for that, when we went to late night show, we were given certain restrictions. You cant have a monologue. Monologue is johnnys. They said we kocouldnt have a horn section. Thats johnnys sound. Your sound is rock and roll. You couldnt have a sidekick, like ed mcmann, Sit Down with you and schmooze. And i kept thinking thats it . And they kind of forced us into becoming the show for a different generation. A man who shouldnt be up this late. David letterman. Dave came walking out. In the Peacock Girls which we had used on the morning show. Bill murrays our first guest. Lets get physical, physical, i want to get physical weer were were sort of off a running, from that moment on. At that time, television was polished and perfected. And when dave came on, it felt like someone had broken into the studio and got the cameras. And you you couldnt stop watching it. Letterman, what are you doing . Letterman is taking apart all the oldfashioned Talk Show conventions. At the same time, as it is informed by Steve Allen to Ernie Kovacs and Saturday Night live. This deconstructive style, this re rebellious style of comedy. Everything was weird and new. And exotic and wacky. It was a collegekid sensibility, for the audience who dared to stay up later. And they were younger and they were a little wilder, and thats what this show was. When i was a young teenager, i liked to stay up late. And i was just entranceded by i. We loved dave. We loved paul. Does paul serve any particular function on the show . I mean, that band was integral to that show. Paul, wait a minute. What exactly are you trying to say . Im saying, lets trash this. No, no, paul. On my 16th birthday, my mom made me a late night with Letterman Cake and had a Letterman Jacket made for me. It was embarrassing. In high school, we were Recording Letterman and watching the Topten List before wed go to school. Top ten science fair projects. Number ten, Water Dish versus toilet bowl. A taste test. One of the bits that i always think of is when he went to a store called just bulbs. The name of the store is just bulbs and thats exactly what we sell, just bulbs. He just kept asking the woman in the store, if they had anything other than Light Bulbs. So, besides bulbs, what do you ever here . Nothing. How about shades . Could you get shades here . No, we are just bulbs. If you want shades, maybe you could go a place called just shades. You sell bulbs . No, we do not. Our Primary Interest is shades. Its just so funny, and so unlike anything that wed ever seen before. On tv. The entire time in in college, David Letterman is redefining Latenight Television. Some of the early remotes. I guess, thats paul. Now, what kind of food does he enjoy . He like a string beans. A show that rotates throughout the whole hour. Oh, were at 116 degrees now. Its like being on a really cheap cruise, isnt it . The sketches. That are so weird. Will you people leave me alone . This is an experiment, dammit. Was perfect. I have heard dave say that the time he felt alive was the hour he was doing the show. But, you know, if theres one thing that everybody who works for him will say is that, you know, he was perpetually unhappy. And, you know, every show was a disaster. I read some of our press, and some people seemed to like it. But then, some people really did not like it. Problem with my memories about that show is i was living with the host. And because we had been cancelled on the morning show, he felt everysingle day, that he was getting cancelled again. She and letterman were involved, for years. The show was really sort of the baby of the two of them. Whats he like in bed . Now, cut that out. Ready to blow away the rules of volume . New Air Volume Mega Mascara by loreal paris. For mega volume, yet mega light. A whipped formula and a cushiony brush. New Air Volume Mega Mascara by loreal paris. Youre worth it. brother hi Sis Sister youre late brother fashionably late. sister we can not be late. brother theres a road right there. brother thats a cat. Wait, just hold madis headpiece. sister no. Seriously . brother his name is whiskers. bride what happened to you . Whose cat is that . brother its a long story. sister oh my gosh. farmer whiskers there you are avo the subaru crosstrek. The adventurous suv for adventurous people. Love. Its what makes subaru, subaru. 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Its inviting those geese over for target practice. Today, lets stain™. Right now get incredible savings on select behr premium® stains. Starting at 26. 98. [announcer] grubhub perks give you deals on all the food that makes you boogy. upbeat music get the food you love with perks from. [group] grubhub [announcer] grub what you love. There is a joke that goes whats the difference between Johnny Carson and David Letterman . The answer . Merrill marco. Dave had an interesting voice. And i think i brought i brought a level of weird Art School Sensibility to it. She helped create the aesthetic on a very concrete level. The more adventurous, the baffling. But i was clueless that the show was a success, or ia failure. So mostly, my memories are that everything could have gotten us cancelled. Finally, our head writer, Merrill Marco, ladies and gentlemen. I would feel lightheaded and almost faint when he would do a run through of the comedy material. Because i would feel like, if it didnt go well, you know, i had let him down. I was calling it, modesty, my little merrill. Well, id be proud to play a part in this epic. Do you have a script for us . Dave was miserable, most of the time. It was always, i suck. I suck snot. Did you set the table . Set the table . I felt like i was living in a bunker. I thought you said wreck the table. I ended up firing myself from my job, because i was i thought it it would be better without me being in the line of fire. For dave. Every year, Merrill Marco wrote for late night with David Letterman, than won the emmy for best writing. She ends up stepping down. They never won another emmy for best writing. Letterman always took what he did on the air, as part of his real life. And he would talk to his mother on the show. And afterwards, hed say, oh, boy, im glad i got to talk to her tonight. Now, i dont have to call her the rest of the week. Thank you very much for the broadway tickets. Thats great. And then, what about all the Love And Entertainment i provide, nightly, for the americanviewing public . Its wonderful. There was always that worry, that daves irreverence was going to alienate guests. Feel it. Feel it. Its like a little like a like a feel that. He and i just went back and forth. Thats why people watch the show because they never knew what he was going to say. This is your idea of a little . Harvey, relax. This represents one of the fleet of your new shuttle service. Watch this, don. Oh, my god whoa it was very unusual to see the amount of hostility between Talk Show and guest, then or now. What do you mean, is this as good as it gets . Like, what would have been a better thing to say to you . I dont know because i thought i would never want to do this show with you. Now, why . Because you thought i was an one of the great standards and practice notes of all time. They gave us the choice, you could either bleep ass or you could bleep hole but you cant have both. So, of course, we kept ass and lost hole. The show, in its early years, often booked faded stars. Desie arnez. You know, henry morgan, who was a Comedian Back in the 50s and 60s. These guys could get on letterman because Letterman Couldnt get anybody else. There was no better guest than Jay Leno. I dont like food that has sexual connotations. You know . I dont want a whopper. I dont Want Wendy Hot and juicy on my burger. And i, especially, dont want any secret sauce on it, either. All right, pal . They came up in the clubs together. They had a rapport together. And thats where Leno And Letterman forged their friendship. Think it was summer of 75. Jay leno, who is, at this point, sleeping in his car off the 405. Lived of a punch line. Its a part of him. And i never realized about the nude beach, they actually have nude vendors. I got to buy food from a nude, 300pound man. Get your hotdogs here. Nothing for me, thank you. I think dave learned A Bunch Of Stuff from him. Jay was really, i would say, big man on campus. Jay and i were friends. We are always friends and i am happy to say that i think he is the Funniest Guy ive ever known. Just the funniest. Its always a pleasure to introduce a new comedian to the Tonight Show. Jay leno. Jay did four appearances on the Tonight Show. Do you think people will care about the environment in A Hundred years . I wonder if kids will hang around saying things like, know that old Shopping Mall where we used to play pinball . There is a lake there now. The first one was really strong. By the fourth one, they said he wasnt funny, anymore. So, from 78 until 86, he wasnt on the Tonight Show. He was just in the wilderness there. I think jay was almost out of show business, when dave started to bring him back. It wasnt until i got to letterman, that i could really be myself. I think we made Each Other better. Your mom was kind enough to give us a photo of your bedroom when you were 11. This is taken from the book. Can you get a shot of that there . There we go. He killed it. He killed it, time and time again. Do you like the circus . I havent been since i was a young boy. Traveling syphilitic side show. Come on. These diseased animals and hermaphrodite clowns throwing anthrax at children. When i would Go On, i would always try to find phrases that dave would like. Talking about going to the carnival. And throwing Anthrax Boars at the children. When people are laughing on the way to the joke, thats when you know you got it. This is the December Issue. Just coincidentally, i happen to be on the December Issue of super. Jay came to our attention again because he would Go On to David Lettermans show and shine. His popularity grew. And then, he came back on the Tonight Show. Jay leno is a very funny gentleman. He is a regular with David Letterman. And prior to that, he was with us here on the Tonight Show. Will you please welcome Jay Leno . And he really he nailed it. My Wifes Cat ran away for three days. Sends me out middle of the Night Driving around looking for the cat, like the cats going to stick to the main road. Has been helping people act on their love. Okay . So they can look back, and say, we did good. Visible is wireless that doesnt play games. Its powered by verizon for as little as 25 a month. But it gets crazier. Bring a friend every month and get every month for 5. Boom 12 months of 5 wireless. Visible, wireless that gets better with friends. 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. 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, switch to Xfinity Mobile and get unlimited with 5g included for 30 on the nations fastest, most reliable network. It is hard to believe that i have been with nbc for 25long years. You cannot no, wait a minute. [ cheers and applause ] you cant you cant you cant buy loyalty like that, but they did. By 1986, Johnny Carson is making all this money. Plus, he only had to be there three nights a week. There was a rerun, at The Start of the week. And then, there was frequently Guest Hosts throughout the week. Maybe, bob newhart. Maybe, gary chandling. And that opens the door for Joan Rivers. Heres Joan Rivers [ cheers and applause ] Joan Rivers, in the 1980s, became one of Johnny Carsons primaryGuest Hosts. I hate to exercise the only time my body moves when i am holding a vibrator. You know, i i she was one of his favorite guests in the early days of his show. Carson and my mom had this amazing onair chemistry. My marriage. Nothing, theres no romance left. Oh, come on. Last time there was any you know, he was doing pushups and i slid in. Ch [ cheers and applause ] she was saying what everybody was thinking but was scared to say. And it would go from the gasp, to the laugh. And that was her genius. You dont need big boobs to be feminine. Look at liberace. Carson was definitely a mentor. And you hang on to those relationships, where there is that magic. Thank you for my career. Thank you for letting me Guest Host for you because i would not be sitting here, ever. They all thought i stank, and you were the first one to say youre funny. Thank you. Thank you. Well be back in a moment. So, Joan Rivers is the permanentGuest Host, when i start watching latenight tv. I have this instant idea that women can be funny. Women can be part of Latenight Television. As much as i love johnny, it was a holiday when Joan Rivers subbed for him. I have the same thing. Of course, she dreamed of getting Johnnys Job permanently. Why wouldnt she . She was the heir apparent. A big executive at nbc came to my parents house. And said, to them, ive seen the memo of the possible replacements for carson. Your name is not on the list. Youll always just be a Guest Host. It was devastating. My mother was so upset. And felt like carson knew all this. And was letting it happen. And fox came in and wooed my mom and wooed my dad, edgar. The Fox Network was brand new. And they wanted, sort of, a marquee latenight Talk Show. Joan calls me. Late at night, at home. And says ive signed a deal to go with them. And i said, what . Johnnys going to go nuts when he hears about this. Johnny had no idea that she took that show and didnt tell him about it. That really rubbed him the wrong way. Then, Joan Rivers phoned him, after carson had already heard. And she said, johnny, its joan. And he hung up. I just love him. And he started me. And i think so proud of this. Johnny wanted nothing to do with her, ever again. Now, shes got her own show. The johnny versus joany headlines. And the people magazine cover. It became a national phenomenon of these two titans going head to head. Live from Fox Television Center in hollywood. Its the late show starring Joan Rivers. And now, ladies and gentlemen, miss Joan Rivers Everymajor Star wanted to do the show. The first night, cher, Elton John singing the bitch is back. It was insane and exciting and wonderful. And then, the problems started. There was nobody more competitive than Johnny Carson. And if johnny perceived that somebody was disloyal, the relationship was over. Oh, i think, absolutely, the the Tonight Show was trying to punish my mom. The Carson Show made it very clear that, if you did her show, you were no longer welcome on the Carson Show. When the show didnt do as well as foxx had hoped, that i started meddling and kind of took the power away from her husband. My dad, edgar, did all the business. He did all the negotiations. He did everything to make sure that all my mom ever had to do was be funny and charming and loved. But it got so petty that, when they would send the car every day to pick up my mom, the rule was my father was not allowed to ride in the limo with her. The Wholefox Show just became this giant cluster. I cant remember how long it stayed on. But it was less than a year. And it just was a very fast and sad demise. And it was so bad, that it was, i believe, one of the factors that sent my father into such a massive depression. That he killed himself. From the notes he left and from knowing my father, he really felt the only way to save her was to go away. My mom pulled herself out of it, because thats just who she is. She was completely blackballed. She was never allowed back on any nbc latenight show, until jimmy fallon. There was some band of Joan Rivers that started back with Johnny Carson. But to me, shes a legend, and i love Joan Rivers and Id Love to have her back on the Tonight Show. Welcome back to the network, joan. This is you and right in this same studio, 1965. And he said, god bless him, youre going to be a star. It changed my life. She just felt emotional. And i got emotional. We looked at Each Other, and almost lost it. It really means a lot to me that you are on the show tonight. I love you so much. I love you back, my darling. She finally got to go home. There is your emotional moment. My mother, absolutely, opened the doors for Samantha B and chelsea handler, and all these women in late night now. She was the one who broke the glass ceiling. Like her or dont like her, she had the lump on her head from banging her head against it. Newm to reach you. Is what business is all about. 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From the moment i laid eyes on you this is what i said, i said i see it and i like it and i want it yes, i do do, do, do i need it to make me happy baby, yes i do mean you i see it and i like it and i want it yes, i do woo it was a very stormy february. In los angeles. And walked into my office and said we wont have johnny tonight. The road up to the house is flooded out. And i was like, oh, shit. Its february sweeps. So, i picked up the phone. And i said, johnny, well send the Nbc News Helicopter out to your place in malibu. And he said, warren, are you trying to kill me . And at that moment, i realized that there is going to be a time when you dont have johnny. A forced a deeper thinking about what the future would be. We did have David Letterman, who was the most obvious choice to succeed johnny. But we, also, had Jay Leno coming into his own. When Joan Rivers got her shot over at fox, theres the need to find another, recurring sub. And johnny was comfortable giving Jay A shot as a Guest Host. I hope you had a Speaking Role in this part. Yeah but i speak more with my eyes sometimes. You speak more with your eyes . Uhhuh. Yeah. I dont think your eyes can get a word in edgewise. When jay was first asked to Guest Host the show, i remember he was sitting in his hot tub. And jay says, to me, you know, i think maybe i could take over the show. After johnny leaves. Maybe, i can do it. And the more he did it, the better he got. So, Jay Leno took over as permanentGuest Host. And i thought he was a natural. Kind of a Snappy Dresser now. This is looks like fashions by Davy Krcrockett apparently. Jay broke out on the Letterman Show as the guy who is sort of The Rebel comic. He thought i am going to be the host of the Tonight Show, i cant be that guy. That guys too narrow. So he made a conscious decision to, you know, wear down those edges at least, if not eliminate them. Actually, Time Magazine says the biggest problem facing americans is litter. You know, if they are so concerned about litter, why dont they get rid of those stupid, little Subscription Cards that keep falling out of the magazine . They thought he was selling out to get the Tonight Show away from him, basically. So, naturally, he thought, i dont Respect Jay for doing that. Dave was more of a broadcaster than he was a comedian. And dave had a wholedifferent sensibility. The whole question of letterman taking over for johnny. I mean, we would talk about how nice it would be if if we had the 11 30 time slot. That was the dream. This is my mother. Ms. Letterman, can i ask you a question . Sure. Has david ever told you that he hopes that i get run over by a Waterdelivery Truck . So so he can get the 11 30 time period on nbc . As he ever told you that . Yes, he talks about it frequently. Lettermans theory was we have won emmy awards. We won a peabody award. 200 pretty highquality shows a year. So, based on that, we should get the 11 30 time slot. One of the most important moments in the history of Dave Lettermans show is when ge bought nbc. When general electric bought this company, rca and nbc, i thought i would drop by the General Electric Building here in midtown manhattan. We just wanted to drop off a little Fruit Basket and say hello to the the folks on the board of directors. Can you can you hear me . And David Letterman was a broadcaster, down to his bones. And the idea of this company that makes Light Bulbs becoming his boss offended him, deeply. Im Dave Letterman. Nice to meet you. What is your name . I am going to ask you turn the cameras off please. Wanted to drop off a basket of fruit. A gesture of good will. Cut the cameras, please. Just direct and that was part of the whole bit we did on the air. But then, we use that over and over, again, as The General electric handshake. Here it is, in Slow Motion now. The generalelectric corporate handshake. Get a good look at it because, no okay. This was a Running Joke for years, that is rooted in a kind of Workingclass Anger towards these corporate overlords. That letterman really felt deep in his bones. Dave had such reason to be resentful of the network. He gave them a franchise. And they abused him. They played around with budget. They played around with north studio. We have generated over like 8 Billion of revenue. Taxfree money for this network. We got our christmas presents yesterday. Or at least i got mine. And look. Every time, you put the lid on there, shards of Glass Bust off. You know, when he realized that he had some leverage, he fought back. There it is. Our nbc family. Brandon and warren littlefield. Now, this one over here, thats brandon. I guess this is warren littlefield. Paul, does this look to you like every Police Sketch you have ever seen in the newspaper . Honestly, i thought that it was David Letterman and it was pretty damn funny. Dave taking on the man always made dave look good. Those days, i was concerned with two things. Doing our show. And and not upsetting johnny. I just felt like, im here, they know im here. And i have told them i would like to be considered for the job. Beyond that, i wasnt going to do anything because i just didnt want i was so uncomfortable with the notion that i would be the one that was trying to leverage johnny out of that chair. 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. 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Its Arsenio Hall when Arsenio Hall comes on to the scene, for the first time, were feeling, whoa. This could be a gamechanger. I think, you could make an argument that the most memorable moment in the history of Latenight Television was Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on Arsenio Hall. He was third in the polls when he went on arsenio. Im not sure what happened to clinton, after that. But i believe he became president and thats an example how late night can change things. [ cheers and applause ] i remember, there was a few seminal moments in my life. Number one, i think, was arsenio. Seeing a performer of color authentically be themselves was groundbreaking and game changing. You ever notice in an elevator, no matter how mature you are, no matter how old you are, you always do silly stuff when you are alone and the doors close . Always. Arsenio hall came out of this milieu of this comedyclub boom. Superlikable guy. When Joan Rivers was cancelled, the Show Wasnt actually cancelled. She was cancelled. They had Arsenio Hall Guest Host the show. And he tested so well, paramount, who was syndicating Talk Shows wanted him. And this was sort of the birth and the rise of the Arsenio Hall show. And who didnt love going to school in the morning be like he had on artists that No One had on or would have gotten on the Tonight Show. What i loved about arsenios shows, too, besides his gums and his Shoulder Pads was his ability to like sort of go out in the audience and do his standup. And after that, you dont know which way any of this was going to go. You could conversations that you couldnt have with other latenight hosts. Because he had experiences, similar to mine. Against all odds, you were not supposed to make it but you did. I guess, as a little, black kid, it was like, this is comedy. Its for you. Im thinking of you when i am telling this joke. Just felt so big and crazy. Arsenio enters that space, and totally usurps this power that carson has. And for a new generation, and becomes this latenight phenomenon. It showed that Black Culture was important, and that it was diverse. And also, that it could make money. I think that was the really first time where it was like, jeez. You may get beat in the ratings here. I think we maybe even did a few times. Arsenio made a mark. And that really let us into a massive nbccorporate crisis, really, of pick a side. There was much discussion about who would replace johnny. Will it be jay . Or will it be dave . Leno is the company man. Lettermans the genius in the in the tower. The whole nation, between you and jay, youre my favorite. Well, thank you very much. Thank you for coming. Jay lenos manager wanted to kind of force a decision. She was what you want in a manager. She was aggressive. She wouldnt take no for an answer. Ultimately, maybe even a little bit machiavellian. Helen kushnick, she then plants a story in the New York post. And it was that nbc wanted johnny out because he was getting old. And they wanted jay, this fresh, young guy in there. And johnny knew that it came through helen. And helen lied to jays face and said, no, it didnt come from us. So, jay goes to see johnny. Goes down to his dressing room. And says, it didnt come from us. And johnny says i know it did. So, so there was tension from then on. And this was frontpage news. Johnnys loyalty lied with Dave Letterman. And nbc executives were in this bind. It was a huge deal about whos going to get the throne. The story was at the time that is arsenio going to take over . Is he the new king . So we did one sketch at The End of the season called carsenio where johnny now was copying arsenio. My name is carsenio and this is going to be a party. You are correct, sir yes. It was johnny, but he had arsenios hair, you know, and he was doing all the woofing. Did you see, this ed . You just do this, you go woof, woof, woof. And they go crazy. Its just wild, weird stuff. Yes we heard that he really was upset by it. Of course i dont remember what to do. Im getting senile. Both of us. Couple of old farts is what we are. Johnny told somebody, you know, when they start to make fun of you its time to go. Every scrub every spray every Day Dove and Degree Fund local youth programs. Every Day U does good unilever [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 for 175 years, new York Life has been helping people act on their love. Okay . So they can look back, and say, we did good. Ready to blow away the rules of volume . New Air Volume Mega Mascara by loreal paris. For mega volume, yet mega light. A whipped formula and a cushiony brush. New Air Volume Mega Mascara by loreal paris. Youre worth it. This is the sound of change. The sound of A Thousand sighs of relief. And the sound of a company watching out for you. 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Im sitting backstage with johnny. And when johnny tells me that hes got a surprise in mind ladies and gentlemen, heres johnny. It was the most thrilling moment in my life. And the crowd went nuts. Im going, wow. Hes about to announce hes not going to be there anymore. He announced that this would be his final year and he would be leaving. He just said im done, im just im done. It was like oh, my god. It was truly a holy shit moment. We knew nothing. Johnny, which is classically johnny, he made a decision that was right for him. And it was an earthquake in New York. After years of speculation, rumors, Cocktail Party conversations and just plain old gossip, Johnny Carson has finally made it official. He announces that at carnegie hall. He walks a few blocks over to the sixth floor at nbc. Johnny carson made a Surprise Visit to late night with David Letterman last night. He confirmed rumors that next year would be his last year as host of the Tonight Show. It is coming to an end next year. Ive always wanted to be a shepherd. The most frequently mentioned successor to his chair is comedian Jay Leno. Jay is sensational and jay is our permanent Guest Host but we have not made that announcement yet as to who the successor to johnny will be. Everybody is in a state of shock, including letterman. Well, thats when i think the wheels started spinning that okay, weve got to make sure its us. Dave is the obvious choice. He has sat at that desk. Hes been a loyal soldier. And hes the best guy on tv. What more do you need . It turns out that you do need something else. Yeah, jay had the secret deal. Jay leno had just signed a new deal that guaranteed jay the Tonight Show whenever johnny stepped down. Thank you, jay. Jay leno. It was part of his reupping as the Guest Host. And that was that. Dealing with dave had become bothersome and draining. And he could be unnecessarily rude to network people, not just me. So did that factor into my decision as to going with Jay Leno over Dave Letterman . You bet it did. We knew that jay would be much easier to make a deal with, to retain our ownership and control, and it would be more of a partnership. What am i supposed to do . Im supposed to turn it down, go no . Right. I was guesthosting for five years. The only Guest Host on the show. And then it got turned over to me. Oh, okay. Yeah. It took us by surprise that jay was getting the job. And nobody had even talked to us or even had a conversation about it. So we go up to New York to meet with david. They said were here to tell you Jay Leno will be hosting the Tonight Show at 11 30 and wed very much like you to continue in your role at 12 30. And letterman stood up and said okay, the meetings over, and walked out. People in my world think David Letterman is the shit and hes going to get this job, and it doesnt happen. The headline of todays New York post, daves tv tizzy. Why dont i just sign off with a question here . Just just how pissed off are you . Let me give you a little piece of advice. You keep using language like that and youre going to find yourself out of a job. Its not necessary to salute, sir. Just your hand over your heart is enough when we come out. He was funny. He had this aura about him. May orca the Killer Whale Relieve himself on your carpets. Hes the king of late night. But he was still a loner. It never occurred to me that there would be other Talk Shows. Ladies and gentlemen, the Reverend Dr. Martin luther king. The tension was wonderful. Are you really all truly idiots or is it me . But it was gointo