The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - Ed fires off a couple of zingers - Sept 27, 1979

[@chrismoses722]

The mark of greatness: when a joke falls flat and you use it to get an even bigger laugh from the audience. Carson was the absolute master at this.

[@Gk2003m]

The majority of those were designed that way. But it still takes an absolute master to make it work.

[@FredLord-sp4ym]

Mr. McMahon was terrific. His laugh was both infectious and sincere. He could hold his own. LOL. Thanks for sharing.

[@lloydbell5380]

Watching these Carson clips is like going back home.

[@deconry]

It sure takes you back to a better day.

[@jennifersman7990]

Ed was just the perfect foil for Johnny every night. Once when Johnny was doing Carnac, he asked for absolute silence, Ed said “Often times...Carnac gets that” to which Johnny replied “Star Search must be doing well...”

[@francisdashwood1760]

Johnny was huge, with his humor and presence thought to be upper-class and sophisticated.

[@johnking5174]

I just love Ed's comeback to Johnny at 1:45 - the timing was spot on, and his delivery was superb. People think it is easy to throw this zingers out, but if you are out by even a second or two, it will fall flat. Ed knew how to time them right.

[@norbyenorris3925]

A true national treasure. Love you, miss you Johnny and Ed.

[@williamm374]

Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon were classic. I really miss this show, I watched it every chance I had.

[@johnking5174]

I adored Ed. He came across as such a lovely, warm man.

[@stuarthecht8196]

Hysterical. I can't get enough of these Carson/Ed/Doc etc. clips. As a teenager in the 70's, I remember laughing my head off many a night before bed while watching Carson and the gang. What a man, what a show. Sadly, our society has lost its innocence- there's no comedy like this today, and it's unlikely there ever will be again.

[@spectrum7virkeytroni]

What passes for monologs today is so mean spirited. But apparently people think it's funny or it wouldn't get enough ratings to stay on the air. But I find the new stuff childish and unfunny. (I also grew up with the Johnny Carson show in the 70s)

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@spectrum7virkeytroni I agree with you.

[@waynescott137]

It's all in delivery, Johnny certainly had it!

[@AbandonedMines11]

What I liked about the Tonight Show when Carson hosted it is that he would have such a wide range of celebrities and other people as guests. He would have on concert pianists, scientists like Carl Sagan, magicians, and especially unknown people from small towns across America who had a rare or unusual talent, and things like that. Nowadays it just seems to be all movie stars and TV stars and politicians that are on these shows. I miss the wide mixture of guests that included the famous and the un-famous.

[@johnking5174]

I always loved Ed McMahon. He seemed like a kindly uncle, a lovely gentleman.

[@cathynewyork7918]

I very briefly met Ed McMahon when we were seated at the same table in a live Frank Sinatra show in Las Vegas. He was just as warm and friendly then as he was on TV.

[@THE-HammerMan]

@@cathynewyork7918 COOL memories! That is totally fantastic.

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@THE-HammerMan Thank you! You are very nice to say this to me.

[@THE-HammerMan]

@@cathynewyork7918 I'm a wee bit jealous too! I grew up with a Cathy my age across the street (mad crush!). All Cathy's are living dolls!

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@THE-HammerMan LOL. Matthew, you are very sweet. I hope you got to be with your crush ... or find another lady just as special.

[@darylmiller8785]

The magic is that Ed (on purpose) was never in on anything. He knew the list of guests (of course) and the run down for the show. And that was pretty much it. So the magic, then, was that his was always pure reaction. They truly were the best of the best.

[@kingsize127]

“That’s true…” damn that was cold

[@dhpbear2]

how cold WAS it? 😆

[@kingsize127]

@@dhpbear2 It was so cold, an Eskimo offered me TWO parkas.

[@em23]

@@dhpbear2 42 degrees

[@BX138]

It was so cold, when you turned on the shower, it snowed for 20 minutes

[@netsurferx1]

@@kingsize127 Ed Mcmahon: "Ho, hohohohohohohoho...Hi-Yoooooooooo!"

[@brucehauge1391]

It wouldn't have been the same without Ed's laugh.

[@mikedrown2721]

Absolutely right!!!

[@krisscanlon4051]

hey oooooo

[@muffs55mercury61]

Don't forget Tommy Newsom. His deadpan reactions make everyone die laughing including me.

[@franksantos3418]

Still the king of late night.

[@anthonymariani3793]

No one was funnier when a joke bombed than Johnny.

[@a245b1]

Even when Johnny was off, he was better than the guys now

[@BobChessick]

Conan O'Brien on the Tonight Show on the day of Ed McMahon's death described him and Carson as the "most iconic two-shot in television history".

[@markkonzerowsky8871]

2:02 Extremely "inside baseball" Paar-era reference that sails over the audience's heads.

[@duckhive]

the last joke had me ROLLING... lmao

[@untexan]

This was around the time Carson and NBC were feuding about whether or not he still had a valid contract and Johnny was threatening to retire. Ed was referring to that whole saga.

[@furyofbongos]

Thank you! I didn't get the joke without that context.

[@davidyearout7897]

Sure miss him….the world was in a better place, even if it wasnt

[@paulbaker5920]

There has never been anyone good enough to replace Johnny. Late night TV died when he retired. And what can you say about Ed, he was the best sidekick, ever. May they both rest in peace. Sadly, they are as dead as modern comedy.

[@BX138]

I'm waiting for him to say something like, "Can you believe, gas might go all the way up to $1 a gallon?"

[@paddyotable]

David, you've brought me many memories and laughs from the Carson days. Thank you.

[@barrybrown9104]

Still funny after 40 years?????? OMG

[@williamm374]

Please don't remind me how damn old I am. I loved watching Johnny Carson. He was a fellow amateur astronomer to boot.

[@sandrasharp2934]

Johnny: "Explaining it (the joke) does not make it any funnier." Ed: "That's true." 😂

[@mjproebstle]

when johnny commented about someone falling out of their chair, ed should have said, “it certainly wasn’t from laughter”

[@SingleTax]

Sounds like something Statler and Waldorf would say -- before going "Dohohohoho!"

[@francisdashwood1760]

That's too easy. Their humor was more subtle.

[@erichaynes7502]

Ed knew he couldn't go for 3 zingers, 2 was the max.

[@moffettcoates6455]

The good ole days

[@thomasmartin7425]

As Milton Berle you used to say regarding zingers: "Choose your spots." Ed was beloved by Johnny and audiences because he was an absolute MASTER at this concept. Zingers are frought with danger: too many; too soon; too late; too deep; too flat; too over-shadowing .....Ed had surgical precision and he knew exactly when and where.

[@simplytruth9729]

I needed the laughs this morning. thank you

[@tedunguent156]

Johnny was a class act. All the way. Even when the writers bombed he saved the day. Most of his guests were the same way. That generation had class. Forget about what we see today. It's pathetic. I'm not just talking about the late night crowd I'm talking about TV and movies in general. Total garbage. Sex, violence and disgusting language just to pander to an audience with no education. SMH

[@ruthecker399]

miss johnnie love him rip

[@tomh3652]

Ed missed a great chance for a good line. When Johnny said sounds like somebody fell out of his chair. A great Ed line would have been , BUT NOT FROM LAUGHTER.

[@jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj178]

Wow, the beginning is a real Larry Sanders/Hank Kingsley moment, with Johnny suggesting Ed is wasting time doing commercials instead of concentrating on the show.

[@johnking5174]

I loved how Ed milked every opportunity to gain money from commercials, he knew even then he had a lot of alimony to pay to his first wife back then, and so ensure he never turned down the chance of doing commercials. Every $$ counted. Also, his work on the Tonight Show didn't exactly push him to the limit. He was an announcer basicially.

[@118Columbus]

Watching Johnny Carson 42 years later and it is still hilarious. Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes are not funny even 4.2 second later.

[@jamesmir89]

it’s all trump this, trump that…

[@jackmeyhoffer5107]

Kimmel is pathetic. All he does is weep like a little girl on his show.

[@THE-HammerMan]

That's good! You're so right.

[@THE-HammerMan]

@@jamesmir89 I'm waiting for Kimmel to do a "Max Headroom" version of Trump. THAT would be funny! It'll be a long wait.....

[@richmotroni]

Kimmel is not funny and a total hack

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Great team.

[@jamessimms415]

Both WW2 Vets. Carson served on the USS Pennsylvania & McMahon was a USMC pilot in both WW2 & Korea.

[@MelodicMizeryPs3Vids]

2:33 the chair hahahaha

[@tonyvincent9753]

In the title, when it says “Ed fires off a couple of” I thought it was going to be BEER FARTS!

[@bh5606]

..terrific..

[@LoveMusic9973]

He sure is. He is better than any anti depressant ever made. It not coincidence that the depression rate in America HAS SKYROCKETED EVERY YEAR SINCE 1992. Hey Mr. Paisley 🎸 how about some regular comedy shows from you. You are more multi talented and just as admired as Johnny. Love you both SPECIAL ❤️🎸😂🤠😘

[@saltybob3711]

legends.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

Go Johnny go.

[@jameshoran8]

Johnny once called the head chef at The NBC Commissary "Bebe Rugurgo" after Nixon's friend, Bebe Rebozo.

[@robertvantine2810]

0:48 Johnny is like : "Ed tu, Brutus?"

[@electrictroy2010]

Et tu, Ed?

[@chewk]

Nice Burn Ed!!

[@johnking5174]

2:46 - A member of the studio audience falls out of their seat - must have been the side effects of having lunch at the NBC commissary.

[@ambassador8524]

Dude Dave, your beard, it’s off the bloody chain!

[@johnking5174]

$225 million - probably was about the same amount Johnny was forced to pay out in his three divorce settlements and alimony.

[@rty1955]

I know, how sad. These courts are so unfair. Women are taught to marry rich, give up support thier man do what they want, stop having sex, make thier man miserable after a few years, then the men MUST HAND OVER HALF of their income when the woman wants to leave. My friend had it right when he said, "you dont marry them, you RENT them!'

[@johnking5174]

@@rty1955 I never understood the idea of marriage. That is why I am not married and I am 36. I just could never do it.

[@rty1955]

@@johnking5174 im on #2 now, no kids

[@Binkley-rj6gf]

First comeback by Johnny is sadly ironic. "You only do jokes like that when you're real rich." Ed died broke.

[@jamessimms415]

$225 million for an Olympic telecast, peanuts compared to today & won’t get you much these days

[@electrictroy2010]

ABC paid $1.1 billion for 1984 Olympics when adjusted for inflation (devaluation of the dollar over time). NBC paid 1.4 billion for the 2020 games, so yes it went up, but not as much as you would think .

[@WatchMan1962]

Ed died broke. Hard to believe.

[@joyceconnolly1065]

I have read that this wasn't true but I have no proof.

[@anonygent]

He overextended himself buying a new house for his new wife in his 80s, then got too sick to work, so then he couldn't pay for the house. Proof that money can't buy wisdom, I suppose.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Edward Leo Peter Ed McMahon, Jr. (Detroit, 06 de marzo de 1923 - Los Ángeles, 23 de junio de 2009) fue un comediante, presentador de programas de juegos, y locutor estadounidense. Fue famoso por su trabajo en la televisión como compañero de Johnny Carson (1925-2005) y locutor del programa The Tonight Show (entre 1962 y 1992). También presentó la versión original del show Star Search entre 1983 y 1995. Fue copresentador de TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes con Dick Clark entre 1982 y 1998. También presentó sorteos de la empresa de venta directa American Family Publishers (y no, como se cree comúnmente, de su principal rival Publishers Clearing House).

[@robertdiotalevi285]

Ed was hot that night!

[@Jay-vr9ir]

WOW , Ed rich ?Poor guy , he actually was a poor guy , he died broke .

[@jefffawcett]

In 1979 he was very rich as that was before the divorce and the $50,000 a month in alimony and child support remember this was 20 years before his death

[@dianeribbentrop3805]

Too many wives? Living the high Life?

[@douglaslowe5]

He had plenty of income. Pitchman for Budweiser, Publishers Clearinghouse, even Dog Food. If he really died broke, he must've had lotta fun spending it.

[@JoeKoOhNo]

@@dianeribbentrop3805 His last wife spent all of his dough.

[@gavinbrando8255]

He didn't manage his money properly and his divorces destroyed him. He made plenty of money.

[@snapfinger1]

HI YO.

[@pamczech5984]

My son was 6 months old

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

John William Carson 23 de octubre de 1925 23 de enero de 2005 98 años 79 años 19 años

[@JiveDadson]

Washington did not wear a wig.

[@jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj178]

Sure looks like he did. Explanation, please.

[@michaelkufskie3553]

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