Jay Leno Collection on Letterman, Part 2 of 3: 1984-1986

Jay Leno appeared on Late Night forty-one times, forty as a guest and one in a taped cameo. Here are all of his appearances, plus other related videos scattered within.
A few clips were edited together from different sources. For one video (January 6, 1983), I chose the E! broadcast, as it's the only source in my collection that didn't mute "Hostess Twinkies."
The collection is in three parts:
Part 1: Clips #1 to 14 -- • Jay Leno Collection on...
Part 2: Clips #15 to 28 -- here
Part 3: Clips #29 to 50 -- • Jay Leno Collection on...
Part 3 begins with Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host in 1986. It foreshadowed shifting tectonic plates between Jay, Dave, Dave's then-current network, and CBS.
Before all that, though, there's a reason Jay appeared so often on Late Night, especially up that first guest-host milestone: he was damn funny, and Dave's laughter was genuine. There's much here to analyze their evolving relationship.
Part 1:
1. April 15, 1982: Jay guest appearance #1 (stand-up #1 and home base chat)
2. June 4, 1982: Jay #2
3. June 30, 1982: Jay #3 (introduced by Harve Mann)
4. October 11, 1982: Jay #4
5. November 10, 1982: Jay #5
6. January 6, 1983: Jay #6
7. February 2, 1983: Jay #7
8. April 5, 1983: Jay #8
9. July 7, 1983: Jay #9
10. September 6, 1983: Jay #10
11. October 4, 1983: Jay #11
12. January 12, 1984: Jay #12
13. March 13, 1984: Jay #13
14. May 14, 1984: Jay #14
Part 2:
15. August 16, 1984: Jay #15
16. September 26, 1984: Jay #16
17. January 9, 1985: Jay #17
18. March 21, 1985: Jay #18
19. April 24, 1985: Jay #19
20. August 21, 1985: #20
21. October 10, 1985: Jay #21
22. November 19, 1985: Jay #22
23. January 9, 1986: Jay #23
24. January 30, 1986: Jay #24
25. March 25, 1986: Jay #25 (w/Seth Green, then 12 years old)
26. May 28, 1986: Jay #26
27. June 18, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #1
28. August 19, 1986: Jay #27
Part 3:
29. September 9, 1986: Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host, monologue
30. October 2, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #2
31. October 14, 1986: Jay #28 (w/Chris Elliott)
32. November 1, 1986: Dave cameos on Jay's television special
32. December 16, 1986: Jay #29
33. February 7, 1987: Jay #30 (stand-up #2 for 5th anniversary)
34. May 13, 1987 (taped April 13): Jay #31
35. September 29, 1987: Jay #32
36. November 24, 1987: Jay #33 (with 3 kids: Jocelyn Argento, Kristin Symons, and Brian Wilde)
37. February 11, 1988: same Condom Week joke setup with different punchlines, Jay guest-hosting The Tonight Show, followed by Dave an hour later
38. March 4, 1988: Jay #34
39. July 7, 1988: Jay #35
40. May 4, 1989: Jay #36 (in Chicago)
41. August 16, 1989: Jay #37
42. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Donahue, excerpts
43. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Live at Five
44. October 11, 1990: Jay #38
45. November 2, 1990: Jay's taped Viewer Mail cameo, taped October 11, 1990
46. June 6, 1991: Dave congratulates Jay for succeeding Johnny Carson as Tonight Show host
47. December 12, 1991: Jay #39
48. May 7, 1992: Jay #40 (Jay becomes Tonight Show host in two weeks)
49. January 14, 1993: Jay, now Tonight Show host, remarks on Dave's decision to leave his then-current network for CBS
50. June 25, 1993: Jay wishes Dave well before the upcoming final Late Night

[@terrydefoor453]

These memories would have disappeared forever for me except for your compilations. Thanks Don!

[@user-td6yv6lr7p]

Thanks for putting this on here, never would have seen them otherwise, Jay certainly has changed in some ways.

[@GTseven]

We are seeing Jay Leno at the top of his game here. Thanks Dan for preserving these outstanding moments in comedy and TV history!

[@dongiller]

Dan, Don… Thanks!

[@davidfranksis8127]

Ppp p

[@katherinehunter9526]

Hearing Jay Praise the Cosby Show back then was interesting to hear in 2022. I wondering what he would be saying about Bill now? I also cringed when he dissed NASA putting a Teacher into space, considering what happened to that flight! May that crew rest in Peace after being so violently taken on that fateful voyage, whilst millions of people witnessed that unspeakable tragedy. 🙏 Thanks for sharing these old shows with Leno "Mr.Comedy "on the Letterman show! Bwahahah.🥳 O3.18.22

[@last7509]

but did you see bill do anything? and that teacher is alive and well by the way

[@katherinehunter9526]

@@last7509 Oh and Earth is Flat Too! Bwahahah! Riiiight! Can I interest you in buying some Swamp Land in North Canada! Give over, last! 🤯🧠💥

[@tjkinsella1111]

Thank you again Sir Don. Wanted to again (at the Thanksgiving holiday) thank you a thousand times over for sharing your very hard, very accomplished, and so very very very much appreciated library of Letterman. As much as some of us (sometimes) can't stand Sir Jay, the stuff with him and Dave gives all of us a reminder of 2 very talented friends making each other (and the audience) truly laugh.

[@dongiller]

Thanks! I might re-up Part 3 this week.

[@crashburn3292]

Long before Jay found his Levi shirt.

[@tubbytuba1]

Don...thank you for putting all these up here....who has the foresight to record every minute of every show in the universe, and then, over 30 years later, present it to an appreciative audience? Bravo, man! I have a new appreciation for Leno...such a consistently funny guy...and interesting to see the interplay between him and Letterman, and realize how they worked so well together, and seemed to genuinely like each other...and then...

[@dongiller]

Thanks! I certainly had no clue these tapes would have some value decades later. Or that there'd be the technology available to get them out there.

[@BigWickEnergy_]

And then what?

[@escaton74]

@@BigWickEnergy_ history

[@eemoogee160]

@@BigWickEnergy_ they had a long public feud

[@jonathanchang7742]

really? is it just me but i sense some early stages of animosity between the two. very subtle and easy to miss. but there are several points in several interviews where i can feel the tension. but the lights are on, the camera is rolling, and the show must go on. so they're always laughing, always smiling. but i see it. meh, or maybe i dont

[@julierood1228]

Don, you've no idea how much I appreciate this. Thanks a million!

[@danieldineen875]

Llll

[@teresaf991]

Man you are the greatest. Anyone can just upload a video to you tube but the work you put into putting these together and not cutting out too much is really appreciated.

[@MagnumMike44]

Great video! I've always liked Jay Leno and it's good to see him with David Letterman before he became the Tonight Show host.

[@kellywatts248]

I really appreciate all the work it took to gather all these amazing clips, and then organize them in such a professional way. How are you ?

[@lillianfraijo6621]

Thanks for showing this. I used to love these two together back in the day.

[@Augustmeurer]

Thank you so much for all your hard work putting these up

[@everettsykes1774]

Thx for the great work compiling these! I needed a few laughs.

[@cindywhitaker2821]

Sure am enjoying these clips. Thank you!

[@LyghtWaves]

In that first part it feels like Jay is interviewing Letterman lmao "Ya seen this movie?" "Ya following the olympics?"

[@brycemcneil4404]

It's because of Leno's Letterman appearances that I still frequently open a conversation (jokingly of course) with "Have we seen this? Have we seen this?..."

[@last7509]

he was auditioning for his job. and dave kind of senses this

[@honuman39]

Leno really was a funny sharp polished act back then. The problem is that he comes across only as an act. It makes sense to me now that he knew how to game the system to be successful but it also seems clear that he was incapable of being genuine. It would've been interesting to see him stop the shtick and just have a conversation with Letterman. Dave's band was super tight.

[@Creapture]

his car show is about as genuine as it gets too

[@Ditka-89]

I agree, it would be nice to see Jay talk without being “on”. God knows how those two, each with their own unique maladaptations and personality defects, converse with one another behind closed doors. Weird to think they were great friends prior to the late show fallout.

[@js2010ish]

Yes a good word for it is "hack"

[@Ditka-89]

@@js2010ish some of the best comedians of all time have said how annoying it is that so many people view Leno as a hack, when in reality he’s one of the best stand up comedians to ever live. If you havnt seen his actual standup in a club, then you don’t actually know how funny Leno is. The crap you see on the tonight show and tv is not Leno’s best material-he doesn’t do his best, or even his good material, when he does tv. Letterman, Norm Macdonald, and many other “comedians comedians” will be the first to say he’s one of the funniest comics to ever live

[@phishphan49]

@@Creapture it still feel like he's putting on an act. I've never seen leno display convincing human emotion and it's unnerving.

[@mr.seanster]

Jay Leno was really good. Dave and Jay had really good chemistry. Love to see them have a special together. Netflix special with the two of them would be epic.

[@misslovechild22]

YES TO THIS

[@inrainbowman]

sounds gay to me

[@leaffinite3828]

Somethin makes me think it wouldnt happen

[@ventisale1]

wow.... so incredibly interesting to watch this compilation (thanks for pulling it together) You can read so much into Dave's reactions to Jay... He is completely appreciative of his sense of humour, clearly, but also clearly put off by the whiff of arrogance that Jay projects.... Fast forward a few decades and the debacle of replacing the host of the Night Show and whatever relationship they had seems to have gone completely off the rails.

[@js2010ish]

Yeah the jokes aren't far from Dave's sense of humor, but sound so hollow coming from Jay

[@notreya]

sorry to reply so late but this is so true. you can kinda tell that even with most of these that were pre the tonight show war, letterman always only kinda "put up" with jay because even he has to laugh at how funny he was. But yeah everytime letterman just has no time for jay trying to promote 30 shows in 5 seconds and just tries to get through it all quick. you can also see the feeling is mutual with sometimes jay wasting time and stuff. really interesting

[@last7509]

he could smell that jay was using him. but for one if you have a comedian on you need him to go ballistic like jay. and this is how it works in that business. you're always looking to up end the other guys.

[@JosephChecke]

There really seemed to be a brotherly vibe between them in these days, with Dave genuinely enjoying his younger "brother", and letting Jay do his thing. Dave usually limits himself to teasing, but friendly comments. I'm enjoying this video more than I thought I would.

[@chonconnor6144]

It sort of informs the late night wars and why they were so personal. As someone only old enough to know 90s Leno and Letterman, I had no idea how regularly Leno appeared on Late Nite.

[@scoobydo6643]

They both lived together in L.A.just getting started in the business.

[@briansounalath]

I fell asleep and all these Jay Leno on Letterman videos kept playing. I kept waking up and being like, "woah young Jay Leno and he's kinda edgy." Real talk, I never knew he was this funny! His own talk show really softened him up.

[@kellywatts248]

Jay is actually bomb. How are you ?

[@briansounalath]

@@kellywatts248 pretty good thanks. too bad he got himself canceled years ago

[@jeneraljax29]

I think it's different when you have to write new jokes every single night.

[@jimharkins6257]

No interview - Just Jay doing his act. Very 80s.

[@birdmantd]

Same thing when Carson had guys like Dangerfield on. It benefited both. Raised Leno's profile. And Dave can take the segment off as opposed to booking some random celebrity who may or may not be entertaining.

[@mikearenas4605]

Dave is the friend you go to for advice and jay is the friend you hang with to forget your problems.

[@SLAWDOGUSBRAND]

Mos def!! Lol! Best ever!

[@LizaFan]

Fuck no to both of these statements.

[@maitrikpatel6536]

I really appreciate all the work it took to gather all of these clips, and then organize them in such a professional way. Your editing skills make this a pleasant journey down memory lane.

[@billyb6001]

It's just shows how unfunny Jay was from the beginning.

[@phishphan49]

@@billyb6001 you're not wrong but cheers to the effort it took to compile the clips proving it. This fake laugh we see refined in these clips lasted Dave a career of not always the best guests every night... Jay sucks, but it's really nice to have an archive that demonstrates it so well, thanks to the uploader for the work.

[@antonvangrendel]

Great editing, yes, but too bad Leno blows goats. Always has. Always will.

[@HearBobbyRoar]

Oh do you? That makes me feel so much better about humanity when one person jokes about the future. Way to go. Especially when your analysis comes 25 years after the prophecy. Good job.

[@walthutton5058]

@@HearBobbyRoar G-

[@derrikferguson3219]

Jay comes on and starts doing a monologue.

[@rockyevans1584]

Yeah he's about as one note as they come

[@thegoodthebadandtheugly579]

That’s why he got the job and Letterman never managed to do one until the end of his career.. which was much earlier before he retired..

[@rockyevans1584]

@@thegoodthebadandtheugly579 good for him, cant understand how anyone ever watched him

[@thegoodthebadandtheugly579]

@@rockyevans1584 letterman? Yeah, me too..

[@rockyevans1584]

@@thegoodthebadandtheugly579 i didnt say i was a letterman fan or hater, but i guess leno fans lack some sort of crucial brain function. That makes sense to me

[@Mario_N64]

Damn, Leno had an amazing comeback for audience groaning at around 1:02:00... Imagine the amount of heckling he had to endure when he was younger. He did work his ass off.

[@SandraLovesRoses]

"Damn? Amazing?" He didn't even say whether he had a comeback to the actual audience in the past of which he was speaking.

[@SandraLovesRoses]

That's because he isn't all that funny.

[@Mario_N64]

@@SandraLovesRoses He became a hack in the late 80s, but early in the Letterman show he was genuinely funny.

[@Mario_N64]

@@SandraLovesRoses He referred to that gasping or groaning as childish stuff you did in elementary school. That was the joke.

[@johnarnold893]

@@SandraLovesRoses boo hoo for you.

[@sidobeef]

#25 at 2:01:56 is hillarious. Laughed out loud. The man was a total joke machine and clearly had worked to make every appearance memorable.

[@RD3D-1]

48:21 That 7-11 store thing had me in tears. One of his best moments.

[@petejameyson8775]

mnm r rrr f r mnm mnm ,f r c r mnm. C f r r r d r mnm r mm n. r h8y0yiy8y8y8y8y8gy88y8y8y89888y8y8708yy8y08y00cy

[@DeedeeandtheBeebee]

Man its gold

[@whatdoiput807]

The junkies eating mallomars part is a George Carlin bit from at least 7 years earlier. "Can't get them in the store, they line up at the truck for the mallomars." Fuck Jay Leno.

[@johnarnold893]

@@whatdoiput807 ahhhh, boo hoo for you. If you hate him so much why did you watch this?

[@whatdoiput807]

@@johnarnold893 because I like letterman cap'n. And fuck Jay Leno.

[@soniaperusse2223]

Fabulous...Thank you!

[@fishsquishguy1833]

I actually forgot how great Leno was back then! Thanks for putting this together!

[@gregwatson8219]

The legends

[@gleroyTullySAEHEYKID]

Subbed and liked. Giller, thanks for your hard work and dedicated archiving skills.

[@dongiller]

Thanks!

[@judithcunningham3014]

this was so funny to watch, and brought back some great memories---loved Letterman and Leno together---thank you for putting this on You Tube--well done

[@dennispearson9287]

This Phenomenal Compilation Allowed Me To Binge On Continuous JOY 😂!!!...

[@calmbreeze9575]

He almost busted his ass in that motorcycle entrance 😂

[@mikepetitti]

First, @Don Giller - great work putting these together. Awesome stuff. Second, I always thought this was Leno and Letterman at their respective peaks AND as genuine friends. Both were very, very funny before the late night succession war.

[@tubor70]

There was almost nothing better on TV when Jay would come on. Dave would let him just rip and Jay was young, hungry and sharp. These appearances helped him get the guest hosting job on the Tonight Show after Garry Shandling walked away from it.

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Thomas Hill I didnt know Garry Shandling was in line to take the show. He was always a great host. Never saw him on Letterman.

[@kanealson5200]

Neither did I know that. Shandling would have been great.

[@all4Hisgloryalone2Tim215]

Im sorry but Jay as a comic is not funny.His shtick is not natural. He tries way too hard and is just not funny.

[@fattiemcfats9783]

@@all4Hisgloryalone2Tim215 Exactly

[@roscoejones4515]

Don must not have those shows, because these suck. Leno's equating volume with humor. In later years Dave would not have fake-laughed like he did here. Ugh.

[@johnsjohnson448]

Dave's cackle added to the laughs of Jay's great observational comedy. Pure gold. Just like Don's work and great clip choices. Thanks for sharing.

[@misisipimike8020]

Loved seeing the WDSU TV 6 New Orleans logo pop up. That’s the channel I watched Letterman on as a kid. Videotaped from the night before of course....

[@rhondaavery7766]

thank you for the video.

[@mattkaustickomments]

19:18 Dave spittin straight facts. He was trying to tell us way back when.

[@jonathanbrown7250]

His interns can't say they weren't warned

[@bdre5555]

I remember watching Jay Leno do stand-up on Carson fairly often, and he was absolutely hysterical

[@therationalcenter667]

Leno was such a powerhouse and I've always thought Letterman had the best late night show. The two together is a gold mine. Leno and Norm Macdonald are my two favorite guests.

[@ryansproviero]

RIP Norm

[@johnsimon9455]

Well said

[@steveconn]

If Norm overdid his humor, Norm underdid his (lazy and insipid).

[@DrPepperZZZ]

Cool video of Dave uncomfortably trying to interview Jay during his stand up act.

[@dongiller]

_Every_ comic did their stand-up act while at home base.

[@DrPepperZZZ]

@@dongiller wait, so Letterman's show is Leno's home base? I've seen comedians conversate during an interview instead of just perform.

[@dongiller]

@@DrPepperZZZ “Home base” here means sitting in a guest chair. Practically every comic who panels (another word for “home base”) essentially does their act. Leno was no exception, nor did he stand out for doing what everyone else did.

[@MrGarysugarman]

@@dongiller Jay had a chemistry with Dave similar to Rickles with Carson. I don't remember seeing other comics on Late Night doing that, nor others on Carson. And I love the "just perform" attempted snub. I guess they'd be satisfied if Dave did a Barbara Walters with Jay in hopes of bringing a tear or two to his eyes.

[@fettesteil1401]

The difference between Leno and letterman is that letterman seems genuine and Leno is an act.

[@bugzy_9198]

I proffered Leni over Letterman. Unfortunately today we don't have those options just a bunch of garbage pushing an agenda. Miss the good old days. I'd take the top 10 over what we have today.

[@marypatton1122]

Yes but it is a genuine act Leno has.

[@Tommah1000]

Agree. The natural setting of a conversation where the interviewer sits behind an office desk facing the same direction as the interviewee demands genuine!

[@ohthehumanity6774]

And? He's worth $450 million today. Oh. It's an "act." No good. LOL

[@warntheidiotmasses7114]

Leno isn't even funny. It's like he's trying to do some crappy act.

[@randonceccoli8428]

I like Jay Leno but this is like a job interview. "Have You read this, have you heard about this". The guys the best at what he does but total robot - inability/unwillingness to genuinely connect thats why this "interview" is basically a Leno monologue. Jay Leno was the inspiration for Jimmy from South Park and they nailed it. Something real is going on and he tells a joke and says wow what a terrific audience and goes in to another joke.

[@toscodav]

Imagine that. A monologue from a comedian. So you don't feel a connection with Jay but you like him??? This is comedy not sensitivity training at a fat camp. Leno at his absolute best.

[@TheAmazingMrMcFlyy]

I have to say I almost admire that sense of showmanship and professionalism with Leno, he pulls it off, he's holding court, no one in comedy today is a real showman like this, they try to relate to the audience too much and when I go to comedy clubs most people don't even really have material, they just do crowd work which is lazy and almost cringe sometimes. This guy is a pro, he could go up on stage today and still kill with observational comedy,

[@doddsino]

Everything you criticized Leno for, I could easily apply to any of the big mainstream comedians from the 80's. This was the style... Seinfeld had a very similar setup for a very very long time.

[@misisipimike8020]

It’s what comedians did. Watch Rodney Dangerfield clips.

[@jbetnar]

@@doddsino Seinfeld never changed either.

[@bluray2012ify]

Best video clip ever!!

[@joshportnoy8102]

If Dave ever has Jay on My Next Guest, the internet would explode

[@prmaninla]

1:10:40 "there's something really suspicious about these soft cookies..." you can hear dave starting to laugh... cracks me up every time.

[@ChuckKahn]

1:11:11 Jay frequently parodied corporate ruthlessness back in the 80’s but that aspect of his humour disappeared when he softened all the edges to become a more corporate friendly Tonight Show host / Doritos shill. It’s funny all these comments from Jay haters working backwards from the premise that Tonight Show Jay was never funny and pointing to this collection of Jay in his 80’s comedic prime as evidence.

[@thielees]

Leno demonstrates his “sit-down comedy” technique here

[@billyb6001]

I laughed even though I'm very angry that I don't get this joke

[@incaguaya]

You can see how Jay was auditioning to take Dave's job even in these early clips

[@winonafrog]

😅

[@Yourmomgoestocolledge]

Hes literally doing a monolog. No wonder he got the tonight show. He came out, sat down and went right into it.

[@dongiller]

As did practically every other comic doing panel.

[@CJIG22]

Sadly, the qualified teacher mentioned in 45:10, Christa McAuliffe didn't make it back down.

[@StreamlineCarry]

The energy and talent Jay expresses in these clips shows why Bill Hicks was so mad at him for selling out. He had great material busting on the psycho corporations that were (and are) screwing this country sideways.

[@everettsykes1774]

I would love to see Hicks and Leno on the same venue.

[@erichaynes7502]

You're absolutely right!

[@jameshightower4665]

Hicks isnt funny

[@PlugInRides]

But Jay also shows that side that Dave grew to hate. Leno is not really interacting, or trying to play off Dave. Leno basically treats Dave like he is any generic talk show host, and Jay is just doing his monologue. In the end, Leno is off in his own world, and Letterman is nothing more to him than a prop. Compare this to any number of comedians Carson had on The Tonight Show. They played off each other, While Johnny was to often happy to play straight man, it was a collaborative effort. When Bill Hicks was on Letterman, you felt the same synergy. With Leno, it feels like Dave is irrelevant, like they were never friends, and Jay would be doing the same act on any show.

[@7beers]

@@PlugInRides agree 100 percent

[@Chrisdrumz]

1:07:30 "Celestial Funeral Pyre". When I first saw this and Leno said that it stuck with me. Always wanted to start a band and name it that.

[@MichelleUS66]

In the first couple of segments here, Jay goes on about evil twins in TV shows (as seen on Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., etc.). Two years after this, Jay had a late-night special called “The Jay Leno Show” (shown in SNL’s time-slot). Dave was a guest on the show, and he immediately got shot down after walking out and greeting Jay. The killer - shown for a split second in the flash from the gun - was Jay Leno wearing a fake mustache (with the caption “evil twin”). [Earlier in the special, Jay suggested that people record the show on their VCRs as things “will happen fast”. I did as instructed, so I’ve known about Jay’s evil twin killing Dave since 1986. It’s nice to finally learn where that gag had come from.]

[@capablemachine]

Jay never did a comedy special but these appearances one after another are our substitute.

[@dongiller]

He did a few, actually.

[@ShrimplyPibblesA-]

It's so apparent looking back that Jay was so envious of David and never missed an opportunity to kick his legs out from underneath him throwing shade to steal his spotlight

[@tomlyons7891]

No, Dave was always envious and intimidated by Leno.

[@JasonBeam7]

@@tomlyons7891 in what reality?

[@edwardcollins539]

It's great to see Jay before he did the Tonight show and had to dummy down for the money controllers.

[@darsure3006]

@Brandon S He did standup while doing the tonight show? Um WHEN? He was doing a five-night-a-week show...when the fuck would he have time to tour? Citation needed.

[@mrpostnorts5259]

@@darsure3006 Every weekend and during his vacation time, I saw him twice during that time.

[@timfeleppa3156]

Thanks Don!

[@-dash]

7:21 Lmao the star trek joke was actually very funny

[@mrgreenjeans1794]

Forgot just how funny and sharp Jay was as a standup. No waste oxygen. Leno adlib among the best. Dave plays the perfect straightman and let's Leno run with his bit. KZbin post of Jimmy Walker from Good Times who had a role with a management company involved with both Leno and Letterman. He details how Dave made room for Jay as a semi regular guest, pitched Leno for the Tonight Show Monday hosting gig, rebuffed by Carson so Letterman flew to California making a personal pitch to Carson to hire Leno. Had no idea Letterman and Leno were that close. A shame how it fell apart years later.

[@samuelnazario7412]

You can sense the hidden rivalry between them. It’s so subtle you have to see it in hindsight.

[@mikegerardi7213]

Loooong before the hatred began. Thanks for the upload!

[@bdre5555]

Love how Jay sits down and basically does a monologue

[@nightsh1ft13]

The sheer look of disdain on Letterman’s face is awesome

[@brichards9293]

Letterman let Leno come on every month, they were really close during this time,

[@That60sGuy]

Woooooweeeee!!! Funny as all get out. I saw Leno here in Memphis in '83. He was definitely at the top of his game back then.

[@bwilson774]

having been born in the late 80's it's always weird seeing clips of young touring comedian Jay Leno

[@eigobike3929]

I flew once with Nadia Comenic. Nobody was walking out. They were amazed.

[@bsusak09]

Jay is the uncle you desperately want to shut up at Christmas dinner.

[@bhonest-gb5zg]

But enjoy and 😂 anyway

[@timursulaimanov2550]

We‘ve had a great era:). Is this even possible now?

[@MonoverSusstereo]

I love both of these guys

[@NevadaBoss]

Amazing how funny Leno was in the 80s..saw him live back then & he did 2solid hours of the best standup I've ever seen..such a waste that he went to vanilla 'talk show' guy route. These are great posts..thks.

[@katlynklassen809]

He still has shows like that. Just his tv personality was blando. He has comedy for every room

[@scottb1621]

Damn KZbin recommendations. Its painful watching this after the best of Norm on Letterman

[@kevincarbone6831]

Norms the funniest man alive, but Jay was actually a more successful comic, there was a time when he was the number 1 comic on the road. He just refused to do comedy specials. I think he was good here.

[@FaithfulServant316]

Leno's head & face is a funny looking dude lmao😂

[@foxygrandpa1899]

It's funny looking back on these now and knowing just how much Leno wanted that job and the lengths he went to get it

[@RaulGroom]

It's interesting how personal humor is. I watched this entire video and never laughed once, yet Leno has made millions of people laugh for years. Viva la difference!

[@cockanus297]

@CitiZEN CAT Leno sucks lol

[@veritasmagnum668]

Yes I was thinking that as well.

[@cactusdragon3553]

If you didn't like it why watch the whole thing?

[@barryallen871]

He maid millions from having a milquetoast Tonight Show for like twenty years, not from his comedy. Although this was far funnier than any of that... you just don't get the references.

[@RaulGroom]

@@barryallen871 lol im 45 I lived through all of this i just don't find Leno funny

[@grahamrobins7411]

1:08:52 love hearing Dave’s authentic laugh

[@FredHerrman]

Great performance. 👍🏼

[@CHILDRENATPLAY2010]

Jay…..has never changed

[@davefox8948]

Say what you want. It’s pretty clear that Letterman loved Leno.

[@rondobson1828]

Not that you would know it from his decades hosting the Tonight Show, but Jay Leno is one of the funniest comedians of all time.

[@atrulson]

I suppose someone can be a funny comedian but not be a funny person. Letterman was a lousy comedian, but a very funny person.

[@richcrane2661]

@J T ok jus like to go for thz,e,,,

[@Dsmurf2201]

Of all time?!

[@billwatkins9202]

@J T c

[@sooper1000]

Vvv

[@PatchworkUSA]

I don’t understand why people have a problem with Jay, a comedian, coming on the show and doing his comedy act. Instead of standing in front of a microphone doing his act, he does it sitting next to Dave. What exactly is it that you guys think he is not doing? He was paid to appear on the show and do his act as other comedians did.

[@bafflezbiz]

Wow, I don't remember Leno doing the wiseguy act. Hard to believe this is the same guy that had grandma tuning in to watch him play with kittens. And that was after her bedtime!

[@webexpertcharlie]

Jay was considered by his peers to be the master of stand up comedy in the Eighties. Once he got the Tonight Show, his act was considered to be “watered down” for middle America.

[@Dulcimerist]

Yeah, once the "stuffed shirts" at NBC got involved in Leno's work, he just gave up and decided to phone it in every night.

[@redacted2275]

Unfortunately Leno, together with Jon Stewart, opened the gates for all talk show hosts of today, mediocre at best. That doesn't mean they were bad, they were excelent in what they did, it's what came after that sucks. (Conan doesn't count, he is not from this generation of talk show hosts). Leno does stand up comedy to this day, I think. The guy loves what he does, no doubt about it. :)

[@jeneraljax29]

@@Dulcimerist wouldn't ever say he phoned it in at all

[@Dulcimerist]

@@jeneraljax29 Watch his later season monologues, where he'd often let out a sigh after a joke and say "what else" and then go on to the next joke. Just reading them off the cue cards like they were tedious hoops to jump through.

[@jeneraljax29]

@@Dulcimerist i mean, if you want to pick and choose specific episodes or a time frame that's fine but you can't say he phoned it in every night of his tonight show tenure.

[@thenoodler]

Comes out and goes immediately into his schtick.

[@darsure3006]

This is a really astute observation and kind of speaks to the type of worker he was. Not really funny, just a worker. I love when Dave calls him out on the tired old 'they were walking out' joke. Dave knows.

[@maitrikpatel6536]

48:21 That 7-11 store thing had me in tears. One of his best moments.

[@tdawg719]

Dudes not funny at all. Not tact or awareness

[@johntully8176]

I only made it to 2minutes

[@garylobo348]

I despise Leno. I love Letterman. There, I said it!

[@BenVarkentine]

Ah, this was so definitely the peak of Leno. Then came the long fall.

[@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a]

he was the funniest Tonight Show host

[@BenVarkentine]

@@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a I don't agree, but I'm glad you enjoyed him in that role.

[@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a]

@@BenVarkentine Norm Macdonald agrees with me, mainly cause Jay actually has jokes and funny material for back and forth's with the guest. instead of mostly sIy responses and just giggling at what the guest says

[@BenVarkentine]

@@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a I see. You want to have a fight about this. No thanks.

[@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a]

@@BenVarkentine no of course not IoI, maybe debate if its mutual. i just Iike giving some details and examples of why i disagree. its a mature thing to do

[@hakimshah8397]

If they had made Jay and Letterman Co-Hosts of Tonight show, it would have been on today 🙌

[@christopherramon-reid9841]

As a side dish in Letterman, Leno was GREAT!

[@IPlayOneOnT.V.]

About 34:45 Letterman and Leno talked about comedian Emo Phillips. The first time I ever heard him I was listening to my local, regional radio station while driving home from work, and I laughed so hard I almost crashed my car into the boulevard.

[@jimreily7538]

Hahaha yes Emo Phillips is great, he's very underrated.

[@maynardferguson9599]

It's a pleasure to welcome, Mr. Next Tonight Show host!!!!

[@misisipimike8020]

Odd that between collection 1 & 2 the band played “(Everybody’s Got Something To Hide) Except Me & My Monkey” three separate times while going into commercial breaks. The only other Beatles song they played during these Leno appearances was also from the White Album (Glass Onion). Was Jay a deep cut late era Beatles fan? They also play lots of early Elvis for obvious reasons,

[@GuitarD30]

Brutal

[@paulmcginn5146]

how much wiz is in this. he is killing me thank you don. so very cool

[@east5871]

So far what I’m seeing is Leno winning The Tonight Show gig over Letterman right under Letterman’s nose.

[@east5871]

Alexander Martin Good point. How many times did Jimmy Fallon appear on letterman‘s show?

[@Mekrabb]

It is 100% obvious why NBC did what they did after watching these. And the ratings throughout proved it.

[@jbetnar]

@@Mekrabb Leno was a better ass kisser.

[@RS-ni3lj]

Leno wanted it more, he was a shrewd and ruthless operator behind the scenes.

[@leonardstilwell1894]

I think I just realized why Leno was a lackluster late night host. He has to be the center of attention in order to get that "can't take my eyes off him" quality Carson had with measured conversation and a timely look.

[@Dulcimerist]

Excellent and insightful point!

[@jeneraljax29]

"Lackluster" lmao #1 in the ratings for years

[@leonardstilwell1894]

@@jeneraljax29 Add 'in my opinion' before 'lackluster', if it helps. I understand my opinion is biased and subjective. It's also stated in a thread on a channel that's about everything Dave. I don't hate Leno, but I think as a late night host he lacked that indefinable magic *something* Dave and Johnny had and, I might add, *he* displayed in this collection, hence my use of "lackluster". Maybe could've used a better word, but there you go.

[@jeneraljax29]

@@leonardstilwell1894 fair enough

[@Littleneddygtw]

If Leno asked me to go to dinner I would decline

[@brocktonma.1816]

Leno knew the game inside and out.

[@MrRezRising]

Jay was a road warrior, he used to perform 300 nights a year on the road. Always had fresh material. Weird seeing him and Dave together after the whole blow up in the 90s.

[@joshboy88420]

thats because this was the 80s

[@MrRezRising]

@@joshboy88420 lol, ty, I should clarify: It's weird seeing them so friendly when we know what's coming up.

[@Scottie404]

Like Bob Hope, Leno basically did his comedy routine instead of carrying on an interesting, amusing conversation.

[@editingmatters]

You're right but Leno was so quick back then that some of it was made up on the spot - as a response to Dave - but it's so sharp and witty that it sounds like it was lifted from a routine.

[@repomang]

Much like Rodney dangerfield

[@meyman9]

All the old comedians did bits from their standup back then.

[@nancyphillips7847]

So much like Robin Williams

[@mygaffer]

I never found Leno to be funny but he had the most popular show.

[@marypatton1122]

I didn't know ANYONE knew how to use the automatic VCR timer! Jay can explain it to his 70 year old mom? HE IS A GENIUS!!