Kimmel did not appeal to women. So he had struggles. But like most of these guys he had to find his voice. There were plenty of conversations about what changes should we make to the show. To reach a broader demographic. When on the rare occasion that i Look at a bit of video from that first year it makes every hair on my body stand up. All right. Were back with marilyn manson. I was really hoping that abc would cancel the show. Because i felt like i cant do this anymore. I Cant Deal with this much stress. Have a good weekend, everybody. Im getting the hell out of here. Good night. All right, all right. My name is carsenoi and this is going to be a party. Johnny carson was late Night Television. You are correct, sir, yes. But when dave came on i felt like it was a show for me. Maybe you will get some, maybe you wont. It was a huge deal whos going to get the throne. You dont need big boobs to be feminine. Look at liberace. It was these two titans going head to head. This is like entertainment from the ninth century. Geeks, trolls, mutants. You and jay, youre my favorite. Are you better off than you were four years ago . Ladies and gentlemen, rock n roll. A Creature Gobbles dots while being pursued through a maze. Did you see the picture in the magazine with reagan riding his horse on his ranch with bush running behind with a Pooper Scooper . Johnny had a sweeping popularity. He was around for a long time. There was something about his presence that when he speaks, Everybody Listens and everybody else falls silent. It would be kind of interesting to see reagan as president , wouldnt it . Might not be so bad. 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 them. So anyway. And as im doing the joke, i see he realized his arm was not really close enough. What theyre doing is keeping you from fleeing. So rather than move it, he actually did this, scratched his head and then reset it two inches closer to me. You know its interesting so, we moved all our savings to a cd. Thats genius. 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 i am 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. No, we didnt think. Johnny carson took out Tom 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. Dave letterman is back. Youre going to host a late Night 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. Because we were still on the heels of that Morning Show cancellation, even though we did win emmys for that. When we went to the late Night Show, we were given certain restrictions. You cant have a monologue. Monologue is johnnys. They said we couldnt have a horn section. Thats johnnys sound. Your sound is rock n roll. And you couldnt have a sidekick like Ed Mcmahon come sit down with you and schmooze. And i just remember thinking, thats it . The world is left after that. They kind of forced us into becoming the show for a different generation. Now, a man should not be up this late, David Letterman. Dave came walking out in the Peacock Girls which we had used on the Morning Show. Bill murray is our first guest. Lets get physical, physical, i want to get physical lets get into physical were sort of off and running from that moment on. At that time, television was polished and perfected and when dave came on, it felt like someone broken into the studio and got the cameras. 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. Its deconstructive style, this rebellious style of comedy. Weve dismissed the studio audience. Theyre on their way home. And were going to do a show from our 14th floor offices. Everything was weird and new and exotic and wacky. It was a college Kids Sensibility for the audience who dared to stay up later, and they were younger and they were a little wilder, and thats what the show was. When i was a young teenager, i liked to stay up late, and i was just entranced by it. Excuse me, dave. Ive got make a phone call. Help yourself. We love dave. We love paul. Letter number three. Dear dave, does paul serve any particular function on the show . I mean, that band was integral to that show. Now paul, wait a minute, what exactly are you trying to say . Im saying lets trash this thing. Oh, no, no. Paul, see oh, no. On my 16th birthday my mom made me a late night with David Letterman cake and had a Letterman Jacket made for me. It was embarrassing. Even when i was in high school, we were Recording Letterman and watching the top ten list before we would go to school. The top ten Dog Science fair projects. Number ten, Water Dish versus toilet bowl, a taste test. One of the bits 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 kept asking the woman in the store if they had anything other than Light Bulbs. So besides bulbs what do you have here . Nothing. How about shades . Could you get shades here . No, we are just bulbs. If you want shades, maybe you go to a place called just shades. Do 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 college David Letterman is redefining late Night Television. Some of the early remotes. Here we see alan alda, and i guess thats paul. Now, what kind of food does he enjoy . He like string beans, and he like Cold Noodle with sesame sauce. The show that rotates throughout the whole hour. We are at 116 degrees now. Its like being on a really cheap cruise, isnt it . The sketches that are so weird. Would you people leave me alone . This is an experiment, damn it. It was perfect. Ive heard Dave Say The Time he felt alive was the hour he was doing the show. If there is one thing that everybody who works for him will say is he was perpetually unhappy, and 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. The problem with my memories about that show is i was living with the host. And because wed been canceled on the Morning Show, he felt every single day that he was getting canceled 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 . [ applause ] well, actually, i do have some recent findings that i thought i can share with you. Now, cut that out. The first ingredient in this Clif Bar is brown rice syrup, which is another name for sugar. In this kind bar, its hearthealthy almonds. With the taste of Dark Chocolate and 75 less sugar than the leading Clif Bar. Be kind to yourself. With armor all, a little bit of this. Protects you. From a lot of that. Keep your Car Cleaner longer. Armor all extreme shield plus ceramic. I became a Sofi Member because i needed to consolidate my credit card debt. I needed just one simple way to pay it all off. It was an easy decision to apply with sofi loans, just based on the Interest Rate and how much i would be saving. There was only one that stood out and one that actually made sense and that was sofi personal loans. It felt so freeing. I felt like i was finally out of this neverending trap of interest and payments and debt. Vo Ideas exist inside you, electrify you. Interest and payments and debt. They grow from our imagination, but they cant be held back. They want to be set free. To make the world more responsible, and even more incredible. Ideas start the future, just like that. Theres a joke that goes whats the difference between Johnny Carson and David Letterman . The answer, Merrill Markoe. Dave had an original interesting voice, and i think i brought a level of weird Art School Sensibility to it. Merrill markoe helped create the aesthetic on a re concrete level. Not just the stupid Pet Tricks and the remotes but the more adventurous, the baffling, the absurdist. But i was clueless that the show was a success or a failure. Mostly my memories that everything could have gotten us canceled. And finally, our head writer Merrill Markoe with the new sitcom that takes place in florida, so im sold. Merrill markoe, ladies and gentlemen. I would feel lightheaded and almost faint when he would do it. I feel that if it didnt go right, i would let him down. I call it my little merrill. Do you have a script . Dave was miserable most of the time. It was always i suck. I suck is not. The boss will be here for dinner just a minute. Is everything ready. Did you set the table . Set the table . I felt i was living in a bunker. I thought you said wreck the table. I ended up firing myself from my job because i thought that it would do better without me being In The Line Of Fire for dave. Every year Merrill Markoe wrote for late night with David Letterman they 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. 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 what about all the Love And Entertainment i provide nightly for the american Viewing Public . Thats wonderful. There was always that worry that daves irreverence was going to alienate guests. Feel it. Its like a little bosom or something. Feel that. He and i just went back and forth. Thats why people watched the show. Because they never knew what he was going to say. This is your idea of a little bosom . Youre at work, harvey. Relax. This represents one of the fleet of your new shuttle service. Watch this, don. Whoa my gosh. Whoa excuse me. 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 the show with you. Why . Because you thought i was an hole. 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. Desi arnaz, Henry Morgan who was a Comedian Back in the 50s and 60s. These guy could get on letterman because Letterman Couldnt get anybody else. There was no better guest in the first years of David Letterman was 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. I think it was summer of 75. Jay leno, who at this point is sleeping in his car off the 405 lived for the punch line. Its a part of him. What i never realized about the Nude Beach . They actually have nude vendors. I cant buy food from a nude 300pound man. Get your hot dogs here. Nothing for me, thank you. And 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 were always friends. And im happy to say i think is the Funniest Guy ive ever known. Just the funniest. Its always a pleasure to introduce a new comedian to the Tonight Show. This young Mans Name is Jay Leno. Jay did four appearances on the Tonight Show. But you think people will care about the environment in 100 years . Kids will hang around saying things like remember that old Shopping Mall where we used to play pinball . Theres 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. Its a traveling syphilitic sideshow. These diseased animals and hermaphrodite clowns. Throwing Anthrax Spores at the children. When i would go on letterman, i would always try to find Phrases Dave would like. Talk about going to the carnival, syphilitic, Anthrax Spores. When people are laughing on the way to the joke, thats when you know you got it. This is the December Issue of success magazine. Just coincidentally, i happen to be on the December Issue of super success. Jay leno 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 has been a regular with David Letterman. And prior to that he was with us here on the Tonight Show. Would you welcome, please, mr. Jay leno. He really he nailed it. My Wifes Cat ran away for three days. Sends me out in the middle of night, driving around Looking for the cat. Like the cats going to stick to the main road. Lashes go soft, supple and fully fanned. Exclusive fanning brush. Every lash sensational. Now in Midnight Black with rose hip oil. Lash sensational mascara. Only from maybelline New York. To make progress, we must keep taking steps forward. We believe the future of energy is lower carbon. And to get there, the world needs to reduce global emissions. At chevron, were taking action. Tying our executives pay to lowering the carbon Emissions Intensity of our operations. Its tempting to see how far weve come. But its only human. To know how far we have to go. 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 we know how much you count on us. And thats why were here 24 7. And On The Road maintaining a fast and reliable network. Were always working to ensure the internet meets your needs. By making access easier for all. With comcast Lift Zones and our Internet Essentials program. Were invested in making our apps easy. To give you personalized assistance around the clock. And were committed to keeping our team and customers safe by working from home. And using precautions in store. See what were up to at xfinity. Com commitment it is hard to believe that i have been with nbc for 25 long years. You cannot no, wait a minute. [ applause ] 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 garry shandling. And that opens the door for Joan Rivers. Heres Joan Rivers [ applause ] Joan Rivers in the 1980s became one of Johnny Carsons primary show guests. I hate to exercise. Ugh. The only time my body moves, when im holding a vibrator. 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, there is no romance left. Oh, come on. Last time there was any sexual, you know, he was doing pushups and i slid in. Otherwise 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 youre the first one to say youre funny. Thank you. Well be back in a moment. So Joan Rivers is the permanent Guest Host when i start watching late night tv. I had this instant idea that women can be funny, women can be part of late Night Television. As much as i loved 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. Edgar had always been her producer throughout her entire career. The Fox Network was brand new. And they wanted sort of a marquee late night 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. Im devastated, because i just love him, and he started me. And i think i thought he would be so proud of this. Johnny wanted nothing to do with her ever again. Now shes got her own show. The Johnny Versus Joanie Headlines and the people magazine cover. Joan goes to war. It became a national phenomenon of like 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 every major 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 is nobody more competitive than Johnny Carson. And if johnny perceived somebody was disloyal, the relationship was over. Oh, i think absolutely 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 fox had hoped, they started meddling, and they 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 is 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 whole Fox Show just became this Giant Cluster [ muted ]. 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 late Night Show until jimmy fallon. There was some ban 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. [ cheers and applause ] this is you in this same studio in 1965. With johnny. 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 youre on the show tonight. I love you so much. I love you back, my darling. She finally got to go home. Theres your emotional moment. My mother absolutely opened the doors for Samantha Bee 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. Po. That help unleash your energy. Loaded with b vitamins. And other key essential nutrients. Its a tasty way to conquer your day. Try centrum multi gummies. Now with a new Look. brad people everywhere are discovering how 5g can change their lives. But apartmentsdotcom has changed millions of renters lives by helping them get into new homes. So, we already knew all about the power of 5g. Weve had it in every Town And City for years. And also 6g. And 4c. And 2r. And 7l. What else would you expect from the site with the most listings anywhere . Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. With armor all, a little bit of this. Protects you. From a lot of that. Keep your Car Cleaner longer. Armor all extreme shield plus ceramic. 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. Was a very stormy february in los angeles. And rick 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. It 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 in to his own. When Joan Rivers got her shot over at fox, there is 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 can 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 permanent Guest Host. And i thought he was a natural. Kind a snappy dresser now. This is Looks like fashions by Davy Crockett apparently here. Kind of a Hip Snake Kind of thing. Jay broke out on the Letterman Show as the guy who was sort of The Rebel comic. He thought to himself if im going to be the host of the Tonight Show i cant be that guy, that guy is 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, theyre so concerned about litter, why dont they get rid of those stupid little Subscription Cards that keep falling out of the magazine . Dave 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 whole different sensibility. The whole question of letterman taking over for johnny, i mean, we would talk about how nice it would be if we had the 11 30 time slot. That was the dream. This is my mother. Mrs. Letterman, can i ask you a question . Sure. Has david ever told you that he hopes that i get run over by a sparkletts Water Delivery Truck . So he can get the 11 30 time period on nbc. Has he ever told you that . Yes, he talks about it frequently. Lettermans theory was weve 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 the Dave Letterman show is when g. E. 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 folks on the board of directors. 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. I am Dave Letterman. Nice to meet you. What is your name . Im going to ask you to turn the cameras off, please. Okay, we just wanted to drop off this basket of fruit. Okay. Cameras, please. As a gesture of goodwill. Cut the cameras please. You have to talk to the director over there. Just director and that was part of the whole bit we did On The Air. But then we used that over and over again as the general electric handshake. Here it is in slow motion now. The general electric corporate hand handshake. Get a good Look at it because yee no. This was a Running Joke for years thats rooted in a kind of working Class 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 our studio. Weve generated over like 8 Billion of revenue, taxfree money for this network. We got our christmas presents yesterday. Or at least i got mine from brandon tartikoff. Here it is. And Look, every time you put the lid on there, shards of Glass Bust off. When he realized he had some leverage, he fought back. There it is. Our nbc family. Brandon tartikoff and warren littlefield. Here they are. Now this one over here, thats brandon tartikoff. I guess this ones warren littlefield. Paul, does this Look like every Police Sketch Youve 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. In those days i was concerned with two things, doing our show and not upsetting johnny. I just felt like im here. They know im here, and ive 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. So im bringing everyone within 12 degrees of me. Bam, 12 months of 5 wireless. Visible. Wireless that gets better with friends. Mornings were made for better things than Rheumatoid Arthritis. When considering another treatment ask about xeljanz, a pill for adults with moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis when methotrexate has not helped enough. Xeljanz can help relieve joint pain and swelling, stiffness, and helps stop further joint damage, even without methotrexate. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. Before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections, like tb and do blood tests. Tell your doctor if youve had Hepatitis B or c, have flulike symptoms, or are prone to infections. Serious, sometimes fatal infections, cancers including lymphoma, and Blood Clots have happened. Taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra may increase risk of death. Tears in the stomach or intestines and serious allergic reactions have happened. Dont let another Morning Go by without asking your doctor about the pill first prescribed for ra more than eight years ago. Xel anz. With Voltaren Arthritis Pain gel my husband would have been on the sidelines. But not anymore. An alternative to pills, voltaren is the first full prescription strength, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel to Target Pain directly at the source. For powerful arthritis pain relief. Voltaren. The joy of movement. As a legend leaves, the late Night Landscape changes. Hiphop culture started to reach white people in the suburbs. Things like television. Arsenio hill. And now let the party begin. Its Arsenio Hall when Arsenio Hall comes on to the scene, for the first time, were feeling whoa, this could be a game changer. I think you could make an argument that the most memorable moment in the history of late Night Television was Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on Arsenio Hall. I think 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 of late night can change things. A big name. In the posse. 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, how old you are you always do silly stuff when the doors close . Always like. Youre like Arsenio Hall game out of this milieu of this comedy club boom, super likable guy. When Joan Rivers was canceled, the Show Wasnt actually canceled. She was canceled. They had Arsenio HallGuest 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 and be like whoo, whoo, whoo . He had on artists that No One ever had on or ever would have gotten on something like the Tonight Show. From the depths of the sea back to what i loved about arsenios show too besides his gums and his Shoulder Pads was his ability to sort of go out in the sxauns do his standup. After that, you dont know which way any of this is going to go. Its Arsenio Hall you could have conversations that you couldnt have with other late night 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 im telling this joke, just felt so big and crazy. Arsenio enters that space and totally usurps this power that carson has for a new generation and becomes this late night 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 it was like geez, we may get beat in the ratings here. I think we maybe even did a few times. Arsenio made a mark and that really led us into a massive nbc corporate 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. Thank you very much. Well be back. And then, Jay Lenos manager helen wanted to kind of force a decision. She was what you want in a manager. She was agugressive. She wouldnt take no for an answer. Ultimately, maybe, even a little bit machiavellian. Helen ckushnick, she then mants 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, there was tension, from 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 who is 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 arsenio. Heres arsenio all right. 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 did you see this . You just do this. You go, 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. I am 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. This Looks different. It is. Show me. Just hit record see that . Youre filming in 8k. Thats cinema quality. So. You can pull photos straight from video. Impressive. But will it last a whole trip . Youll have battery all day. And then more. This is different. Told you. Hi sabrina Hi Jen hi. So youre the scientist here. Does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day . Its true jen. Really . this prebiotic Oat Formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin. Impressive aveeno® healthyoure strong. Ture. You power through chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month,. Each lasting 4 hours or more. Botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. So, if you havent tried botox® for your chronic migraine,. Check with your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if samples are available. Effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing,. Speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness. Can be signs of a life threatening condition. Side effects may include allergic reactions. Neck and injection site pain. Fatigue, and headache. Dont receive botox® if theres a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, Muscle Or Nerve conditions. And medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. Most patients may pay as little as 0 for botox®. So, text to see how you can save. Botox® has been preventing headaches and migraines before they even start for 10 years. So, ask your doctor about botox® today. With armor all, a little bit of this. So, ask your doctor about botox® today. Protects you. From a lot of that. Keep your Car Cleaner longer. Armor all extreme shield plus ceramic. 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 dollars. And theyre number 1 in customer satisfaction. His number . Delete it. Deleting it. So break free from the big three. Xfinity internet customers, take the Savings Challenge at xfinitymobile. Com mysavings or visit an Xfinity Store to learn how our Switch Squad makes it easy to switch and save hundreds. There was no more important presentation, than the upfront presentation. And in may of 91, we chose carnegie hall. The upfront, where the new, primetime season and The Stars of Yesteryear And Today are introduced to the Advertising Community of New York. We had gotten Johnny Carson to actually come, my first presentation. To come and talk to the crowd. And the entire audience is sitting there, and they are waiting and waiting and waiting. So, i am 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 im im just done. Im done. It was like, oh, my god. It was truly a holyshit moment. We knew nothing. Johnny, which is classically johnny, he made a decision that was right for him. And it was it was an earthquake in New York. Reporter 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 of 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. Its coming to an end next year. I always wanted to be a shepherd. Reporter the most frequently mentioned successor to his chair is comedian Jay Leno. Jay is sensational and jay is our permanentGuest 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. Hes he has sat at that desk. Hes been a loyal soldier. And hes the best guy in 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. 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 . Am i supposed to turn it down . Go no . Right. I mean, i was Guest Hosting 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 or had a conversation about it. So, we go up to New York to meet with david. They said were here to tell you that 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. Letterman stood up and said, okay, and 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 Headlines Today of new York Post scream daves tv tizzy. Why dont i just start off with a question here . Just just how pissed off are you