ANYBODY WATCH THE PBS "JOHNNY CARSON" ON AMERICAN MASTERS

[MCarney]

I may have told this story concerning Johnny's drinking: it is true that he'd get tipsy if he had more than two. Back when he and Ed McMahon were doing "Who Do You Trust?" they would do the show live at 3:30 Tuesday through Friday, then tape Monday's show on Friday night (Johnny liked his three-day weekends even then). Since there were about three hours between the live Friday show and the taped Monday one, Johnny and Ed would head over to a bar near the ABC studio in New York, and one Friday Johnny may have had one too many because when Ed brought out the first couple Johnny kept asking over and over, "Where are you from? What do you do? Where are you from? What do you do?" Ed thought it hilarious since he knew why Johnny was behaving so strangely, but the show's owner, Don Fedderson, wasn't laughing. When he saw it he caught a plane from LA to New York, got hold of the tape, and sat Johnny down to watch it. "Do you remember any of this?" Fedderson asked him. "I don't remember any of it," answered Johnny. "Well, if it happens again you're fired," said Fedderson. Needless to say Johnny watched his pre-show drinking after that. (Sort of off-topic, but Fedderson had problems with Carson's successor, Woody Woodbury, in this case over the fishing outfit Woodbury wore every day. "Why do you wear it? Why can't you wear a suit and tie like every other host?" Fedderson wanted to know. "I wear this in my nightclub act," said Woody. "Then at least explain to the audience about the getup," said Fedderson, but Woodbury never did, which may have contributed to the show's demise, since nobody understood why he dressed so strangely, not to mention his propensity for making the most innocent remark sound straight out of burlesque, whereas Johnny could make a double-entendre sound innocent.)

But Woodbury did wear a suit for his talk show (there are a few fragmented clips from it on YouTube). Likewise he ditched the fishing outfit in his only starring movie roll in "For Those Who Think Young".

As for Carson I did see part of the show. I laughed at Johnny's quips but hearing about his life off stage was just too depressing.

 

[bpatrick]

Woodbury admitted to Richard Lamparski that he made a mistake
wearing the fishing outfit, and that it might have alienated a lot
of viewers. So that probably explains why he wore a regular suit
on his talk show. But if he'd worn white tie and tails he'd still lack
Johnny's ability to get interesting conversation out of anyone from
Elizabeth Taylor or Frank Sinatra to Jim Fowler or Joan Embery to
the potato-chip lady. (I know I wish I could do it; I'd love to be able
to host a show similar to Carson's, or at least Merv Griffin's or Mike
Douglas's.)

 

[Mario500]

Carson's mother sounds like a real bitch. Its no wonder Johnny had women issues all his life (four wives) and perhaps rejection by his mother was main reason he was a loner as an adult.

With the exception of a few people, most successful entertainers grew up with some issues. Many comedians for example are very lonely or depressed individuals in real life but when the curtain goes up or the TV cameras are on they transform into bright and happy people.

Carson's last TV appearance was on the Letterman show as a walk-on and to be honest I was shocked how much weight he had gained in the short time after his retirement. Maybe his health was in decline back then and we, or he, didn't know it. Or maybe he didn't care how he looked anymore since he no longer hosted The Tonight Show.

Would you use such language in front of friends and family?

 

[rwells2265]

Carson's mother sounds like a real bitch. ....<snip>

Would you use such language in front of friends and family?

These days, many do.  I would never use that word in front of my own mother, much less TO her, but frankly - after watching this documentary, on top of what scraps of info I already knew about Mrs. Carson - I think Mark G. was exceedingly generous in his description of Johnny's mother.  ;D   

There is no "G-rated" word to describe a parent like that. 

--Russell

 

[anotherguyTN]

I haven't seen the last part of the show yet although I recorded it. Did it go into anything with his health issues toward the end of his life? I think he died from problems related to his smoking for years.

 

[gregg75]

Yes it did. Johnny said he did not want to go out with an oxygen machine around his
neck, so he didn't.

 

[firepoint525]

I'm kinda the opposite of anotherguy here. I saw the second hour of the show (most of it, anyway), and I missed the first half. Will it be on again, or is this one of those "check your local listings" things? What did I miss? I'm supposing that they covered Johnny's hosting game shows, and his meeting Ed McMahon, and things like that. I was aware that he had smoked, due to seeing footage of him smoking right there at his desk in some of those early shows. Carson was alot like Bob Barker, in that he hosted assorted game shows at first, but will be mainly known for just one longtime hosting gig.

I did not know the history of Johnny's relationship with his mother, but I was struck by the difference between his relationship with his mother, and that of Dave's relationship with his own mother, isn't her name Dorothy? Letterman has frequently had Dorothy on the show, and her appearances on the show have usually been nothing short of hilarious!

I did not notice any weight gain by Carson on that '94 appearance with Letterman, only that he did not wear a tie. I believe that that was an attempt by him not to upstage Letterman, and it appears that it worked.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I enjoyed the show. Actually, I have always liked hearing that as a former radio announcer, Carson tended to shy away from crowds and even his own studio audience. This was pointed out some years back in a tour of NBC's Burbank studios. The tour guide took the group through the studio he had used (then basically empty) and pointed out how far removed Carson's desk on the set was from the studio audience when compared to that of Jay Leno's.

Just wanted to ask, did anyone else see that the super-imposed lettering identifying the people speaking about Carson were halfway off of the screen and thus hard to read? I've noticed that seems to happen when what is on the screen is a copied picture (like a TV picture of a TV picture). Just wondering.

 

[ShawnHill1]

I watched the entire episode last night via the American Masters website (www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters), and I thought it was really well done. I came across kind of sympathizing with Johnny, as that I share some of his personality traits (shyness, aloofness, and cherishing my private life), but I've never married (at least not yet) and didn't have the greatest relationship with my late mother. Carson's mother was a real bitch (sorry Mario-500, she was).

One thing though, I though they should have touched a bit more on the first "Late Night War" between Leno and Letterman, and Carson's role in that. I know that "The Late Show" movie from HBO was more fictionalized, but from the movie's prespective, NBC execs (particularly Warren Littlefield and the other gentleman whose name escapes me) wanted to force Johnny to retire so they can insert Leno as the permanent host of The Tonight Show. Of course, it also touched on the not-so-rosy relationship between Carson and Fred Silverman, which eventually led to that sweetheart deal in 1980 (ownership of the show, shortened shows, more vacation time).

Firepoint touched on the comparsion between Carson and Bob Barker, and I think it's very spot-on...their careers paralleled each other--both served in the military, both started in radio before moving to TV, and eventually worked their way up-the-ladder to long-lasting iconic TV gigs.

 

[KyDXIn]

After Carson's retirement, he appeared on television on David Letterman's show with the Top Ten list and at Bob Hope's the "First 90 Years" celebration. What was the 3rd appearance?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9i6A6LGwa4

(You can tell Carson wanted to jump back into the seat again.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCO3b41sRnE

(Notice the digs on Leno, GE, and NBC!)

 

[fybush]

Just wanted to ask, did anyone else see that the super-imposed lettering identifying the people speaking about Carson were halfway off of the screen and thus hard to read? I've noticed that seems to happen when what is on the screen is a copied picture (like a TV picture of a TV picture). Just wondering.

Nearly all TV these days is being produced in widescreen ("16-by-9") format for the benefit of the majority of viewers who now have widescreen sets.

In the first decade or so of widespread high-definition TV (2000 to 2010, roughly), most program producers kept titles and other critical visual information within the center part of the screen so the program would look OK for viewers watching on sets using the older ("4-by-3") aspect ratio when those widescreen shows were "center-cut" for 4:3 viewing.

As those older 4:3 sets have given way to 16:9 flatscreens, program producers are increasingly eager to use their full screen real estate. Many cable channels (including all the Fox and ESPN networks) now run their graphics all the way to the edge of the 16:9 screen. For legacy distribution on analog cable, those channels are supposed to be delivered in "letterbox" format, so you see the full 16:9 screen with black horizontal bars ("letterboxes") filling the top and bottom of the screen.

If you're getting your local PBS station on cable, let the station or the cable company know that PBS 16:9 programming should be delivered in letterboxed form for legacy analog 4:3 viewers.

If you're watching over the air, your converter box should include a "zoom" control that will let you letterbox 16:9 fullscreen programming for proper display on a 4:3 screen.

It's not a copied picture - it's just that the display you're using is essentially obsolete by the standards of today's TV production.

 

[bpatrick]

After Carson's retirement, he appeared on television on David Letterman's show with the Top Ten list and at Bob Hope's the "First 90 Years" celebration. What was the 3rd appearance?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9i6A6LGwa4

(You can tell Carson wanted to jump back into the seat again.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCO3b41sRnE

(Notice the digs on Leno, GE, and NBC!)

I don't know if it was before or after his retirement but he did his voice on "The Simpsons."

I wonder if they showed any of his 1963 appearance on his idol Jack Benny's show. In the
episode Benny wonders how Carson can have his own show when he doesn't really perform
in the traditional sense. Carson showed him that he indeed had a range of performing skills,
from card tricks to playing the drums to dancing to "Ballin' the Jack."

 

[Mario500]

I don't know if it was before or after his retirement but he did his voice on "The Simpsons."

He played himself for the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled", which was broadcast for the first time on Thursday, May 13th, 1993. It was broadcast nearly one year after his final edition of "Tonight" was broadcast (on Friday, May 22nd, 1992).

 

[gregg75]

Not sure about the Bob Barker and Johnny comparisons.

KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR AND ASK FOR A GLASS OF WATER.....
Bob would get you a glass,
Johnny would point you to the garden hose.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Just wanted to ask, did anyone else see that the super-imposed lettering identifying the people speaking about Carson were halfway off of the screen and thus hard to read? I've noticed that seems to happen when what is on the screen is a copied picture (like a TV picture of a TV picture). Just wondering.

Nearly all TV these days is being produced in widescreen ("16-by-9") format for the benefit of the majority of viewers who now have widescreen sets.

In the first decade or so of widespread high-definition TV (2000 to 2010, roughly), most program producers kept titles and other critical visual information within the center part of the screen so the program would look OK for viewers watching on sets using the older ("4-by-3") aspect ratio when those widescreen shows were "center-cut" for 4:3 viewing.

As those older 4:3 sets have given way to 16:9 flatscreens, program producers are increasingly eager to use their full screen real estate. Many cable channels (including all the Fox and ESPN networks) now run their graphics all the way to the edge of the 16:9 screen. For legacy distribution on analog cable, those channels are supposed to be delivered in "letterbox" format, so you see the full 16:9 screen with black horizontal bars ("letterboxes") filling the top and bottom of the screen.

If you're getting your local PBS station on cable, let the station or the cable company know that PBS 16:9 programming should be delivered in letterboxed form for legacy analog 4:3 viewers.

If you're watching over the air, your converter box should include a "zoom" control that will let you letterbox 16:9 fullscreen programming for proper display on a 4:3 screen.

It's not a copied picture - it's just that the display you're using is essentially obsolete by the standards of today's TV production.

I had the same problem with the sides being cut off on both WKNO 10 in Memphis and WLJT 11 in Lexington/Jackson, TN. Even on my wide screen TV the sides were cut off, regardless of it was set on 4:3 or 16:9. I don't know if this was the fault of Charter Cable or the local stations, but I've seen it happen on other shows on those stations as well.

 

[shlermy]

This was a very good Doc on Johnny Carson. Heck, it probably should have been 3 or 4 hours instead of just two.

My mother seems to be an exact copy of Johnny's. I think she was one of the 5% of the population that's a psychopath. A psychopath cannot express empathy, their frontal lobe is inactive and they simply cannot feel what others are feeling. Some may say she's "self-centered" but in reality she does not know the hurt she's causing. I know psychopath is a strong word but a psychopath does not have to rape, kill, or torture, they're everywhere in our society. Anyway, Johnny was obviously deeply affected by his mother's inability to express love for her son. It happens a lot more than you think.

I found in fascinating that Johnny didn't really have a successful FOURTH marriage. Not shocking, I just didn't know they all but split up.

The behind the scenes pics of The Tonight Show set fascinate me as well. I never saw pics from Johnny's view of the audience, the camera's, the cue cards and my, how small (narrow) and cheap the set really looked!! The magic of television is something else.

Note that in the end, Johnny died of emphysema/cancer just like he predicted in his 1979 interview with 60 Minute's Mike Wallace. Johnny said "these cigarettes are killing me" or words to that effect. Once again, not a big shock as we all know how lethal smoking is.

Also note that in the end, Johnny was doing what he always had done. Alone, in his 20 million dollar beach-side mansion in Malibu, Johnny wrote jokes for late night tv. He simply could NOT get that out of his blood.

Finally, I find the big irony with Johnny Carson was that in the end we really do know him very well. From his humble beginnings, his trouble with his mother and his early career, his numerous marriages and dalliances and distance from both his friends and even his own sons. We probably know more about Johnny Carson than he did about himself. Those pictures at the end, of Johnny on his oversized yacht, aloof and alone. They tell it all, Johnny had all the success in the world, he relished almost all the perks of fame while still trying to keep a decent private life to no avail. Johnny simply couldn't get over the neglect from his mother and he was probably sad more than happy throughout his whole life.

 

[SteveRichards]

Most, if not all, of the behind the scenes stuff shown was culled from the final episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." The final show had a nicely produced segment that succinctly showed some of what went into producing the show each day.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Carson's mother sounds like a real bitch. Its no wonder Johnny had women issues all his life (four wives) and perhaps rejection by his mother was main reason he was a loner as an adult.

With the exception of a few people, most successful entertainers grew up with some issues. Many comedians for example are very lonely or depressed individuals in real life but when the curtain goes up or the TV cameras are on they transform into bright and happy people.

Carson's last TV appearance was on the Letterman show as a walk-on and to be honest I was shocked how much weight he had gained in the short time after his retirement. Maybe his health was in decline back then and we, or he, didn't know it. Or maybe he didn't care how he looked anymore since he no longer hosted The Tonight Show.

Would you use such language in front of friends and family?

I could have used a number of other (appropriate)words to describe such an individual now couldn't I?

If that word 'Bitch' offends you, accept my apology. But what I find more offensive is a parent who purposely belittles their children instead of offering words of encouragement.

Maybe the stories that Johnny Carson was not always a nice person off-camera can be attributed to a person who, over the years, built up a wall to protect himself from being hurt; like I am sure he was by his own Mother apparent favoritism towards Carson's sister.

 

[Fenway1912]

The kicker was that Johnny's mother WAS proud of him as after her death they found a huge scrapbook devoted to him.

 

[spencerkarter85]

I've enjoyed it. Never saw Jimmy Fallon getting interviewed (eventhough he was a teen when Carson sign off in 1992) and Dick Cavett didn't get interviewed too since he used to work for Carson in his early days.