Johnny As Ronald Reagan in Classic “Who’s on First” Spoof | Carson Tonight Show

[@sjtom57]

That was one of the funniest bits I ever saw in all those 30 years. Great writing.

[@richardjezewski]

A small tribute to Abbott and Costello 😂🎉🎉😅😅😅😊😊

[@BAKER22-l4u]

Ger counseling

[@whicker59]

I'd like to know "who" wrote this skit. It's brilliant.

[@dennistucker9081]

@@richardjezewski….Yes, their “Who’s on First” baseball routine. Or was it “Who’s on third?” Ha ha.

[@RoSaWa386-33]

In the A&C skit, the keyword is "Who/Hu" because the use of "who" is critical to the ongoing confusion and such a great single word to insert into any question, phrase of comment. "Who's wife?" for example. In this skit, it's the use of "what? Watt?" And it was great to see the return of "Why/Wye", too... I keep waiting for a skit to use "How/Howe". There really aren't too many single words that can be injected into any utterance with so many confusing possibilities. 'Why" and "What" are great ones. "How" should be, too, I'd think. In the A&C skit, try swapping any name for "Who/Hu", though. It doesn't work. In this Johnny skit, "What/Watt" really can't be swapped with other words to create the same 'flow'.

[@jeffreysmith3061]

Comedy gold. Miss you Johnny.

[@J35Y1]

Youre lucky to have seen him live, I'm only 26 but I've watched him since I was 18. He is definitely the greatest talk show host ever.

[@debrarouse3422]

This was my dad, Fred Holliday. I had the privilege of being there at age 14 when they filmed this sketch. My dad went on to help sell Johnny Carson's "best of" video sets on QVC that featured this sketch (and I think one more when Johnny played Karl Malden as American Express guy emerging from hot tub - and my dad was one of the other people in the hot tub). True comic genius.

[@davewanamaker3690]

Fred Holliday was smooth, charismatic and dashing. Man, he comes across very well on TV. He has great delivery and those wanting to be on tv should watch his commercials and other appearances! You should be very proud of his talent. He helped make this comedy bit work!

[@debrarouse3422]

@@davewanamaker3690 Wow, thank you. Tomorrow is the 29th anniversary of his passing. So hard to believe.

[@Rassilon6]

"Jim, I don't understand why you're doing this to me." For some reason, that line always cracks me up.

[@bethb.2038]

You don't get brilliantly hilarious comedy like that anymore. I miss those days.

[@stephend2879]

Me too. I spent many a late night watching that show.

[@ROYNEPTUNE]

Johnny did Reagan very well. Funny as hell!

[@marcK599.]

They we’re friends

[@roymah2362]

Johnny Carson was undoubtedly the very best late night variety show ever, but since he retired in May of 1992 with two of the funniest people Robin Williams & Bette Midler on the very last show or in other words the farewell show, things were never the same again in late night TV show beside Jay Leno & Letterman which they were O.K & a lot of fun to watch them too. But Carson surely was something else, he was the best of the best in late night show. there will never be another Johnny Carson ever again. RIP Johnny. You are missed very much so.

[@Rick_King]

Absolutely brilliant! Carson's impression of Reagan was spot on, and the humor is classic!

I didn't see Carson in that sketch.

[@Rob_Kates]

He looked a lot like Reagan here.

[@kimbrey65]

That was so great! Oh, I miss Johnny Carson!!

[@scottnelson1713]

Yep, one of the best bits Johnny Carson did back in the day. Nobody else has been able to do anything nearly as good as Carson since then.

[@jgaulorr]

This skit never fails! A Carson classic 😂😂!

[@SuDeep_M9999]

Incredible Johnny Carson 🎉😂🎉!!

[@davidfreestone5239]

Never watched Johnny Carson when I was younger, couldn’t watch it in the UK all those years ago, but this is absolute classic comedy at its best, I never cease to laugh at this sketch, pure gold.

[@jerrydixon]

My favorite Johnny Carson bit ever. And the other man is Fred Holliday.

[@timidater4803]

Johnny was the best! I think I watched every show he made!

[@paulolson]

That is brilliant. Excellent, imaginative writing delivered by The One and Only.

[@mattkramer4132]

Johnny was great in this; and kudos should also go to actor Fred Holliday (Grossinger) as Jim Baker for doing an excellent job and keeping a straight face! lol

[@debrarouse3422]

💙

[@Ticky66MN]

That was awesome! Thank you.

[@ergonautilus]

His makeup is stupendous, especially for this era of television!

[@thelonesomefisherman7425]

Abbott and Costello would be proud

[@jeffreyrigg9136]

This skit never gets old.

[@MaskedMan66]

I understand that this bit had Reagan himself in stitches.🙂

[@danam0228]

One of the many reasons why Carson was the best and why noone has surpassed him

[@darrinlindsey]

Brilliant

[@EvaCDeere]

This was comedy gold.

[@joeyboedeker2047]

Back in the day!!😊😊😊

[@mongoosegto]

So hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing 😂

[@Dino-wi4zt]

I never get tired of this show it’s superb

[@PhilipHarwell]

Best four and a half minutes of Carson’s career!

[@John14-06]

CLASSIC! Never been better or so right on!

[@geedubb-q1u]

Classic.

[@sjoeld57]

Johnny was also equal opportunity. It didn't matter what political party, he would poke fun. The way it should be.

[@toreckman8899]

Abbott and Costello. Classic parody.

[@josephosheavideos3992]

What made this comic bit so funny was that the writers did their homework. The people mentioned in this skit were the actual leaders in their real offices. Brilliant.

[@sarissegarra9072]

I'm a conservative and a huge Reagan fan. This was genuinely funny without being political. I think President Reagan would have laughed as heartily as I did watching it. Johnny Carson was a comic genius!

[@notme222]

Fully agree. Reagan had a tremendous sense of humor and surely had a great laugh when he first saw this sketch.

[@THE-HammerMan]

Pure classic. Great writers and the skit was acted out very well. Compare this to today's shows? You can't... and I don't give a damn anyway!

[@carloscanas4803]

That was the greatest sketch of all time in is his 30 years run

[@gar9429]

How about the copper clapper caper with Johnny and Jack Webb?

[@kathimills4247]

Yes, please!

[@author]

This classic skit is one more reason why Johnny Carson was & will always be "The King Of Late Night TV."

[@tinamariarandez]

Loved Johnny on late nights!!

[@lorimast]

This is awesome!!! What is the odds all these funny names were around back then!

[@Bondek1996]

Never heard Carson's Reagan impression till now. Solid gold, though found myself thinking about if Rich Little did one of Carson doing Reagan.

[@pamblanton3580]

The BEST!😂😂😂😂😂

[@jessetorres8738]

Swimming with Secretary What at The Y(MCA). Meeting the head of The P.L.O. Nosir Yessir. Getting a phone call from Republic Of China Premier Chung Who. Brilliant writing made better with great comedic timing by Carson as Reagan.

[@kneeman66]

And Fred Holliday

[@jetsgardner5490]

This only proves that no matter how talented you are, you've got to have good writers.

[@davidberry4256]

I remember seeing this first run. It's said President Reagan played it while on a trip on AirForce One.

[@sjb3460]

YES!!!!!!THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thomasdowns1117]

Johnny Carson had more talent than all the current phonies combined

[@RoSaWa386-33]

This is The Best take-off.

[@TheInkPitOx]

I love Who's on First homages

[@jandreid2023]

And they say Johnny Carson didn't poke fun at politicians.

[@HighwayStar71]

Johnny Carson was well-known to be a Democrat. He would occasionally poke fun at Reagan but he wasn't overbearing like the current talentless, late-night show jerks like Colbert and Kimmel.

[@charlesacaranci9039]

Well written and well played

[@OldSchool1947]

ALMOST equal to “Who’s on First!” But the understatement!!!!!

[@KevinJStoll]

I think that's Mike Rowe playing Jim Baker. Am I wrong ? Classic Johnny. I so miss his show. Glad I grew up as a kid watching it.

[@mattkramer4132]

Actor Fred Holliday

[@carsongrover9924]

That impersonation is perfect

[@aaa7189]

I wonder if President Reagan ever saw this skit

[@whoreshoe]

He probably couldn’t figure out how to turn on the tv😂

[@robertyates9500]

@@whoreshoe That's a really ridiculous and stupid comment.

[@chuckselvage3157]

This is gold.😂

[@jillkjv3816]

Classic. 😊

[@jameslarosa2396]

The current crop of late night comedians need to watch this and learn how to do political comedy without being mean spirited.

[@jeshkam]

#JimmyKimmel

[@THE-HammerMan]

Screw being "mean spirited". They need to watch to learn how to be funny!

[@susanhughes9803]

I loved Johnny Carson

[@jeff0125]

So glad I'm old enough to remember when late-night hosts could make fun of politicians in a way that everyone could laugh at, and didn't insult or wish death upon half the country.

[@leettayarlot95]

Great skit ! 😂

[@autocad3227]

That's one of the funniest skits they have ever done. And as others have said this is how politics should be done.

[@TCBElvisAPresley]

I wonder if Reagan ever saw and commented on this skit. He would have loved it!

[@Waterlooplein1]

This is the best skit he ever did!

[@kevinmadden1645]

Probably better than any Carnac skit.😊

[@Waterlooplein1]

@@kevinmadden1645 Except maybe "Shiss, boom, baa."

[@staxmantim]

I guarantee Reagan loved this!

[@Eddie42023]

And the names lent themselves to this so well. Tell me the person that realized this could be done.

[@coachcoach1176]

Sounds like Rich Little doing Carson doing Regan!!!

[@semanj]

“The environment is on their minds.” Still is, thanks Ronnie.

[@bretttalbott7892]

In the day when tv stars had talent.

[@DonTruman]

Lol that's a classic.

[@ricksaunders8074]

When late night was funny

[@paulcunningham2859]

Classic

[@jefferydavis4090]

I miss Johnny Carson!!!!! He was a kid of Nebraska, which I proudly call home!!!!!!! But our Football team SUCKS!!!!!!!

[@emwa3600]

My vote for the Only Good Alternative to WHO'S ON FIRST (or the phone... Wye? Becoz? Tamarah).

[@chetbarney6635]

This is a great version of Lou Costello & Bud Abbott's skit.

[@Minina-Nena-Celina]

Wow!

[@Jim-ku6ry]

Gold

[@BradYount]

😂😂❤

[@randybehm5731]

When late night talk shows were funny …..

[@normkirk65]

LMAO !! 🤣

[@chrisbrimhall1613]

This is political as Johnny ever got……the way it should be done

[@shawnmiller4781]

There is a lesson for the current late show crowd there

[@benmaurer8055]

Johnny git far more political but obviously u didn't pay attention

[@timthegem]

You couldn't be more wrong. Try actually watching the show instead of just clips. His opening monologues were relentlessly political.

[@timthegem]

@@shawnmiller4781 No, there is a lesson for YOU: Don't believe inaccurate comments just because you want them to be true. Throughout the years, Carson had nightly jokes about Ford, Carter, Reagan, etc. And it was okay. Unlike today, where people seem to think it's a personal attack against themselves when Fallon or Kimmel make jokes about Trump. Kind of like jokes about Nixon back in the day. Really makes you wonder why people get so emotionally invested in the crooked.

[@mackdaddyg321]

What the complainers won't accept is the majority of today's audience wants and expects political humor. Otherwise the late night shows wouldn't do it. Those who can't handle that fact should just stick with 40 year old clips like this.

[@ajm1268]

lol Ronnie Regan had dementia 😊

[@rodolfoleyva5157]

Third base, Third base 😁

[@carsongrover9924]

I hope President Reagan watched this

[@BradYount]

Just like whose on first. Abbott & Costello

[@ce9345]

Ronald Reagan loved this routine. But then again, Reagan had a great sense of humor! For those people who thought Reagan was a bad president, are the same people who think Biden is doing a good job!

[@mattlawson6975]

Such an ingnorant comment 😞

[@benmaurer8055]

I believe both sucked, except Reagan as governor was a fascist and as president ushered in envangical Christian nationalists to have a say in our country! And I believe Biden is one of the faces of why our country is in the crapper with his horrible decisions in every way. Imagine that, I have no team and think both suck!!!!! So wrong

[@John70965]

Couldn't agree more. Half of America wasn't even born when Reagan took office so they have no first hand knowledge of how Reagan's policies helped America.

[@benmaurer8055]

@@John70965 Ronald Reagan his his whole political career did ZERO to help amerikkka!! Our country is still suffering from all his horrible policies. Easily one of the worst presidents and political figures in amerikkka history!!!

[@benmaurer8055]

No I think is horrible and was a criminal thug who entire political career helped put amerikkka in the crspper. There is little if anything Reagan did to help our country!!! Imagine that? I believe both suck but Reagan and his 146 I don't knows should have been in prison fir the iran-contra scandal. Then factor in the October surprise how he stoled his victory over carter....

[@fireballmarlboroman3753]

Hilarious

[@John70965]

@jandreid2023 Johnny 'poked fun' at anyone. Everyone was fair game on his Tonight Show.

[@williamdunphy352]

Fred Holliday is Jim Baker.

[@annettedavis3338]

It's funnier because the names were actually real people. 😅 I wonder who wrote it.

[@jamescollinson2456]

A brilliant idea by the Tonight Show writers to take an old Abbott and Costello bit and make it into a comedy sketch relevant to that time. Johnny was a great sketch comedian, but did much less of it in the later years of the show. The only sketch character he stayed with throughout his three decades as host was Carnac the Magnificent.

[@jayalan2223]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@danielchampagne9168]

Baker switched jobs with Don Regan when Reagan was, re-elected in 1985.

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

🤣

[@ricksaunders8074]

When comedy was real

[@Rob_Kates]

Great skit, who wrote this one? Pat McCormick maybe?

[@JamesKovacic]

Reagan sucked but he at least had a spine and sense of humor with stuff like this. The politicians of today are way too serious

[@ricksaunders8074]

The economy was great under Reagan

[@JamesKovacic]

It was only great for straight rich white men

[@Dontuween]

It is not just today's late night talk shows, but Johnny Carson made fun of politicians as well, especially Ronald Reagan!

[@joeyboedeker2047]

Johnny and Ronnie were friends. They even played tennis together. There was nothing venomous like there is now.

[@TheDylandProductions]

The difference is that Carson isn't "making fun of" Reagan. But, instead, is using Reagan (and other political figures) as the players in the Abbott & Costello/vaudeville classic Who's On First bit. It's only indirectly political, and certainly not bigoted & hateful like today's late night hosts content-mill productions.

[@Dontuween]

@@TheDylandProductions But it was not just this skit. Carson routinely made fun of Reagan, then later on George H.W. Bush AND especially Dan Quayle, on his youth and inexperience, that mirrors what today's late night hosts, say of Mr. Trump, or a George Santos.

[@MorningInAmerica_Nov_5_2024]

Seriously? You think this was to ridicule Reagan? Put your thinking cap on. What other president would this have worked with? He's the one with the Cabinet Member named Watt. And Yasser Arafat was in the news in those days. It was a perfect opportunity for his writers to develop this skit. I love RR. He's my favorite president of the last century. But I'm not at all offended by this clever and hilarious spoof.

[@TheDylandProductions]

@@jazzfan67 Absolutely not. In fact, there are plenty of great Trump jokes imho. (look up Dana Carvey's impression, for instance) To parody a popular figure's speech/mannerisms is not necessarily hateful. Carson did it to Ed Sullivan IN FRONT of Ed Sullivan! It's the "f--- left/right wing candidate" so-called comedians that are hateful and unfunny. And that's all that late night talkshows are nowadays - hating either one side or the other - with no substance. Often pretty bigoted too. (If you agree with "the other side" then "f you and leave") It sucks to be preached and talked down to as a viewer. No wonder people are jumping ship and watching internet content instead. Or old Carson clips! Carson never made fun OF politicians. He made fun WITH politicians. Big difference.

[@dpmart3275]

😂

[@ghanasoul]

Carson looks more like Howdy Doody than Reagan! HA!!