Jay Leno Talks About Starting as a Regular Guest Host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

[@wolfchrt]

Rather have Leno or Carson than Fallon

[@spizzlo]

Geeze you'd rather have anybody but Fallon. Thinking of Fallon as Carson's legacy makes me want to cry. But also I try to look at it like Jerry Seinfeld put it. He said basically "there is no tonight show, there is just Carson. Nobody will replace him. He took the tonight show with him when he left."

[@wolfchrt]

@@spizzlo I just dont enjoy Fallon that much. I think he might even get replaced soon after his contract ends in 2 years. That must mean then Seth will get the Tonight Show spot.

[@danielw2712]

@@wolfchrt I hope it's not Seth either. He's much better than fallon, but still okay. I'd really rather they gave it back to Conan. That would be a mass hit

[@julieclifford7698]

Conan ;))

[@MothGirl007]

Totally!

[@MrSteve280]

Both at their peak. It's been a while since I've thought about how Mr. Carson absolutely owned late night TV. Gifted comedian, greatest host there ever was.

[@DigitalShark99]

@00:37 Johnny is referring to the fact that former "Tonight Show" guest host Joan Rivers had closed a deal to host another late-night talk show without ever notifying Johnny that she was in negotiations to be his competition.

[@tomperkins5657]

Stole my comment!! (0-;

[@judywright4241]

DigitalShark99 ---Good for you in pointing that out, it is often left out of ‘cold’ Johnny ‘freezing out Joan’, when HE DISCOVERED HER, hyped her career & then w/o a word SHE goes to another network to compete with him, & gripes the rest of her life about his unforgiving spirit. I liked her, thought she was funny but she betrayed him & he never healed from it.

[@gallery7596]

@@judywright4241 *NBC* was not renewing her contract, though. So, if she had an offer for a show of her own, it wouldn't be fair to expect her to turn it down when she had no chance of ever inheriting "The Tonight Show." However, if I'd been her, I sure would not have let Johnny find out about it right after she'd been on the show with him a few nights earlier.

[@joeybigler9413]

Carson was a complete crybaby bitch regarding Joan.

[@mikestevenson576]

@@gallery7596 I don't think that's a good enough reason to go head to head with the person who made you a star. At least not without consulting with him. Take a daytime show or something. And it's not like she was poor! At this point she probably made 50K a night when she did stand up thanks to her Tonight exposure. You have to make it right with people who gave you so much. Ironically, of course, Leno arguably found himself in the same position with Dave and to some extent Carson.

[@perrycrozier8805]

God, I miss the 80's !!!

[@LAFan]

@Bill of Rights Russian troll go away.

[@musiccollector]

NOBODY can walk in Johnny's footsteps. It is not humanly possible!

[@markjackson6431]

David Letterman could

[@goinsouth051]

Johnny had a wonderful show. You could tell he was relaxed and having fun. He made his guests feel welcomed and naturally things would just happen. That is what a real late night show should be. I felt however that when these guys left the late night humor left too. I miss Johnny & Jay they were so entertaining.

[@carlosvipe2765]

English is a second language to me, but couldn't miss this man's night show. He was naturally funny, spontaneous, not mentioning his smartness and all that together in just one person! I'm so glad youtube exists!

[@rdbasha5184]

I can't believe this is from 3 years ago. It feels like yesterday!

[@KathyFree-dz1dm]

lol

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

Leno did a gracious job filling in for Johnny, never overstepped his boundaries, and make fun of his head all you want, Mavis was a Fox

[@kenhurley4441]

Nope,,,,, Mavis "is" a Fox!

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

pete smyth obviously been keeping him amused, they stood together like 44 yrs so far, no kids, lotsa toys,

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

@Barbara Guest What does that mean, I’ve never even imagined anything different there

[@KenHenderson-n1c]

I had followed Jay's career, seeing him at comedy clubs (where I had to pay a cover charge), then to theater shows with a steep ticket price, When I heard that Leno would be subbing for Johnny Carson I thought "Great! I can see Jay do a monologue for FREE!",

[@garymeise673]

Obviously to me the greatest night show hosts are Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and David Letterman. And I think it's in that order. There's no question Johnny Carson is the greatest ever. And yes as much as I love David Letterman I would put Jay Leno higher. And I'm so sad that even though I'm a Democrat now everything is political with late night television. I miss when comedy was comedy.

[@davidwolf226]

Once Johnny and Jay subsequently retired, late-night TV had devolved into the proverbial toilet.

[@theforgottenorg]

Jay kept thr culture/tradition of the Night Show, Conan kept the humor alive...without those two, its all a shell of what itnused to be. Even Arsenio was fun, entertaining, and in line with Johnny.

[@ronh2660]

Agree!

[@wufongtanwufong5579]

Like Norm MacDonald said. The hosts have gotten lazy, They use Trump as a crutch"

[@sohrab.moazami1]

Craig fergusen?

[@maryannegunter115]

Well, except for Colbert. He's the best now!

[@tmdttpc]

I like this Leno guy. Seems like one of those young up-and-comers that will do well in the industry.

[@steveniksid5874]

Nearly 40 years later and this is still hilarious!

[@lashany2626]

So cool that he was on Johnny Carsons show

[@lashany2626]

@Lee Higginbotham Jay Leno guest started on the tonight show,

[@thatjoeshow2270]

0:41 That might be the most shade Johnny ever publicly threw at Joan Rivers!

[@stevethomas2285]

I read that Johnny was really hurt by the way Joan handled it. I think if she had just asked for his blessing beforehand it would have been fine.

[@LAFan]

I just watched the 1972 Joan Rivers appearance on The Tonight Show and Johnny loved her. It's sad that he felt betrayed and they never spoke again. I'm glad that Joan Rivers forgave him before she passed.

[@afinteresting8817]

Thanks for posting the date

[@perceive8159]

Great you showed a Leno as you said you would 😎 I know there’s a 1978 first appearance of Leno as a stand-up comic with Johnny see if you can post that one! 😁

[@Y0S3F]

"I guess they know what they're doing." 4:35 That's so on the mark, parents always level things. Bring you right back down to earth.

[@feetpiece_704]

Good lord, I forgot how young Jay was when he started hosting the show.

[@ClayLoomis1958]

@Bill of Rights Yes, more Coronavirus deaths for everyone.

[@danielw2712]

@@ClayLoomis1958 spot on!

[@ClapHurts]

@@ClayLoomis1958 what does that have to do with anything

[@ClayLoomis1958]

@@ClapHurts It has to do with the guy named "Bill of Rights" that commented and then deleted it after I responded. You're mighty late to the thread.

[@maryannegunter115]

Carson was great, but Leno is an icon. And he's a genuine GOOD person. When he left the Tonight Show, I sent a photo of him to a fan club in California, who guaranteed it to be autographed by Jay. Time went on and I forgot about it. Two years later, an envelope came, with the photo signed, with a little message from Jay! It's framed and hangs in my living room and is one of my prized possessions!

[@SimplyTakuma]

Can we say Leno doing here was the first Headlines :D

[@gregwatson8219]

Great advice Johnny gave Jay

[@nickrigdon8883]

Hmmm Leno hosting the tonight show.. hope everything goes smoothly!

[@soulaesthete8563]

Back when funny was actually funny.

[@mattbynumfilms]

Even back they had mean tweets.

[@spizzlo]

That thing in the beginning was referring to Joan Rivers having recently left as guest host and apparently not giving Carson a heads up. Rivers never appeared on the show again, and even Leno never had her on out of respect for Carson.

[@adamsyed5535]

And Johnny refused to ever speak to her again, even though she tried to apologize profusely and beg him to become friends again.

[@spizzlo]

@@adamsyed5535 yep exactly. Crazy story. There was more to Carson than his on screen persona. This conversation between Rivers and long time Carson lawyer and friend Henry Bushkin is great and talks about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJqmqJmta7d1nbs

[@adamsyed5535]

@@spizzlo thanks, watching now

[@danielruggiero5230]

Johnny also had a falling out with Fred DeCordova [his producer/director] & banned him from the set for the last year of his tenure Fred told Johnny to wrap it up & Johnny took offense & then tore into him as soon as the show ended

[@tvmonte]

@@danielruggiero5230 You left out that what Fred wanted Johnny to rush through was pics taken by his late son Rick who died a tragic death in '91...

[@lanselithgow5865]

Clean , funny n Genuine!

[@ShyJim3510]

Johnny’s opening remark had to be a reference to Joan Rivers…..”if you get any offers…..call me before you take it!”

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

JAY LENO 28 DE ABRIL DE 1950 72 AÑOS

[@davincent98]

Headlines: the preview

[@kkampy4052]

I love Garry Shandling too.

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Pls part two

[@Mike1614YT]

a good time for late-night TV, when it was fun and funny, imagine that

[@jaycalvnatn]

Very informative

[@randallsnyder5757]

I saw Leno performing in the lounge of Bates Motel. He was killing it.

[@davidmatthews3131]

Too soon

[@Rockovissi]

The funny thing is if you heard whoever wrote those articles, you’d have no idea who they were or even remember them.

[@glove_log8170]

Does anybody have the episode aired on May 29th, 1990 with Jay Leno as the guest host and Fran Drescher as the celebrity guest?

[@dayender]

The teacher consoling the student.. sometimes it’s great remembering the teacher

[@veteranpatriot4474]

Think about it, Not too many people a given the " King " Label. Jesus " King of Kings ", Michael Jackson " King of Pop " Elvis Presley " The King of Rock and Roll " and Johnny Carson " The King of Late night ".

[@luxurreview]

Show the whole clip!!!!

[@demisx]

That was the last host of the Tonight show. All went downhill after Jay left.

[@m.bowman2841]

Jay was a pretty fit dude back then

[@انت-صلي-عالنبي-بس]

That’s Funny stuff 🤣💜👍🏻

[@kylewolnik1789]

Leno doing headlines before headlines

[@tomperkins5657]

Strange, I heard Johnny's mother was not a nice lady and NEVER complimented him. However, after her death, Johnny found hundreds of clippings in magazines and newspapers praising him. Go figure.

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Tom Perkins Maybe that is what drove Johnny to the huge success

[@tomperkins5657]

@@pronemanoldbutyoung5548 You are right! But it broke his heart.

[@brewer921]

After Johnny's first few weeks, Carson's mom said Paar was better.

[@ShyJim3510]

This was the first and only time I ever heard Carson publicly say anything about his mother. He would not allow interviewers to ask about his childhood.

[@tomperkins5657]

@@brewer921 What a wonderful mom.

[@theforgottenorg]

Imagine so many actual independent sources of reviews from MSM.

[@Desertfox92308]

I laughed when Johnny was concerned Jay (might) walk away from the best gig in late night history! Jay was all in!

[@tomperkins5657]

Do you remember that was a slam on Joan Rivers. He never spoke to her again.

[@LAFan]

Little did Johnny know that Jay and his crazy manager Helen would conspire to push him out of the Tonight Show chair. Watch the 1995 HBO Late Shift movie or read the book. Jay spying on NBC executives is one the best parts of the movie and book.

[@dyer2cycle]

..yes, he was referring to Joan Rivers...

[@michaelsix9684]

hard to believe Jay had so many critics, he did a great job after Carson left

[@henryflores6244]

Jay looks like Johnny bravo.

[@jolenaagapisou3803]

I liked Jay Leno, he was sure handsome, even with that humongous chin!! Lol - Johnny R.I.P.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

JOHNNY CARSON 23 DE OCTUBRE DE 1925 23 DE ENERO DE 2005 79 AÑOS

[@johnking5174]

Johnny making a dig here at Joan Rivers without ever mentioning her name at 0:38

[@holylandfan3275]

The jab at the first was to Joan Rivers. She could never figure out why he was mad and never talked to her again. Well, he gave you your start and you went to another network and didn't tell him. Hmmm, can't imagine why. 😡

[@echance12]

She said she called him several times and he refused to answer the phone.. so who knows

[@LAFan]

Little did Johnny Carson know at the time that Jay Leno and his crazy manager Helen (played brilliantly in HBO's the Late Shift by Kathy Bates) would get NBC executives to push Johnny Carson out of the Tonight Show chair in 1992.

[@gallery7596]

Not completely accurate. Helen went behind Jay's back to plant stories in the press about *NBC* supposedly wanting to axe Johnny. However, the network had made no actual move to push Johnny out, and they were as shocked as everybody else was when Johnny said in 1991 he would be leaving the next year. Helen left, too (but not voluntarily) when her Machiavellian ways forced Jay to fire her as producer of "The Tonight Show."

[@roldoxc2094]

JC was surreptitiously passing the torch at this stage.

[@MothGirl007]

I think so too.

[@markjackson6431]

he was not passing the torch. as great as Jay Leno is, Carson always viewed Letterman as his natural successor…

[@shanecollis4207]

Little jab at Joan Rivers at the beginning.

[@bigd-1-channel514]

Still cant believe Leno took over the show, Helen did her thing, at least Letterman realized it was just leftovers. and went on to do his own thing. I like Jay, but his interviewing skills sucked, but comapred to the piles of worthless lunchmeat doing late night now, he was masterful. Johnny Carson, best ever. Lets not forget about Larry Sanders.

[@kurtanderson5349]

At the height of his career, no one was funnier.

[@zt1053]

Is Johnny referring to Joan Rivers?

[@adamsyed5535]

Yes

[@rociobany290]

Great clip ... glad Leno took over ; & ouch on the Joan Rivers fiasco !!

[@chrisspathelf2310]

Joan rivers reference from johnny

[@jeffreymagras711]

jay is a nice non cursing person didnt realize how good looking he was

[@Russell_Rieckenberg]

If you like anvil-headed people, with a pelican face.

[@lelandfranklin3487]

Carson mentions his mom. She apparently was a royal...well...not a nice person.

[@seanwebb605]

Daven's mother came on his show.

[@billyrossi4661]

Jay where's the denim..😷🙂👖👖👖👖👖👖👖👖👖👖👖

[@Desertfox92308]

Later...👍

[@petesmitt]

Leno inherited his jaw from his mother.

[@garryferrington811]

Television exaggerates Leno's features.

[@robedmund9948]

Young Jay kinda looked like a skinny Grizzly bear.

[@Heavywall70]

Ever notice how nobody pines for the Tonight Show starring Jack Parr ? Those people are either dead or can’t work a smartphone.

[@mottknil1372]

Johnny hated his mother .

[@johnking5174]

His mother was as cold as the iceberg which hit the Titanic, that is why he hated her.

[@danielestrada8835]

Leno and Carson are real comedians. Today we have woke crying America hating goody fools.

[@vjohnson6464]

Jay actually has a health condition that causes his chin to be that way however he chose not to correct it.

[@lostintime8651]

Comment number 101

[@cspartacus716]

Wow, Johnny was so uncomfortable! Clearly he had little to do with the decision.

[@Thomas-fk3cw]

Jay is a really awkward guy to talk to. Carson could interview anyone, but yeah, definitely, uncomfortable here. It's like Leno is doing a monologue in the guest seat.

[@johnking5174]

@@Thomas-fk3cw Watch Part 2 and Johnny is much more relaxed

[@Dmolina3715]

IS THIS WHERE THE IDEA FOR HEADLINES CAME FROM?????

[@tbonemann]

Jaw Leno stealing again

[@UHFStation1]

Even before Leno got the tonight show he was letting everyone else write his jokes.

[@JosephHowes2003]

Leno was known for writing a high percentage of his own jokes.

[@knowthinself8107]

Johnny hated jay....and he was right to hate

[@chriskay1449]

BS. he did not hate Leno at all.

[@melcrose]

Jay gave me the creeps from the first time I saw him, and it only got worse.

[@justinoldmusician5321]

Dave Letterman always made me nervous because he constantly interrupted his guests.

[@brewer921]

Johnny references the Joan Rivers ordeal, but then Jay didn't call him when his agent engineered the palace coup. What Jay did was far worse than what Joan did.

[@noelcook8421]

Johnny carson left on his own he wasnt forced out

[@brewer921]

@@noelcook8421 Technically, Johnny left on his own. But Jay Leno's agent planted a story in the New York Post about NBC wanting Johnny out when in fact NBC had not said any such thing. That forced a chain of events that made Johnny want to retire, although he may have done it anyway. There is a clip of Letterman on Carson during his last year where he mentions "the palace coup." The whole thing is in The Late Shift (1994), the book by Bill Carter. It was made into an HBO movie two years later.

[@brewer921]

Here is the "coup" comment from Dave.

[@Steven_Edwards]

@@brewer921 Jay never had an agent.

[@brewer921]

@@Steven_Edwards Not true. It was Helen Kushnick. He fired her in 1992, four months into his Tonight Show run. They had a bitter breakup. There was a book and movie called The Late Shift about it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Kushnick

[@ronh2660]

Shuns tonight show Fake news

[@clintonflynn815]

Jay is one of the best car guys in history, but funny he never was.

[@danielhafner5534]

Can’t watch any of them nowadays they all suck

[@jx-dama9611]

Leno was terrible

[@garygee4775]

Carson's in private couldn't stand Leno.

[@jolenaagapisou3803]

Yeah, like you really know that!!! SMH