-My own vintage recording of the moment when the all-knowing Carnac came out and......things went somewhat awry! Hilarious example of how Johnny was the best in these kind of moments.
It was just perfect how Ed howled with laughter when Johnny whispered to him what happened and then you can hear him say "he doesn't have the answers" to the crew. He doesn't whisper it but says it just loud enough to make it out, which makes the whole thing hilarious.
The ritual of it, the fumbling with the curtains, heading the wrong way down the stage, tripping on the riser, Ed’s preamble, is so freaking satisfying.
And the audience is part of the skit. Carson is an expert at pacing and playing the reactions of the crowd. Also I think some of the answers are written to be groaners, so he can play the audience.
When they break character to shame each other over their bits it cracks me up. That hard cut from breaking down in laughter to Judy Garland face got me too.
Those jokes were soooo brutal - but Johnny cracking up beforehand because Ed told Freddy on a live mic he didn't have the answers, plus the horrible writing & Johnny's stuttering to salvage the bit - my 2nd all-time fave Carnac. Second only to "Sis-boom-bah".
This might be the best Carnac segment of them all, for all the obvious reasons. Making lemonade out of lemons, or knowing how to recover when a joke bombs or you forget the material... 🤣
Yes, Johnny Carson had a gift for laughter & telling jokes!!. I love the segment of Carnac that includes "Sis boom Bah!" That one was sooo funny. Even after he finished the punch line, Both himself & Ed bursted out laughing!. It's one of my favorites. They are both missed!!.
Dan, I'm 59 years old. I grew up watching two late night shows: Johnny Carson and Saturday Night live! I watched the first Saturday Night live ever! And continued to this day! I used to sneak out of bed, go downstairs away from my parents bedroom, and watch Johnny Carson since CHRISTMAS 🎄⛄, 1973 ! YES !, I Was 11yrs old ! **The week before New Year's in 1972, my father let me stay up late and we watched Johnny Carson together. I was hooked! For the next year, every chance I got, I would sneak out of bed and listen to Johnny Carson while my parents watched him on the only television we had. In February of 1974, we moved from New Jersey to Connecticut. We now had two televisions, one in the downstairs rec room. And thus, the legend lived on! I watched "Johnny"through my adolescent years, puberty, and ultimately adulthood till his last show! What a shame that he died shortly thereafter, the side effects of his alcoholism. THANKS FOR BRINGING BACK GREAT MEMORIES! BLESSINGS...
Carson was beyond legendary. I don't believe the show will ever get old to those of us who were lucky enough to watch it live. And WTF was the deal with the vacuum??? I can't remember this episode. Musta really been high. ☮️🇺🇸😺
5:03 - This has to have been the biggest silence from an audience reaction to a Carnac joke. Utter silence of the forgotten tomb, and Johnny knew it by his reaction. Poor writing on this Carnac night - still great fun!!
Makes you wonder if Johnny mangled the next one "Sweet and sour shrimp" on purpose to get a quick recovery laugh. Which shows how brilliant he could be when moments like that happened.
@@epaddon I like the little movement he did with his mouth and tongue during that bit. It is these little things which go together to make good comedy moments.
@@kennywagner4025 As Johnny said, they could not try these routines out on test audiences. Writers came up with the jokes very quickly, and Johnny said that something that sounds funny when said in his office could turn out to be the biggest joke bomb ever, as every studio audience is different. It was literally pot luck. This is why Ed being there was so important. To help when routines bombed.
That was the absolute worst 5 minutes of Carson's career. And it was perhaps the best 5 minutes of suckage in the history of TV. Johnny is still The King of Late Night
Several foul ups happened in this one skit. And yet these two walk away with an audience still howling with laughter. I guess they believed in the old saying about lemons.
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed.
One intern and three writers were dragged out of the NBC studios and executed after this Carnac routine went down the toilet faster than a dog could drink out of one.
0:45 Is this when he realizes the answers aren't there (flipping the papers and looking towards the band), then stalling with the cloak schtick as Ed calls it?
I thought the "Born in the USA" joke was hilarious. But I guess that's because I grew up in CA during the 80s and remember the lottery hysteria "The Big Spin" and people holding up the giant checks.
As Carnac begins to walk off after the last question, in front of him (to his left as he walks) is an upright vacuum cleaner sitting near the back stage wall (see 7:47). It is also visible when he comes onstage from behind the curtain. After he passes it, and leaves the stage, it is no longer there (see 7:49). Carson apparently noticed it and moved it or covered it up as he walked by as Carnac.
I was born 1975 in Germany. I lived in the USA in a difficult time from 1999 to 2001. I discovered Johnny Carson later in life (my time in the Navy ended in 1997) and just love to see his shows-especially in today`s flat landscape of entertainment. If I talk to young people about The Tonight Show, they have never heard of it(here in Germany) and it is always funny to see their faces when you show them some segments . This is America at its finest. Never forget that. It is such a sad story that the US went from landing on the Moon ...to Joe Biden. The USA went from having the highest regard in the world ...to be the absolute laughingstock of the world. But hey...opposite to me here in Germany -where everything is screwed already-there is still hope in the US if #45 makes a return.
@@CRCO1975 See , its a public platform. It was made, so that anybody could publish whatever he thought to be important. I have the same right to an opinion than you.I have noted your opinion, but what is your argument?
Possibly the worst Carnac ever. And still a thousand times funnier than the garbage vomited by today's late night hosts. Ed and Johnny, you are greatly missed.
@@jkl542 The exploding sheep is the best Carnac. And that's my point. This wasn't the best and it's still better than anything from Colbert, Kimmel. etc. Gutfeld comes closest to Carson but not quite.
Part of the genius of Carson was to make these goof-ups look like they were actually goof-ups. The reality is that this whole skit, including the missing answers, Ed laughing at him then turning to the crew and saying "he doesn't have the answers" just loud enough for the mics to pick it up, was likely all planned by Carson. Carson was well aware of the fact that seeing a comedian screw up a skit was hilarious, and he used that to his advantage often.
"Carnac now feel how L.A. Raiders feel!" Even when Carson's shtick was going down the drain, he was so good he could come up with zingers to salvage it. Much preferable to Jimmy Fallon horse-laughing his way through every lame punch line.
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed
I said Johnny Carson was for frontier than all the late-night show's around in 2023 no I said he was SAR no I said Farr funnier than all the late-night show's around in 2023!
A Carnac sketch is far funnier than an entire show with James Corden. 😁
This sketch is funnier then Corden’s entire career. If you could even call it a career
James Corden is just sad and depressing.
It’s also funnier than that annoying twit, Stephen Colbert.
Even when they screwed it up it was sheer brilliance.
F that clown
There’s a reason people still call him the King of Late Night. Absolutely brilliant.
It was just perfect how Ed howled with laughter when Johnny whispered to him what happened and then you can hear him say "he doesn't have the answers" to the crew. He doesn't whisper it but says it just loud enough to make it out, which makes the whole thing hilarious.
When Ed said that he was holding the last envelope, Carson had a quick smirk on his face where you could tell he was thinking “Thank God.”
The ritual of it, the fumbling with the curtains, heading the wrong way down the stage, tripping on the riser, Ed’s preamble, is so freaking satisfying.
SO much preamble. LOL
We ul
There is comfort in routine
And the audience is part of the skit. Carson is an expert at pacing and playing the reactions of the crowd. Also I think some of the answers are written to be groaners, so he can play the audience.
Don’t forget the near poke in the eye with the corner of the envelope. There simply have been none better.
A level of humor and class that will never be seen again.
I remember watching this the night it aired, and laughing my @$$ off!!! Johnny is the king of late night!
When they break character to shame each other over their bits it cracks me up. That hard cut from breaking down in laughter to Judy Garland face got me too.
Those jokes were soooo brutal - but Johnny cracking up beforehand because Ed told Freddy on a live mic he didn't have the answers, plus the horrible writing & Johnny's stuttering to salvage the bit - my 2nd all-time fave Carnac. Second only to "Sis-boom-bah".
Sis-boom-baa was hilarious...
That's much funnier than if they'd played this one straight.
This might be the best Carnac segment of them all, for all the obvious reasons. Making lemonade out of lemons, or knowing how to recover when a joke bombs or you forget the material... 🤣
The sound of a whistling bomb dropping at 6.38. Hilarious.
Probably Doc.
Even when Carnac bombs it’s funnier than anything on TV now.😄👍🏾
May the winds of the Sahara blow a desert scorpion up your caftan.
Many times Carnac's response to the unruly crowd was funnier than the original line. 😁
Absolutely. Johnny was the King.
Yes, Johnny Carson had a gift for laughter & telling jokes!!. I love the segment of Carnac that includes "Sis boom Bah!" That one was sooo funny. Even after he finished the punch line, Both himself & Ed bursted out laughing!. It's one of my favorites. They are both missed!!.
Dan,
I'm 59 years old. I grew up watching two late night shows:
Johnny Carson and Saturday Night live!
I watched the first Saturday Night live ever! And continued to this day!
I used to sneak out of bed, go downstairs away from my parents bedroom, and watch Johnny Carson since CHRISTMAS 🎄⛄, 1973 !
YES !, I Was 11yrs old !
**The week before New Year's in 1972, my father let me stay up late and we watched Johnny Carson together.
I was hooked!
For the next year, every chance I got, I would sneak out of bed and listen to Johnny Carson while my parents watched him on the only television we had.
In February of 1974, we moved from New Jersey to Connecticut. We now had two televisions, one in the downstairs rec room.
And thus, the legend lived on! I watched "Johnny"through my adolescent years, puberty, and ultimately adulthood till his last show!
What a shame that he died shortly thereafter, the side effects of his alcoholism.
THANKS FOR BRINGING BACK GREAT MEMORIES!
BLESSINGS...
Probably the only time in the history of the Tonight Show where they came back from a break to the sight of Carnac seated at the desk.
OMG, I always cry with laughter!! The best!!!
They should have cloned Carson and Ed before they passed. Man how I miss them.
I loved it when he did this and all the skits he did . No matter how it turned out .
Johnny was never funnier than when the joke didn’t work. He would just roll through it.....
His response: "Mmmm......bomb-o!"
He would acknowledge that the joke didn't work, and he would move on in a funny way.
That is the sign of a true professional. 👍
Many of them were crafted specifically to NOT work, to make a future one have more impact.
That may have been his truest gift (among many).
Even when he was bombing he made it work. That’s a true professional.
Carson was beyond legendary. I don't believe the show will ever get old to those of us who were lucky enough to watch it live. And WTF was the deal with the vacuum??? I can't remember this episode. Musta really been high. ☮️🇺🇸😺
If you mean Three things found under a rug . . .
Howard Cosell was a welll-known sportscaster who wore a bad toupee, aka a 'rug'.
Still the best in 2023👍🇺🇸
5:03 - This has to have been the biggest silence from an audience reaction to a Carnac joke. Utter silence of the forgotten tomb, and Johnny knew it by his reaction. Poor writing on this Carnac night - still great fun!!
Makes you wonder if Johnny mangled the next one "Sweet and sour shrimp" on purpose to get a quick recovery laugh. Which shows how brilliant he could be when moments like that happened.
@@epaddon I like the little movement he did with his mouth and tongue during that bit. It is these little things which go together to make good comedy moments.
It bombed so bad that even Carnac didn't curse the audience.
@@kennywagner4025 As Johnny said, they could not try these routines out on test audiences. Writers came up with the jokes very quickly, and Johnny said that something that sounds funny when said in his office could turn out to be the biggest joke bomb ever, as every studio audience is different. It was literally pot luck. This is why Ed being there was so important. To help when routines bombed.
@@epaddon Right after that at 5:35 he says "Get this over with" LOL
May the sands of the Kalahari never clog your vital openings!
That was the absolute worst 5 minutes of Carson's career. And it was perhaps the best 5 minutes of suckage in the history of TV. Johnny is still The King of Late Night
Even when he messed up, Johnny Carson was always funnier than what we have to suffer with today for "late night hosts".
Several foul ups happened in this one skit. And yet these two walk away with an audience still howling with laughter. I guess they believed in the old saying about lemons.
I always thought the answers were typed on the envelopes.
It's on a sheet of paper in the folder on his desk.
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed
@@johnking5174
You mean a poor, former intern.😉
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed.
I wonder why they just didn't write the answers on the side of the envelopes for him to read.
So, what you're saying is that Carnac the Magnificent was "Sheet out of Luck." right?
Probably the only time they did a commercial during Carnac
A bad Carson is better than anything on late night now
That's for sure, that's why I enjoy watching them on TH-cam!. No one knows how to be funny anymore.
I think Carnac had a few extra shots backstage before this bit started.
Why the vacuum cleaner? A sight gag, priceless.
Maybe to vacuum up the sand, since he came from the East!
Probably left there by a stagehand.
Choking on alphabet soup was really funny.
I remember one where the envelopes weren't in order.
5:40 Carnac....still timely with current events irony over thirty-five years later.
Someone left the vacuum cleaner on the set and he had no answers. Carson was so mad, he could not do the skit properly.
I’ve laughed more at these YT clips than at anything on late nite tv for 10 years.
At 1:40 someone who I know works in sound engineering said Johnny whispered to Ed this "Carnac is surprised, he doesn't have the answers".
I think Carnac has been drinking a little.
At 1:31, Ed starts to say “Carson” instead of “Carnac”.
Accidentaly on purpose.
One intern and three writers were dragged out of the NBC studios and executed after this Carnac routine went down the toilet faster than a dog could drink out of one.
A "challenging" night for Carnac.
0:45 Is this when he realizes the answers aren't there (flipping the papers and looking towards the band), then stalling with the cloak schtick as Ed calls it?
Former Wall Street stockbroker
One of if not the best Carnac.
I thought the "Born in the USA" joke was hilarious. But I guess that's because I grew up in CA during the 80s and remember the lottery hysteria "The Big Spin" and people holding up the giant checks.
@6:38 Was that Doc giving Johnny some heat with the bomb sound? LOLOLOL
As Carnac begins to walk off after the last question, in front of him (to his left as he walks) is an upright vacuum cleaner sitting near the back stage wall (see 7:47). It is also visible when he comes onstage from behind the curtain. After he passes it, and leaves the stage, it is no longer there (see 7:49). Carson apparently noticed it and moved it or covered it up as he walked by as Carnac.
Disappeared as if by magic
I think Johnny simply picked it up as he left the stage. His cape was wide enough to hide it.
He took it with him, you can see it in his hand as he goes off stage.
God help the producer who forgot to put the answer sheet on the desk. Haha
When Carson bombed he was still funnier than any other late night host
How do today’s late night hosts live with themselves?
Carson bombs are gold ❤
I was born 1975 in Germany. I lived in the USA in a difficult time from 1999 to 2001.
I discovered Johnny Carson later in life (my time in the Navy ended in 1997) and just love to see his shows-especially in today`s flat landscape of entertainment.
If I talk to young people about The Tonight Show, they have never heard of it(here in Germany) and it is always funny to see their faces when you show them some segments .
This is America at its finest. Never forget that.
It is such a sad story that the US went from landing on the Moon ...to Joe Biden.
The USA went from having the highest regard in the world ...to be the absolute laughingstock of the world.
But hey...opposite to me here in Germany -where everything is screwed already-there is still hope in the US if #45 makes a return.
It would be great if everyone could get along.
Well said sir!
@@daviddoherty5249 That is an utopia and will never happen. Socialism never works either.
What in God's name does this have to do with a Carnac sketch? Take your politics elsewhere.
@@CRCO1975 See , its a public platform. It was made, so that anybody could publish whatever he thought to be important. I have the same right to an opinion than you.I have noted your opinion, but what is your argument?
Possibly the worst Carnac ever. And still a thousand times funnier than the garbage vomited by today's late night hosts. Ed and Johnny, you are greatly missed.
I disagree. This was one of the best Carnac's ever done. Fumbling, bumbling their way through the entire skit made it even better
@@jkl542 The exploding sheep is the best Carnac. And that's my point. This wasn't the best and it's still better than anything from Colbert, Kimmel. etc. Gutfeld comes closest to Carson but not quite.
Late night comedians today don’t have anything on the king Johnny Carson!
Carson owes Ed a big hunk of his stardom.
Great writers
Today no so much
When I watched Carson as I got older, Carnac was to Carson as Topo Gigio was to Ed Sullivan for me as a child. I always looked forward to both.
Now I know how he did it.
How would you order one egg in Japan? Yoko Ono!! 🥚🥚🥚 😂😂😂
My all-time favorite CARNAC THE MAGNIFICENT:
Answer: Mount Baldy
Question: What did Mrs. Yul Brynner
do to Yul??
We went from this, to "The Big Bang Theory? Sad.
Someone didn't do their job, not giving him the paperwork with the answers 😂.
Man did this skit bomb!!!
That’s the whole point junior
@@msmith8966 You're way off track!
yeah , it was perfect, wasn't it.
Johnny Carson was far from you than all the late-night show's put together today!
Ed really knows how to laugh.
Part of the genius of Carson was to make these goof-ups look like they were actually goof-ups. The reality is that this whole skit, including the missing answers, Ed laughing at him then turning to the crew and saying "he doesn't have the answers" just loud enough for the mics to pick it up, was likely all planned by Carson. Carson was well aware of the fact that seeing a comedian screw up a skit was hilarious, and he used that to his advantage often.
ACTUALLY, CORDEN DOING KARNAK ON A FINAL FINAL FAREWELL TOUR WOULD HAVE BEEN FANTASTI C.
I miss Ed..,
He was the Best!!!
They made it look so easy!
Wait. Why the vacuum on stage???
What's with the vacuum cleaner? Is that to vacuum up the sand since he came from the East?
This is the problem with today's world, too many people want to be Johnny Carson and nobody wants to be Ed McMahon.
Some of these jokes were bad! He was to funny!
I didnt get it, why was he not remember anything? He is to funny!!
They forgot to place the answers on his desk.
Wonder if Whoopi would be all torn up about her being used as a punchline in a Jewish joke? Given her thoughts on the subject. . .
"Carnac now feel how L.A. Raiders feel!" Even when Carson's shtick was going down the drain, he was so good he could come up with zingers to salvage it. Much preferable to Jimmy Fallon horse-laughing his way through every lame punch line.
That’s why I can’t watch him. Few, very few jokes are fall off the chair funny.
Slapping the desk constantly, and maniacally throwing his head back cackling.
Thank you. 😂😂.
did he forget his earpiece?
For every Carnac appearance, a page would be ready in a folder for Johnny to read - you will notice in all Carnac appearances he always turns over a folder the moment he sits down. On this occasion some poor intern forgot to include the sheet he needed
Didn't know what we had. Now it's gone
One of my favorites was; El Paso. What do you do if you don't want to el runno or el punto?
I guess I've forgotten what happened back in '86, I didn't get the "Grammy" joke or, more accurately, why it failed so miserably....
I think it was just a bad pun punchline on "Granny" that didn't connect.
Sim Sal a-Bim to You 🙏
Time Out Of Mind
2.5 million dollars a year.
(opens envelope)
What makes Ed McMahon laugh so hard?
The vacuum?
Hank Kingsley and Carson would have been even better. Hey now
What the hell was a vacuum cleaner doing on the set?
Sim salabim.
Carnac's three sons.
that is the worsted jokes i have ever seen carnac do,,,,,the blooper was a lot better than the script
I wonder what Johnny whispered in Ed s ear ?????
Probably something on the order of, "They forgot to put the sheet with the answers on the desk."
As Ed walked away he said. 'he doesn't hv the answers'😅😂🤣💖🌹
I said Johnny Carson was for frontier than all the late-night show's around in 2023 no I said he was SAR no I said Farr funnier than all the late-night show's around in 2023!
Super bowl.......
What do you call a horrible idea for a drive through soup restaurant.
Soup or bowl....
Innocent times -- gags told by an Eastern mystic about Japanese women, midgets, immigrants....
Back when people had a sense of humour.
Better than Greg Gutfield on Fox news at night.
👍🤣🤣🤣🦂🥂
Millennials would accuse Carson of cultural appropriation for this.
So would Steve Allen.
Worst Carnac jokes ever.
These did not age well.
Would this be considered racist today?.....😂