The Tonight Show.

Bugman · Jul 14, 2011

In 1953 Steve Allen was hosting a talk-variety show in New York. NBC picked the show up and it aired nationaly September 27, 1954. After his depature Jack Parr, a notoriously difficult character, took the helm in 1957 and quit the show March 22, 1962. A variety of guest hosts followed until October 1, 1962 when Johnny Carson began a thirty year reign as the king of late night TV, retiring May 22, 1992.

I'm not old enough to remember Allen and Parr as hosts, but The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was must see TV when my brothers and I were allowed to stay up that late. Johnny, Ed McMahon, Doc Severisnen..those were the days my friends.

Hereeers Johnny.

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Johnny as Carnac the Magnificent, from 1974.

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PiedPiper · Jul 15, 2011

Bugs, I can remember watching Steve Allen's version of the show when I was 4 or 5 years old,..... WAY ahead of its time for originality and treatment of material. The "Man in the Street" interviews (where Don Knotts first turned up) were classic. And my dad and I routinely watched Jack Paar (where Jonathan Winters sort of hit the bigtime) and even the actual "first" tape of the Beatles was aired. Awesome times on TV,....... There was also an itinerant genius named Stan Freeberg floating around radio and TV in those days. Remember him?

Bugman · Jul 15, 2011

PiedPiper said:
Bugs, I can remember watching Steve Allen's version of the show when I was 4 or 5 years old,..... WAY ahead of its time for originality and treatment of material. The "Man in the Street" interviews (where Don Knotts first turned up) were classic. And my dad and I routinely watched Jack Paar (where Jonathan Winters sort of hit the bigtime) and even the actual "first" tape of the Beatles was aired. Awesome times on TV,....... There was also an itinerant genius named Stan Freberg floating around radio and TV in those days. Remember him?

So many up and coming stars appeared on The Tonight Show over the years. Honestly, I had to look Mr. Freberg up on Wiki but I remember him now. He had a long and varied career. Steve Allen was a genius.

SamuelKhan · Jul 15, 2011

Johnny Uncensored

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milagros317 · Jul 15, 2011

I am old enough to have seen Jack Paar as the host before Johnny Carson. If I remember correctly, he quit after a joke that he told about a water closet (British term for a toilet) was censored.

It was said that The Tonight Show kept the birth rate in the U.S. down--couples who might have been having sex watched the very popular show instead until one of them fell asleep. 😛

Bugman · Jul 15, 2011

SamuelKhan said:
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I've not seen that before. Thanks Sam.

milagros317 said:
I am old enough to have seen Jack Paar as the host before Johnny Carson. If I remember correctly, he quit after a joke that he told about a water closet (British term for a toilet) was censored.

It was said that The Tonight Show kept the birth rate in the U.S. down--couples who might have been having sex watched the very popular show instead until one of them fell asleep. 😛

Could be. Parr and Carson were well known for having short fuses. Intresting, about the birth rate. I'd never heard that but it could be true. I'm sure you remember the massive power outage that hit New York in the late 60s I think. Nine months later there was a sharp upward spike in births if memory serves.

General Zod · Jul 15, 2011

I loved it when animals were on the show.

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There is/was a story going around that Raquel Welch was on the show one night.She had a cat on her lap. She asked Johnny if he wanted to pet her pussy. he supposedly said,sure just get that cat off your lap.

kopfhorer · Jul 16, 2011

Bugman · Jul 16, 2011

General Zod said:
I loved it when animals were on the show.

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There is/was a story going around that Raquel Welch was on the show one night.She had a cat on her lap. She asked Johnny if he wanted to pet her pussy. he supposedly said,sure just get that cat off your lap.

kopfhorer said:
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Great clips guys, thanks.

The Tonight Show.

Bugman

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PiedPiper

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SamuelKhan

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milagros317

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General Zod

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kopfhorer

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Bugman

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