I remember Conan O ' Brian saying " The great thing about America is you can do what ever you want to do " ; then he paused and said " Unless Jay Leno wants to do it "
Dave changed comedy on television and was Johnny's choice to succeed him.Jay got the job by being a sneaky kissass. Dave reinvented comedy on television.Jay is a footnote.
@@louannbrill7255 no...you really had to be.there. jay was GREAT SHREWD FUNNY ....David letterman? Trash tv. He in vented nothing and had zero class. Blah.
Wow, I remember watching this when it first aired, and here I am exactly 30 years later, 8/30/21. Carson and Letterman will always be part of my entertainment memories.
Letterman told Oprah many years later that NBC actually HAD talked to him but changed course and went with Leno but this answer in this particular interview with Johnny was kind of a cryptic stab at NBC... and since Dave and Johnny were such good friends, I wouldn't doubt this was actually set up before hand...
NBC did him worse than they did Dave tbh. They ended up losing two late night legends. Jay was good but those are the only guys that could ever hold a candle to Carson
@@Dana_Danarosana Yes, *NBC* was pretty much telling Dave the same thing they were telling Jay- "we want you for 'The Tonight Show'"- in order to hold onto them both. It was when Jay was tempted by a big offer from CBS that the network finally chose Jay to replace Carson. He should've gone to CBS, though. They treated their talent much better than *NBC.*
@@VickStarkiller IMO none of them can hold a candle to Carson, not even Dave and certainly not Conan. Never mind Kimmel, Colbert, or Fallon. The current breed of late night talk shows where it's all anti Trump all the time completely misses the mark of what made Caron's era so great.
Because its a script. They just keep playing the same script, different actors, and the public laps it all up. Sports, politics, showbiz etc etc etc, decade after decade.....distract the masses from The Truth. Who is Jesus Christ for 200 Alex?
@@everykneeshallbow you say showbiz is a script and then want to talk about Jesus. Where do you think showbiz got that idea? Religion kept the populace ignorant long before TV ever did.
Johnny asks Dave if he could imagine staying on late night television another 20 years and Dave laughs and says no. Dave not only continued his late night run for another 24 years after this clip, he also ended up beating Johnny’s late night run (30 years) by 3 years (33 years). Incredible.
@@DenizenMatt except ...WE NOW WATCH THE CARSON RERUNS AND CANNOT BELIEVE HOW BRILLANT HE WAS. AND WE ALSO CANNOT BELIEVE HOW STOOOOID AND QUITE THE BOORISH RETARD LETTERMAN WAS
And now late night shows don't even come close to how classy and professional a late night host could be and still be so entertaining and hilarious. Now it's about pushing some kind of agenda or bringing politics into it to garner support from one side. Really poorly researched and foolish questions to interesting guests. It's so sad. I'm so tired of those shitty hacks. It was all over when Leno quit and then Letterman. Even Conan started to become a boring shill once he started to bring his politics into his show. Keep it non-political or neutral otherwise it's stupid and boring. I can't stand Fallon and those other 2 British clowns. Late night shows are a dead form of entertainment.
Funny enough, after the decision was announced that they were giving it to Conan, Howard Stern was a guest on Conan's show and predicted exactly what would happen and what Jay would do right to the T.
Dave's got a lot of them. He interviewed Joaquin Phoenix one time. He came on as the character from the movie he was promoting, but Dave didn't play along. By the end of the interview Dave said to him "And Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't make it tonight."
@@Cludensyo I think you've got that a bit wrong. Joaquin was pretending to BE that character. He actually had Dave fooled that he'd completely changed as a person!
Always one of my favorites of his and it's just occurring to me now that it might not have been an adlib. Johnny kind of glances at his notes as he sets it up. I feel like that line and "how pissed off are you" may have been worked out in the pre-interview.
I watched the Leno Letterman and Conan years in early 2000's onwards. Just watching some Carson material lately (was too young when he was on air) and boy this guy is pure class. It's a different level altogether. No wonder all the other hosts put him on a pedestal even now.
He was the best, no doubt.. Celebrities, regular folk, zoo animals.. He had them all on his show and made it entertaining.. I don’t tell people this often, but I took the time while traveling with my brother, on business, to watch his final show.. And my sister called our room to tell us our mother had passed from cancer.. May 22, 1993..
In hindsight, you can definitely see how much NBC kept Carson out of the loop. The whole thing with Joan Rivers blindsided him b/c he didn't know about the difficulties she was having w/NBC & the unstable contract they dumped at her feet, causing her to leave to do her own show. Likewise, he seemed to have every intention of making Letterman his successor but was insulated by the network from all the behind-the-scenes drama, decision-making, & mudslinging and had to tow-the-line after NBC announced Leno as the new host. But Carson got the last laugh. He never even mentioned Jay on his final show & never returned to the Tonight Show in any capacity; but he was regularly sending monologue jokes to Dave, even making a final public appearance on his show, which became a major television event. Things came full-circle years later when Letterman was in Carson's role as the accomplished, legendary veteran having a similar sit-down with Conan who also lost the Tonight Show to that big-chinned dope Jay. The similarities are nearly the same.
The similarities were very ironically the same because there was one big difference. Letterman had naively assumed he'd be given the Tonight Show because he deserved it, and his contract only required NBC to pay him $1 million if he didn't get it. Conan, once he was successful at Late Night, wanted the Tonight Show too, and unlike Letterman did everything to get the most iron-clad guarantee possible that he would get it: Conan's deal with NBC required them to put a time limit on Leno's next contract and then give Conan the Tonight Show. There was no way Conan would not get it. And he did get it. But Leno wasn't ready to retire and NBC wasn't willing to let him become a competitor, so they set up an unsustainable compromise that was rigged against Conan.
@@MagicAl5F4781 I bet Letterman talked Conan behind the scenes and said here’s where I went wrong. I suggest this. But no one foresaw Jay taking the freaking show back. I guess putting a time limit on it maybe worked against Conan in the end. Or maybe later time limit allowing Jay to be in the position longer. But you can’t know those kinda things. It was up to Leno to communicate that with his legal team and then not be immature about it afterward. Clearly Leno is a horrible communicator though.
@@007nadineL My taking of it is never be-little those in your team below you. He was saying that the whole team made this show, not just him and it wasn't right to make fun of them losing their jobs, I respect Carson for that.
Boy, you forget how shot out of a cannon Dave was when he was younger. Always loved that Johnny took the time to signal that he actually understood comedy by essentially endorsing Dave. Just an all-time great episode.
Good point. Leno is actually a throwback to the kind of comedy Carson came up with--staid political jokes that never break the fourth wall--whereas Dave was the future. It's a rare artist who recognizes and approves of the genius of the generation that will replace him.
@@davidc.2878 Dave Letterman always admitted that he copied the wacky style of his hero, the original host of the Tonight Show, Steve Allen....Allen left Tonight after 3 years to host a prime time show on NBC...as Steve said years later "The Tonight Show was on 5 days a week, one and 1/2 hours very day...7 and 1/2 hours every week on the air...But the prime time show was just on ONE hour per week....and it paid me more than TEN TIMES the salary....it was an easy decisions."
@@davidc.2878 The problem that Leno had, as well as with all the other late night hosts other than Carson, is that they didn't know when to shut up and let the guests talk. I don't know if it was an ego thing where they all saw themselves as the draw instead of their guests, but there was always this almost continuous habit of interrupting the guests to insert their own thoughts, and that still holds today. Colbert seems to be 'getting it' and letting his guests be the focus of the interviews, though. I remember reading about Carson's prep work every day, learning as much as he could about the prospective guests that were going to appear, in order to be able to get them to talk about themselves and what was going on in their life. He was the master at making those who were nervous, able to feel more at ease on the set, which made his show the best.
Oops forgetting two important points Letterman was never funny-snarky and a smart ass, but not funny And Conan was about as interesting and funny as tapioca pudding or a mashed potato sandwich These guys should have gone into other careers
"if they came to me and said, 'Dave, we'd like you to have this show', and then a week later said, 'Dave, we don't want you to have this show', then I'd be angry". Isn't that exactly what they did to Conan?
And *NBC* said "Jay, we'll give you "The Tonight Show" if you turn down CBS," and then they offered it to Dave when *he* threatened to go to CBS. That's the way *NBC* rolls and Dave not staying there is the best decision he could've made.
@@daveteves Yes, Conan made a wise decision going to *TBS.* That's been a much better home for him (9 years and still running!) than *NBC* was ever likely to be.
@@gallery7596 so the best decision really is to leave NBC. I'm not a fan of Jimmy Fallon but i sure hope NBC screws him over in a couple of years and Jay Leno is once again involved. I want this thing to happen in three's.
Johnny. So classy. Such a sweet guy. Dave says he wasn't listening so Johnny says I forgot what I asked. Always making folks feel comfortable. A real gift.
Yes, Carson was a notorious dickhead, it was all persona. Letterman was also a dick, but never hid that, openly was a dick on his show, honest to a fault (therefore alright in my book). Leno was a teddy bear until he got caught up in all of this and managed to somehow backstab everyone, though I think he meant well in the end, he was overwhelmed. Leno and Letterman have ended up being really cool guys later in life, Carson was a complete dick till his death. Though Carson may be the OG, I hope Leno's and Letterman's legacy end up outshining his bitter ass. They should have gone with Conan anyway - he has more originality than all 3 of the others combined, imho, and is still kicking ass to this day.
I'm 39 now, I was 12 when this aired. I was lucky enough to watch Carson with my Mom for his last 3 or 4 years. Long enough to know how good it was. Was shattered when they took it from Conan.
"I hate waiting in lines but I'd do it".....pure genius. Johnny was the original king of late night but Dave took the reigns no matter what anyone says. Miss them both.
I miss those days. Nan would watch Johnny and fall asleep in her rocking chair, and i'd stay up watching Letterman. They were both masters of wit and timing.
+Ken Johnson He apparently have away millions to charity, but kept it all a secret. Only came to light years after his death. No publicity, no applause, he just donated millions to different charities. That is what I like about him.
Robert Gerber Yes he was a very private person in real life and that's what separated him from Sammy, Deano, Sinatra, etc. He had the talent to hold his own with the Rat Pack, no doubt.
@sid roth Yeah but he had to do something different then Leno also. If it was just like a 1:1 version of the tonight show it would be boring. Also in germany like every talk show or night show is political. They say here, if you go to the US and get invited to an american home, don't talk about politics, because the americans don't like to talk about it in private... In germany we talk about politics as well as about everything else when we are with other people.
Johnny did a couple shows before the tonight show stretching back from 1953 through 1962, "Carson's cellar", "The Johnny Carson show", "do you trust your wife?"
@@IMP3TIGO Dave literally laughed derisively at the idea of doing his show another 20 years but he also literally did just that. How is that not irony?
@@HylanderSB okay, that makes sense then. Sadly, the second half of his career was milquetoast compares to the first half, when he was the best ever (and why so many comedians idolize him).
3434arc1 But it was also a much less dumbed down America. People had more class and they had attention spans. The schools were only partially disastrous back then.
Oh give me a break. The Baby Boomer generation was objectively the worst generation in America's history, and we're still recovering from it even today.
When his son Harry was born in 2003 he changed his persona a bit - but of course he was still having sexual affairs with many interns even in the years after Harry was born. It barely ended before the extortion/blackmail case came about in 2009.
@@johnking5174 He actually began slowing down even before that. It started around 2000 when he had his heart surgery. He essentially stopped "trying" around that time.
@SavageHenry762, yup. Letterman and all of the talk show hosts that followed Johnny let their personal political views affect the way they did their shows. Johnny was himself a registered Democrat, but you wouldn’t of known that because he didn’t show his biases on air. He made jokes of people of all political stripes and personal views, but he showed respect to all of his guests when he interviewed them. Watch how courteous he was to known conservatives like Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan when he interviewed them. You wouldn’t see that from Jimmy Kimmel and especially from Stephen Colbert!
And Letterman did his show until 2015... which was past the 20 years Letterman thought he would never do, per this interview. This is true television - two legends, one clip. Both are missed in their own ways. =M=
Dave is still with us. So, Dave isn’t missed. He’s here. His show is missed. Never start a sentence with “And”. “True” television would literally be a physical television. Your name ends in a vowel so I know you’re not stupid, you just have to apply yourself to your writing.
Letterman did his show ‘til 2015; which was longer than the 20 year window that he mentioned in this interview. This is the epitome of television: two legends - one clip. Both their shows are missed, immensely. =M= (I need 32 people to “like” this).
I was never much of a fan of David Letterman, but this clip does show him in full bloom. It takes a certain personality to thrive in that industry and damn if he wasn't MADE for it.
He got his first gig as the host of Late Night, had a big blow-up over moving to The Tonight Show, left to start an entirely new show on a network with no pre-existing talk show in the time slot, and finally ended up doing whatever the hell he wants on a streaming platform. Dave is Conan’s forerunner in literally every single beat of their careers. Seriously, that comparison is eerie. Their career paths are so, so similar.
Pablo Neruda ok so let’s break it down. I’ll paraphrase. Johnny says “you were going to firebomb NBC” Dave says “I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it.” Maybe seeing it will help. If you can’t figure out after seeing it and thinking about it I’ll tell you what it means.
Actually, that's not original; it's just a variation of a VERY old joke. It was first used many years ago about "doing something" on a person's grave followed by the line: "but I hate waiting in long lines."
You can watch a lot of his show on youtube. In germany we didn't know anything about Johnny Carson, most here even didn't know that the famous Shining line was a refence to Carson. Now I try to watch a lot of his shows on TH-cam. I didn't even watch Fallon any more, I just watch old Carson clips. Especially the Don Rickles clips I watch over and over again.
Well said. Whatever had happened in your day, or what you faced tomorrow, Johnny calmed you down for an hour, and made you feel everything was all right with the world.
This is one of my favorite clips for a few different reasons: - “The gravy train is being discontinued” ... that’s a great line. - “Just, um, ... just how pissed off are you?” ... that’s classic Carson with the timing, charm, and wit. - This always reminds me of the Conan/Letterman clip ... greatness coming full circle. - You can tell Carson loves Letterman ... like a father/son relationship that Letterman always cherished. - When Carson refers to Leno as Letterman’s “friend” ... and there’s an awkward silence, which tells it all. - Carson represented the old guard and Letterman represented the new, youthful one ... but their chemistry is superb. - The two kings of the late night world for 65 years ... American icons forever.
Jay Leno was the permanent guest host on the Tonight Show for several years. It ended up working out good for both Dave and Jay even though they both competed against each other.
@Eric Cartman maybe, yes. But Carson was an all-around better host for a late night talk show. He just always had the right things to say to his guests. Everyone liked and respected Johnny.
Except he says it while punching the air, as if you say he would rather push everyone out of his way instead of patiently waiting his turn. He did have a bad attitude and that's why TV networks thought little of him. Happenstance brought him to TV, his own personality pushed him away from it.
@@gmwilkiegeorge8685 there are plenty of stories of shootings from people getting angry about people cutting in line to people getting mad about a car accident. These shootings happen everyday all over the nation. I thought you knew this by now, but maybe watching fox news has corrupted your perception and you believe whatever they tell you. Do you really think guns make America safer when you have to risk yet getting shot during a car accident? Many people are afraid of such a raw encounter with a cool holding a gun.
3:18 "Just how pissed off are you?" Best opening question in the history of late night talk shows. Love Dave, like Conan but no one will ever touch Johnny.
There seems to be a small hickup around the word pissed. As if there had been some post editing. If there was censoring, what do you think he actually said?
@@Enregardant I remember seeing it when it first aired, and I believe that's exactly what Johnny said. It was truly shocking at the time to hear Johnny use that phrase! Hence the audience roaring with surprised laughter. He never used questionable language on air. Didn't need to. Was supremely funny without it.
He , Dave was ok, but got crazy pollitically at end, Carson was King, sad though how in real life it sounds like he often wasn't so nice, but he was a National Treasure
@@jaZZjaZZ54 no offense, but late night TV was invented by the first Tonight host, Steve Allen....he thought up the desk, the microphone, the guest chair, the monologue, the band, going into the audience to talk with people, having gusts and a side-kick [Gene Rayburn. later host of The Match Game]...all Steve Allen....he even had a character called "The Question Man" where Rayburn told him an ANSWER...and Steve Allen then told the QUESTION...Carson copied the exact format, but changed the character's name to Karnak....
Yep. Dave basically lied to Johnny when he said he wasn't angry at Jay Leno or NBC. Of course he couldn't say much publically at that time but he and Johnny Carson were very close friends and I would've LOVED to hear them talk privately about the whole situation off the air.
I've only heard of Mr. Carson here and there thanks to Conan and David. But to see this video, I get it now. The DNA shared between the three in question is right there to behold. The same delivery and the same quick wit. It's brilliant.
Well it just happened to Dave back then more or less, history repeated itself with Conan, even Conan mentioned when ge was at Dave's show how "it happened to me once" talk joking as Dave.
I love this, they had each other backs, both eccentric, both respected each other, I have always loved Dave, I grew up with Dave, got his humor, Leno was never for me, but I respect that we had both
I never noticed the line before from Letterman. "Had they said we want you to have the show then a week later said we changed our minds..." Oddly prophetic with what happened in the whole Leno - Conan debacle.
Carson (to Letterman): Can you imagine yourself, doing your show, 20 years from now? Letterman: (breaks out in hysterical laughter) Funny how life turns out, doesn't it..........
Not that I don't like Jimmy, Conan or Jay but an individual as charming, intelligent and funny as Johnny Carson was are a true blessing to be able to enjoy.
@@BuckyBrown-lt4ry I dont get the Bob Hope Style, I also don't get Richard Pryor. The Carson and Don Rickles humor and style I get instant connected to.
Ivana Petkovic GHOST WORLD?! That was from 2001 and they represent HIPSTERS. That wasn’t indicative of the style in the early 2000s. The 90s has nothing to do with that!
It's really hard to walk away from those big, fat contracts. When you're good at what you do, the offers to stick around "a little longer" just keep climbing and before you know it, ten years turns into 25.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
I remember Conan O ' Brian saying " The great thing about America is you can do what ever you want to do " ; then he paused and said " Unless Jay Leno wants to do it "
Leno was keener funner classier shrug
Classier? He hid in a closet during a meeting so he could hear what was going on... is that... classy?
@@eliyates1691 nope probably the only way he could a beat their system though
Dave changed comedy on television and was Johnny's choice to succeed him.Jay got the job by being a sneaky kissass.
Dave reinvented comedy on television.Jay is a footnote.
@@louannbrill7255 no...you really had to be.there. jay was GREAT SHREWD FUNNY ....David letterman? Trash tv. He in
vented nothing and had zero class. Blah.
whatever you do when you watch this interview......dont blame conan
No one's blaming Conan.
Hahaha nice one
@@BabysitterSky say that to Leno baby
Yuup
You weren’t thinking about blaming Conan now, were you?
It's hard to believe Johnny Carson hasn't been on the air for almost 30 years now. It seems like yesterday, I always enjoyed his show.
And Carson TH-cam channel has 500 000 subscribers- that is impressive.
Well that's because he died
@@Rob7194 lmao
@@Rob7194 he died on air, right?
I still miss Johnny Carson.
Wow, I remember watching this when it first aired, and here I am exactly 30 years later, 8/30/21. Carson and Letterman will always be part of my entertainment memories.
Mine too.
One of those things where we were all watching that night..
"If they told me I have a show then told me I don't have a show, then I would be angry". 20 years later, Conan comes to mind.
Letterman told Oprah many years later that NBC actually HAD talked to him but changed course and went with Leno but this answer in this particular interview with Johnny was kind of a cryptic stab at NBC... and since Dave and Johnny were such good friends, I wouldn't doubt this was actually set up before hand...
Carson was producing Letterman Show and Letterman was bad mouthing NBC and others which made Carson go elsewhere
NBC did him worse than they did Dave tbh. They ended up losing two late night legends. Jay was good but those are the only guys that could ever hold a candle to Carson
@@Dana_Danarosana Yes, *NBC* was pretty much telling Dave the same thing they were telling Jay- "we want you for 'The Tonight Show'"- in order to hold onto them both. It was when Jay was tempted by a big offer from CBS that the network finally chose Jay to replace Carson. He should've gone to CBS, though. They treated their talent much better than *NBC.*
@@VickStarkiller IMO none of them can hold a candle to Carson, not even Dave and certainly not Conan. Never mind Kimmel, Colbert, or Fallon. The current breed of late night talk shows where it's all anti Trump all the time completely misses the mark of what made Caron's era so great.
Why does this feel EXACTLY like that time Conan visited Letterman's show
Because they screwed David like they did Conan.
Kveld and Jay was the issue every time
Because its a script. They just keep playing the same script, different actors, and the public laps it all up. Sports, politics, showbiz etc etc etc, decade after decade.....distract the masses from The Truth. Who is Jesus Christ for 200 Alex?
@@everykneeshallbow Script was the very first thing to come to mind .
@@everykneeshallbow you say showbiz is a script and then want to talk about Jesus. Where do you think showbiz got that idea? Religion kept the populace ignorant long before TV ever did.
I think Craig Ferguson was underappreciated/underrated.
I agree?I didn't appreciate him or rate him highly.
The crazed Scotsman with a robotic sidekick bit got old for me fairly quickly.
100%. Only one who didnt have a planned monologue on a teleprompter. The show definitely reflected his personality.
The Scotsman right?
@@TopStrikerMaverick ya. He also played Drew Careys boss on the drew Carey show. Mr Whick I believe.
Johnny asks Dave if he could imagine staying on late night television another 20 years and Dave laughs and says no. Dave not only continued his late night run for another 24 years after this clip, he also ended up beating Johnny’s late night run (30 years) by 3 years (33 years). Incredible.
And he stayed until Jay was 100% done and off the air.
Pretty sure he meant with his show with NBC.
@@DenizenMatt except ...WE NOW WATCH THE CARSON RERUNS AND CANNOT BELIEVE HOW BRILLANT HE WAS. AND WE ALSO CANNOT BELIEVE HOW STOOOOID AND QUITE THE BOORISH RETARD LETTERMAN WAS
Mr. Carson had so much class! One of the perks of old age is I got to see him for almost 30 years. No one since him could fill his shoes!
The greatest!
Yep we were so lucky getting to grow up watching Johnny
And now late night shows don't even come close to how classy and professional a late night host could be and still be so entertaining and hilarious. Now it's about pushing some kind of agenda or bringing politics into it to garner support from one side. Really poorly researched and foolish questions to interesting guests. It's so sad. I'm so tired of those shitty hacks. It was all over when Leno quit and then Letterman. Even Conan started to become a boring shill once he started to bring his politics into his show. Keep it non-political or neutral otherwise it's stupid and boring. I can't stand Fallon and those other 2 British clowns. Late night shows are a dead form of entertainment.
Vladislav I think it’s also just because we’re moving on in time and things get more modern and more money gets in involved
Man I remember when he was young and interviewed jimi hendrix! That was cool to see, now look at him here
Johnny was and remains the greatest. The pinnacle.
The friendship of these two comics really comes through, but one of Letterman's
finer moments- he's very unguarded and running with it.
That was Jack Parr. Look at the old clips; Carson ripped him off.
Magic Trained...oh WW2 U S. Navy..
O'Brian was the funniest.
@@roberth.5185
You're thinking of Denis Leary and Bill Hicks
He predicts the Conan situation and renders his verdict way ahead of time.
Funny enough, after the decision was announced that they were giving it to Conan, Howard Stern was a guest on Conan's show and predicted exactly what would happen and what Jay would do right to the T.
What are you talking about? With his beard that Dave has now, he's so hairy he looks like Bigfoot from those "Messing with Sasquatch" commercials.
@@RREDDWARFF ....what are you talking about? Like seriously
I was going to say, you think this is impressive? Check out Howard stern on Conan. Nails it.
@@ReddFoxx1562 I think he was trying to comment on the comment above about Letterman having so much hair but missed the mark.
I remember watching this live , and I was young, but I still remember being floored by Johnny's action. It's only grown , my respect, over the years.
I have to admit I like Jay Leno over Dave
His “I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it “ might be his best line in all of broadcasting
I also like him telling the band the gravy train is over! lol
Dave's got a lot of them. He interviewed Joaquin Phoenix one time. He came on as the character from the movie he was promoting, but Dave didn't play along. By the end of the interview Dave said to him "And Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't make it tonight."
@@Cludensyo I think you've got that a bit wrong. Joaquin was pretending to BE that character. He actually had Dave fooled that he'd completely changed as a person!
Dave used it to nail Madonna too, in the infamous 'ok, what is that, a swimcap?' appearance. You've likely seen it.
Always one of my favorites of his and it's just occurring to me now that it might not have been an adlib. Johnny kind of glances at his notes as he sets it up. I feel like that line and "how pissed off are you" may have been worked out in the pre-interview.
I watched the Leno Letterman and Conan years in early 2000's onwards. Just watching some Carson material lately (was too young when he was on air) and boy this guy is pure class. It's a different level altogether. No wonder all the other hosts put him on a pedestal even now.
The best.
He was the best, no doubt.. Celebrities, regular folk, zoo animals.. He had them all on his show and made it entertaining..
I don’t tell people this often, but I took the time while traveling with my brother, on business, to watch his final show.. And my sister called our room to tell us our mother had passed from cancer.. May 22, 1993..
1992* Big thumbs.. lol..
"just how pissed off are you?" beautiful.
The delivery of that line was what made it ... and Dave put respect on it by his reaction.
GOLD.
Ed looked worried when Dave got up 3:29
from half wit "comedy" to total obscurity....they even destroyed his old set and used it for firewood....it waslong overdue
@@1olddirtroad what are you talking about?
How flowing the banter is here makes it so easy to watch. Two legends doing what they do best.
You can really see how much Carson and Letterman like each other
In hindsight, you can definitely see how much NBC kept Carson out of the loop. The whole thing with Joan Rivers blindsided him b/c he didn't know about the difficulties she was having w/NBC & the unstable contract they dumped at her feet, causing her to leave to do her own show. Likewise, he seemed to have every intention of making Letterman his successor but was insulated by the network from all the behind-the-scenes drama, decision-making, & mudslinging and had to tow-the-line after NBC announced Leno as the new host.
But Carson got the last laugh. He never even mentioned Jay on his final show & never returned to the Tonight Show in any capacity; but he was regularly sending monologue jokes to Dave, even making a final public appearance on his show, which became a major television event.
Things came full-circle years later when Letterman was in Carson's role as the accomplished, legendary veteran having a similar sit-down with Conan who also lost the Tonight Show to that big-chinned dope Jay. The similarities are nearly the same.
I can’t stand Jay Leno. Big obnoxious dope. I remember when he was on “One Day At A Time”. He played a bid headed dope.
What a stretch.
The similarities were very ironically the same because there was one big difference. Letterman had naively assumed he'd be given the Tonight Show because he deserved it, and his contract only required NBC to pay him $1 million if he didn't get it. Conan, once he was successful at Late Night, wanted the Tonight Show too, and unlike Letterman did everything to get the most iron-clad guarantee possible that he would get it: Conan's deal with NBC required them to put a time limit on Leno's next contract and then give Conan the Tonight Show. There was no way Conan would not get it. And he did get it. But Leno wasn't ready to retire and NBC wasn't willing to let him become a competitor, so they set up an unsustainable compromise that was rigged against Conan.
@@MagicAl5F4781 I bet Letterman talked Conan behind the scenes and said here’s where I went wrong. I suggest this. But no one foresaw Jay taking the freaking show back. I guess putting a time limit on it maybe worked against Conan in the end. Or maybe later time limit allowing Jay to be in the position longer. But you can’t know those kinda things. It was up to Leno to communicate that with his legal team and then not be immature about it afterward. Clearly Leno is a horrible communicator though.
Great post!
I think the NBC execs get VERY nervous when they sense somebody is a loose canon and Letterman was a loose canon.
Carson, Letterman, O'Brien that's how history should have gone, but money and greed ruin things.....
Whose choice was it that when Leno got the show Carson's or NBC's?
your correct ruined everything I now go to bed at 10pm.
Leno's ratings were better than all of those 3 clowns.
@@sj4632 maybe you should talk about him being funny or not. Yes they are clowns and still funny.
@@willcuza Leno was the funniest.
"Rule #1 in comedy. Never joke with the trades people." -Carson
Love that old school class.
I watch reruns of Carson on PlutoTV (streaming). It's clear that Carson had a BOATLOAD of class. A boatload.
What does that mean pls.
.
@@mymail3950 Ha HA ..you just said "BUTTLOAD"
@@007nadineL My taking of it is never be-little those in your team below you. He was saying that the whole team made this show, not just him and it wasn't right to make fun of them losing their jobs, I respect Carson for that.
There will never be another Johnny Carson
Russell Pottenger there will never be a David Letterman either
but we can make one... we have the technology
except for Letterman
I know a Johnny Carson's top bloke went to school with him big nose and a wonky eye but super nice guy
Absolutely amazing man
Boy, you forget how shot out of a cannon Dave was when he was younger. Always loved that Johnny took the time to signal that he actually understood comedy by essentially endorsing Dave. Just an all-time great episode.
Good point. Leno is actually a throwback to the kind of comedy Carson came up with--staid political jokes that never break the fourth wall--whereas Dave was the future. It's a rare artist who recognizes and approves of the genius of the generation that will replace him.
Dave’s show was the only talk show that Johnny ever visited
@@davidc.2878 Dave Letterman always admitted that he copied the wacky style of his hero, the original host of the Tonight Show, Steve Allen....Allen left Tonight after 3 years to host a prime time show on NBC...as Steve said years later "The Tonight Show was on 5 days a week, one and 1/2 hours very day...7 and 1/2 hours every week on the air...But the prime time show was just on ONE hour per week....and it paid me more than TEN TIMES the salary....it was an easy decisions."
@@davidc.2878 The problem that Leno had, as well as with all the other late night hosts other than Carson, is that they didn't know when to shut up and let the guests talk. I don't know if it was an ego thing where they all saw themselves as the draw instead of their guests, but there was always this almost continuous habit of interrupting the guests to insert their own thoughts, and that still holds today. Colbert seems to be 'getting it' and letting his guests be the focus of the interviews, though. I remember reading about Carson's prep work every day, learning as much as he could about the prospective guests that were going to appear, in order to be able to get them to talk about themselves and what was going on in their life. He was the master at making those who were nervous, able to feel more at ease on the set, which made his show the best.
@@d.e.b.b5788 nice to read such a thoughtful and articulate comment.
When I was in High School, Johnny Carson was still on and still HILARIOUS week after week! I was so sad when he finally retired :(
Oops forgetting two important points Letterman was never funny-snarky and a smart ass, but not funny And Conan was about as interesting and funny as tapioca pudding or a mashed potato sandwich These guys should have gone into other careers
@@alangordon8906 I don't think Conan has EVER made me laugh even once, I still don't understand how he got that spot.
Watching this friendship in action always makes me smile.
Johnny....”There were rumors you were going to firebomb NBC”
Dave...”Well, I hate waiting in lines, but I’d do it”.....ROFL...GOLLLDDD
FARKKING Funny .
My wish is that one day I'll find myself in a moment where this is the perfect line
Dave had a quick mind to come up with that.
Both of them can never be replaced, The King and the Prince of talk shows.
Wrong. Steve Allen, the guy who INVENTED and was the first host of The Tonight Show, was Thee Best by far.
@@ignorecorporatenews The problem is, not so much material available exist on the interwebs of the entirety of Steve Allen's show, so that's about it.
Letterman is the King
Carson is the Emperor
"if they came to me and said, 'Dave, we'd like you to have this show', and then a week later said, 'Dave, we don't want you to have this show', then I'd be angry". Isn't that exactly what they did to Conan?
And *NBC* said "Jay, we'll give you "The Tonight Show" if you turn down CBS," and then they offered it to Dave when *he* threatened to go to CBS. That's the way *NBC* rolls and Dave not staying there is the best decision he could've made.
@@gallery7596 i also find that Conan is more creative now, more free when he's on TBS than he was on NBC.
@@daveteves Yes, Conan made a wise decision going to *TBS.* That's been a much better home for him (9 years and still running!) than *NBC* was ever likely to be.
@@gallery7596 so the best decision really is to leave NBC. I'm not a fan of Jimmy Fallon but i sure hope NBC screws him over in a couple of years and Jay Leno is once again involved. I want this thing to happen in three's.
@@daveteves Oh, please no more. Jay's been screwed enough by *NBC.* Let them do it to Fallon with Seth Meyers.
This is hilarious. David Letterman never forget why he got his break. He loved Johnny too. 🙏❤️
Johnny. So classy. Such a sweet guy. Dave says he wasn't listening so Johnny says I forgot what I asked. Always making folks feel comfortable. A real gift.
Yes, Carson was a notorious dickhead, it was all persona. Letterman was also a dick, but never hid that, openly was a dick on his show, honest to a fault (therefore alright in my book). Leno was a teddy bear until he got caught up in all of this and managed to somehow backstab everyone, though I think he meant well in the end, he was overwhelmed. Leno and Letterman have ended up being really cool guys later in life, Carson was a complete dick till his death. Though Carson may be the OG, I hope Leno's and Letterman's legacy end up outshining his bitter ass. They should have gone with Conan anyway - he has more originality than all 3 of the others combined, imho, and is still kicking ass to this day.
Sweet guy? Carson beat his wife.
amylane baker That's why atheist carson is in Satan's hail....
@@enderpanda you are a fucking idiot if you really think that
@@OikPoinFive lol. You are a tool
I was actually at this show!!!
You were 22..
@@DonkeyLipsDA3rd Does him being 22 then make it not possible to visit shows or something?
@@bigbadwolf5870 No, I was just trying to guess his age at that time..
Who’s side you on? Letterman or Leno?
@@michaelblockley3910 Craig Ferguson
Lettermans original NBC late night show was simply amazing
For me, Dave's final two appearances with Mr. Carson were his very best. Thanks for sharing.
I'm 39 now, I was 12 when this aired. I was lucky enough to watch Carson with my Mom for his last 3 or 4 years. Long enough to know how good it was. Was shattered when they took it from Conan.
"I hate waiting in lines but I'd do it".....pure genius. Johnny was the original king of late night but Dave took the reigns no matter what anyone says. Miss them both.
Reins
I love how David Letterman practically foretells what happened with Jay Leno and Conan.
I'm surprised no one made a conspiracy theory about this
what happened
5:39 Check that
Ladyzelda333 fbomb NBC.
Ladyzelda333 Leno really hurt Conan career. He should of had Fallon's gig
I miss those days. Nan would watch Johnny and fall asleep in her rocking chair, and i'd stay up watching Letterman. They were both masters of wit and timing.
No rich performer in the history of TV deserved his cash and fame more than Carson. He was class personified.
+Ken Johnson He apparently have away millions to charity, but kept it all a secret. Only came to light years after his death. No publicity, no applause, he just donated millions to different charities. That is what I like about him.
I agree 100%. This shows what he really was like. Everyone had bad traits, but he had some nice ones too.
Johnny was the best by far. So much so that he was uncomfortable in life when he wasn't Johnny Carson from the Tonight Show.
Robert Gerber Yes he was a very private person in real life and that's what separated him from Sammy, Deano, Sinatra, etc. He had the talent to hold his own with the Rat Pack, no doubt.
felt fortunate being old enough to watch him on late night-he always brought out the best out of guests #kingoflatenight
The amount of mutual respect between these two entertainers just floods through the camera
I felt pretty sad when Letterman retired and Carson couldn't be there. He would have been proud.
carson couldn't have cared less
@sid roth Yeah but he had to do something different then Leno also. If it was just like a 1:1 version of the tonight show it would be boring. Also in germany like every talk show or night show is political. They say here, if you go to the US and get invited to an american home, don't talk about politics, because the americans don't like to talk about it in private... In germany we talk about politics as well as about everything else when we are with other people.
Ironically, Dave's run as a talk show host ended up being longer than Johnny's.
Johnny did a couple shows before the tonight show stretching back from 1953 through 1962, "Carson's cellar", "The Johnny Carson show", "do you trust your wife?"
That's not ironic but I get what you mean.
@@IMP3TIGO Dave literally laughed derisively at the idea of doing his show another 20 years but he also literally did just that. How is that not irony?
@@HylanderSB okay, that makes sense then. Sadly, the second half of his career was milquetoast compares to the first half, when he was the best ever (and why so many comedians idolize him).
@@IMP3TIGO No argument there. I watched a lot more of 80’s Dave than 2000’s Dave.
Johnny Carson, king of the late night shows. 👍
Most baby boomers grew up with the great Johnny Carson. To me he's still in a class by himself.
3434arc1 But it was also a much less dumbed down America. People had more class and they had attention spans. The schools were only partially disastrous back then.
Oh give me a break. The Baby Boomer generation was objectively the worst generation in America's history, and we're still recovering from it even today.
Will Hudson Bc baby boomers brought us free love and feminism, etc? I would have to agree.
3434arc1 he could be vindictive if crossed i.e. Joan rivers
Greg LaPrade They also gave us Ronald Reagan as President and neoliberalsim that has led to the crappy economics of today.
I can't cope with Letterman having this much hair.
That's a weird thing to say.
Tyler Samuels 😂😂😂 He probably can’t cope that he’s lost so much of it!
On his head as opposed to his face
He sure fidgets a lot. I never thought he was very funny. Johnny,yes!!
And no ZZ Top beard.
He laughed at 30 years and went 33 years himself.
He went 30 years too long.
I thought it was bad then they gave the show to Jay Leno, but then they outdid themselves and gave it to Jimmy Fallon.
fallon is pretty creepy.
Melo Bryant 😂 you’re absolutely right, I cannot remember laughing at any of his jokes.
He is the Joke!! Thank NBC Andrew Lack (everything) and Aged/Decrepit Lorne Michaels who lauded Fall on.
Aint that the truth. Fallon is an irritating, grating buffoon.
Fallon works for free and the shows are just a platform to sell crap
Letterman really softened his edge when he got older. I always get surprised seeing how loud and commanding his personality was in old clips.
When his son Harry was born in 2003 he changed his persona a bit - but of course he was still having sexual affairs with many interns even in the years after Harry was born. It barely ended before the extortion/blackmail case came about in 2009.
@@johnking5174 He actually began slowing down even before that. It started around 2000 when he had his heart surgery. He essentially stopped "trying" around that time.
Yeah...he was actually a little obnoxious, but he was also so damn funny he could get away with it!
I think it happens to most of us as we age, it's probably a bit of wisdom and less energy
@SavageHenry762, yup. Letterman and all of the talk show hosts that followed Johnny let their personal political views affect the way they did their shows. Johnny was himself a registered Democrat, but you wouldn’t of known that because he didn’t show his biases on air. He made jokes of people of all political stripes and personal views, but he showed respect to all of his guests when he interviewed them. Watch how courteous he was to known conservatives like Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan when he interviewed them. You wouldn’t see that from Jimmy Kimmel and especially from Stephen Colbert!
And Letterman did his show until 2015... which was past the 20 years Letterman thought he would never do, per this interview.
This is true television - two legends, one clip. Both are missed in their own ways.
=M=
Dave is still with us. So, Dave isn’t missed. He’s here. His show is missed. Never start a sentence with “And”. “True” television would literally be a physical television. Your name ends in a vowel so I know you’re not stupid, you just have to apply yourself to your writing.
Letterman did his show ‘til 2015; which was longer than the 20 year window that he mentioned in this interview.
This is the epitome of television: two legends - one clip. Both their shows are missed, immensely.
=M= (I need 32 people to “like” this).
I was never much of a fan of David Letterman, but this clip does show him in full bloom. It takes a certain personality to thrive in that industry and damn if he wasn't MADE for it.
I dunno about full bloom, his punchline delivery at 3:05 is bad and his reaction shows he knows it
@@delorean-88 I don't like the guy personally, but nobody is perfect.
@@cyborg266 I like Colbert better than Letterman but no one comes close to Johnny.
@@jeffreysproul9110 who cares who like you??? Karma
Carson was another of my favourite entertaining stars who have made my life enjoyable!
“If you play your cards right and don’t give it all away, you can!”
One of Johnny’s many jokes about the fortune he spent on alimony. 😁
Dave went 33 yrs on his show- Johnny knew
Ya he knew this guy was awful host with a nasty style on interviewing. Why did Carson let this happen ? revenge on the audience??
Dave went to CBS for most of that.
@@timfischer 1982-93 on NBC, 1993-2015, CBS...so yeah, 2/3rds of it.
He got his first gig as the host of Late Night, had a big blow-up over moving to The Tonight Show, left to start an entirely new show on a network with no pre-existing talk show in the time slot, and finally ended up doing whatever the hell he wants on a streaming platform. Dave is Conan’s forerunner in literally every single beat of their careers. Seriously, that comparison is eerie. Their career paths are so, so similar.
Although Letterman's first gig was hosting his ill-fated morning show - brilliant but absolutely the wrong concept for morning tv
@@jamesrawlins735 Yeah, I was thinking strictly in terms of 'late night tv.' Should've clarified.
"I hate waiting in lines but I'd do it!"
Classic...
Pablo Neruda ok so let’s break it down. I’ll paraphrase.
Johnny says “you were going to firebomb NBC”
Dave says “I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it.”
Maybe seeing it will help. If you can’t figure out after seeing it and thinking about it I’ll tell you what it means.
Given to him, this is all Scripted by NBC and funded liberal BS.
Actually, that's not original; it's just a variation of a VERY old joke. It was first used many years ago about "doing something" on a person's grave followed by the line: "but I hate waiting in long lines."
@@Forevertrue Wow, you're probably a great one to talk with at parties and I'm guessing those 'funded liberals' ruined your life somehow?
Wow, it's amazing as Letterman DID go 20 years beyond this interview (and a few more!). Cool interview; thanks for posting!
I sure miss Johnny Carson.
You can watch a lot of his show on youtube. In germany we didn't know anything about Johnny Carson, most here even didn't know that the famous Shining line was a refence to Carson. Now I try to watch a lot of his shows on TH-cam. I didn't even watch Fallon any more, I just watch old Carson clips. Especially the Don Rickles clips I watch over and over again.
I miss you
He had talent, Letterman not so much. Leno was as original as Johnny Letterman was written for and scripted. hardly talent.
Me too!! Gets depressing when you think about how much time has passed.
Johnny had a calmness, that was felt across the nation, like seeing the flag is still there. He is a mark,in late night talk, that want be met.
Well said. Whatever had happened in your day, or what you faced tomorrow, Johnny calmed you down for an hour, and made you feel everything was all right with the world.
So calm he left his son in a mental institution and was spiteful to so many people
I can say that Letterman defined my sense of humor. Having said that, this is why ppl dont like me that much!! lol
I remember hearing someone once say that Dave was a comedian for the weirdos and awkward people....it resonated with me.
@never stop fighting looks like you suck ...
The two best ever together. The likes of this we'll never see again.
Conan O Brian has a word to say about that
This is one of my favorite clips for a few different reasons:
- “The gravy train is being discontinued” ... that’s a great line.
- “Just, um, ... just how pissed off are you?” ... that’s classic Carson with the timing, charm, and wit.
- This always reminds me of the Conan/Letterman clip ... greatness coming full circle.
- You can tell Carson loves Letterman ... like a father/son relationship that Letterman always cherished.
- When Carson refers to Leno as Letterman’s “friend” ... and there’s an awkward silence, which tells it all.
- Carson represented the old guard and Letterman represented the new, youthful one ... but their chemistry is superb.
- The two kings of the late night world for 65 years ... American icons forever.
One of my best quips of all time “I hate waiting in the lines but I’d do it”. Gold
We need more Johnny Carsons.
Tom Shaw This country is incapable of producing another Johnny Carson. Too much of its greatness has been diminished.
Ken Newton Also tweens viewers.. Now its all ass kissing, corporate puppets like the Jimmys.
Ken Newton Or really any of those old comedians. Because none of today's hold a candle to any of that era, Jack Benny, Carson, Don Rickles, etc.
Frankie Boyle
It was no secret that Carson preferred Letterman to take over the Tonight Show.
Imagine knowing that.
Jay Leno was the permanent guest host on the Tonight Show for several years. It ended up working out good for both Dave and Jay even though they both competed against each other.
@Benjamin Paisley Johnny didnt pick Jay, NBC did.
@Eric Cartman Ha. No.
@Eric Cartman maybe, yes. But Carson was an all-around better host for a late night talk show. He just always had the right things to say to his guests. Everyone liked and respected Johnny.
“I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it”
Most savage line ever 😂
buck7515 Dave is a Boss.
Except he says it while punching the air, as if you say he would rather push everyone out of his way instead of patiently waiting his turn. He did have a bad attitude and that's why TV networks thought little of him. Happenstance brought him to TV, his own personality pushed him away from it.
Born after 1985 here, "waiting in lines"?? A little help?
#PleaseAndThankYou
@@gmwilkiegeorge8685 there are plenty of stories of shootings from people getting angry about people cutting in line to people getting mad about a car accident. These shootings happen everyday all over the nation. I thought you knew this by now, but maybe watching fox news has corrupted your perception and you believe whatever they tell you. Do you really think guns make America safer when you have to risk yet getting shot during a car accident? Many people are afraid of such a raw encounter with a cool holding a gun.
I remember when GE bought NBC and he took a fruit basket to GE management as a gag, on the show. This was classic Letterman.
3:18
"Just how pissed off are you?" Best opening question in the history of late night talk shows. Love Dave, like Conan but no one will ever touch Johnny.
There seems to be a small hickup around the word pissed. As if there had been some post editing. If there was censoring, what do you think he actually said?
Actually, Jay Leno's question to Hugh Grant is also up there.
@@Enregardant I remember seeing it when it first aired, and I believe that's exactly what Johnny said. It was truly shocking at the time to hear Johnny use that phrase! Hence the audience roaring with surprised laughter.
He never used questionable language on air. Didn't need to. Was supremely funny without it.
In reality, Dave was Johnny’s successor, no matter the network.
About the most on point comment about late night TV.
Brilliant.
He , Dave was ok, but got crazy pollitically at end, Carson was King, sad though how in real life it sounds like he often wasn't so nice, but he was a National Treasure
More upvotes!!!!!!!!!
@stephi475 Awww....he didn't give you a second glance when you worked there?? Poor you.
Lenno had (and still has) more class and talent than radical lefty Letterman ever had. Lenno is the absolute perfect replacement for Carson.
Johnny Carson was the ultimate master of the late night talk show art form.
Right, Johnny invented late night TV, perfected it, and we've had to lower the bar ever since he left.
@@jaZZjaZZ54 Not really, Jay was much funnier.
it's pronounced: Art Fern... ;)
Ed McMahon was like the butter man. He’d butter you up, he’d laugh ostentatiously at your bad jokes. He was a great side kick.
@@jaZZjaZZ54 no offense, but late night TV was invented by the first Tonight host, Steve Allen....he thought up the desk, the microphone, the guest chair, the monologue, the band, going into the audience to talk with people, having gusts and a side-kick [Gene Rayburn. later host of The Match Game]...all Steve Allen....he even had a character called "The Question Man" where Rayburn told him an ANSWER...and Steve Allen then told the QUESTION...Carson copied the exact format, but changed the character's name to Karnak....
MASTERFUL. LOVE THIS, DAVE AND CARSON THE BEST AND YES 20 YEARS FROM THEN, HE WAS STILL DOING THE SHOW. MISS HIM LIKE HELL.
Epic 7 1/2 minutes from the two greatest ever late night hosts.
Dave never does interviews..this was really classic..thanks for the upload
Yes, David has been on The View... Charlie Rose... Oprah ect ect... Letterman is not a totally uptight, he just jokes about it.
There'll never be another Johnny Carson and another Dave Letterman for a long looonng time...
I think Conan and Craig are right up there with them.
There'll never be another anybody
Can you imagine doing your show for another 20 years? Dave laughs hysterically. Twenty-ONE years later, Letterman is retiring.
Greg Schmidt He just followed what Carson envisioned for him
Greg Schmidt You mean 24 years later.
You can tell how much Johnny and Ed loved Dave. In their mind he was the golden boy.
The 90s were a wild time and I wish we were still in it
I love Johnny and Dave, always have, both are hilarious.
I loved Letterman on The Late Show, and I love Leno and his Garage.
Carson, Letterman, Conan, Ferguson.
That's all that exists. Nothing else matters. Later.
I would add Kilborn to that list. All the new ones are terrible.
Jon Stewart!
@@niklazz7037 Jon Stewart sucks
@@timetravelingoldman6839 I'm guessing you say that just because you don't agree with his political views.
@@bonnienadinenewman conan first. Because conan is more cannon
at 5:40 he predicts what happens to Conan
+Dante Sanaei Yeah---I found that kinda eerie. Weird.
+Dante Sanaei Just remember - Don't blame Conan.
+Dante Sanaei Predictive Programming... An Agenda... it was very weird to hear that.
Dan Bolivar
Dan Bolivar not unusual. Have you seen what the Simpsons have predicted?
5:41 Dave foreshadowing Conan’s time on the Tonight Show
It is so interesting watching this show now because you see how things turned out. Wow.
Yep. Dave basically lied to Johnny when he said he wasn't angry at Jay Leno or NBC. Of course he couldn't say much publically at that time but he and Johnny Carson were very close friends and I would've LOVED to hear them talk privately about the whole situation off the air.
I've only heard of Mr. Carson here and there thanks to Conan and David. But to see this video, I get it now. The DNA shared between the three in question is right there to behold. The same delivery and the same quick wit. It's brilliant.
Funny thing. He describes exactly what happens to Conan, years later.
Jay Leno is predictable like that. Once he gets his backstabbing arm working, it doesn't stop.
Conan is just a bug that should be squashed. Never could understand his appeal.
America, a nation of idiots.
@@elderstatesman9932 not for inbreds like you to understand anyway
Well it just happened to Dave back then more or less, history repeated itself with Conan, even Conan mentioned when ge was at Dave's show how "it happened to me once" talk joking as Dave.
Man, that "I hate waiting in lines" line was a fantastic comeback
I love this, they had each other backs, both eccentric, both respected each other, I have always loved Dave, I grew up with Dave, got his humor, Leno was never for me, but I respect that we had both
I'm glad both Tubi & Pluto free TV have a channel that only has the Tonight show with Johnny Carson.
I never noticed the line before from Letterman. "Had they said we want you to have the show then a week later said we changed our minds..." Oddly prophetic with what happened in the whole Leno - Conan debacle.
Carson (to Letterman): Can you imagine yourself, doing your show, 20 years from now?
Letterman: (breaks out in hysterical laughter)
Funny how life turns out, doesn't it..........
Not that I don't like Jimmy, Conan or Jay but an individual as charming, intelligent and funny as Johnny Carson was are a true blessing to be able to enjoy.
Johhny was the Prince at NBC. Bob Hope was The King.
@@BuckyBrown-lt4ry I dont get the Bob Hope Style, I also don't get Richard Pryor. The Carson and Don Rickles humor and style I get instant connected to.
Letterman says 20 yrs too long for show, but later went on to bless us with 30 yrs of show
The good old days when these were the types of problems we were worried about. Miss those times
Dave's outfit is in breach of the Geneva convention.
@Agent Knight - Sheepdog Well it was the nineties, nobody cared what they wore. I just watched Ghost world yesterday, indeed it was a different time.
couldn't disagree more! aside from the oversized cut, he was killing it!
@Agent Knight Who cares? Get a life for crissakes......
What the hell kind of shoes are they
Ivana Petkovic GHOST WORLD?! That was from 2001 and they represent HIPSTERS. That wasn’t indicative of the style in the early 2000s. The 90s has nothing to do with that!
Back when saying ‘pissed off’ got a huge reaction
Foreshadowing cheap humor.....now they all just BLEEEP to get laughs. Irritating.
Late night TV is a thing of the past. I sure do miss it.
damn, i am too young, but looking back, Johnny Carson was pretty awesome.
my favorite talkshow host : *John Carson*
Back when there were was still C.L.A.S.S. in Television and jokes were actually funny and not degenerate or dehumanizing!
“Well I hate waiting in lines but I’ll do it” that’s hysterical!
RIP JOHNNY JUST AWESOME!
wow this is an amazing moment in show business - when carson says can u imagine doing it for 20 years
Johnny Carson is still the best late night show host
"Do you see yourself doing this in 20yrs?" NO! retires in 2015
I was thinking the very same thing when I heard him say that
Which was about ten years too late.
It's really hard to walk away from those big, fat contracts. When you're good at what you do, the offers to stick around "a little longer" just keep climbing and before you know it, ten years turns into 25.
“10 years seems just about right” He hosted for 33 years 😂😂😂