Original subtitles

LET ME CLOSE MY EYES AND JUST...

EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION THAT YOU HAVE

IS EXACTLY THE WAY I WORK.

AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR.

NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR EXERCISE?

I STUMBLE, AND THEN I FALL INTO A COMA.

WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION, WE'RE JUST SITTING HERE, CHATTING.

MAY I HAVE SILENCE, PLEASE?

YOU'VE HAD IT MANY TIMES BEFORE.

THIS PROGRAM

BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION

FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

Narrator: THEY ARE THE INVENTORS

OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.

WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT A MINUTE!

THOSE BANANAS ARE FREEZING!

Jay Leno: ON THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW,

IT WAS A LIVE SHOW...

ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.

I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO WATCH THAT

Narrator: THEY COULD CREATE LAUGHTER FROM ANY SITUATION.

Jonathan Winters: WELL, STEVE WAS SUCH A...

YOU THROW, THAT WORD AROUND, "GENIUS," BUT HE WAS.

Narrator: THEY TRANSFORMED THE ART OF CONVERSATION

ICAN KENNEDYNAL SPECTACLE. BE DEFEATED IN '64?

WELL, WHICH ONE?

Dick Cavett: WHEN THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE ON CAMERA,

YOU'RE WATCHING JACK ALL THE TIME.

IT HAPPENED TO ME. I KID YOU NOT.

HE WOULD COME IN, A NERVOUS WRECK, BEFORE THE SHOW.

I HAVE ELASTIC STOCKINGS ON, WITH GARTERS.

AND HE MADE SMALL TALK JUST SEEM WONDERFUL.

I WANTED TO DO A TALK SHOW...

AND I WANTED TO OPEN IT LIKE JACK PAAR.

Narrator: THEY HAD THE POWER TO CREATE STARS OVERNIGHT.

WE LET YOU PLAY GAMES WITH US

EVERY TIME WE PLAYED "SPIN THE BOTTLE."

I WAS THE BOTTLE.

Tommy Smothers: IF YOU WERE GOOD, YOU WERE A HIT.

AND AFTER THE FIRST JACK PAAR SHOW,

I COULDN'T WALK AROUND NEW YORK.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WE'RE DELIGHTED

YOU JOINED US TONIGHT FOR OUR FIRST SHOW.

Narrator: THEY BECAME A PART OF THE FAMILY.

HE WAS ALWAYS THAT NICE GUY FROM NEBRASKA.

YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YA.

HE WAS A VERY UPLIFTING KIND OF PERSON TO BE AROUND.

HE WAS ALWAYS UP.

HE NEVER WANTED TO BE

THE FANCIEST, THE FLASHIEST.

YOU KNOW, HE WAS ALWAYS THE CLASSIEST.

HE SPOKE RATHER ELOQUENTLY.

I MEAN, HE KNEW EVERY WORD IN THE DICTIONARY.

THAT'LLF THAT.

Narrator: THEY TOOK A SIMPLE IDEA

AND TURNED IT INTO A NATIONAL PHENOMENON.

THEY DON'T CALL HIM THE KING FOR NOTHING.

EVEN AS A CHILD, YOU KNOW WHO THE KING IS.

WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.

Narrator: TOGETHER,

THEY OPENED A NEW FRONTIER ON THE TELEVISION LANDSCAPE...

AND GAVE US A REASON TO STAY UP LATE.

THEY ARE THE PIONEERS OF LATE NIGHT.

HOW FAR IS THAT, ANYWAY?

40 FEET?

I DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS THAT FAR.

YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THIS FROM THERE?

I HOPE SO.

ALL RIGHTY.

YANNGAHHHNAANANNAA!

Narrator: FOR 30 YEARS, JOHNNY CARSON

WAS AMERICA'S BOY NEXT DOOR.

HIS RATINGS REMAIN THE HIGHEST

IN THE HISTORY OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.

♪ OH, THE ROCKIES MAY CRUMBLE ♪

Both: ♪ GIBRALTAR MAY TUMBLE ♪

♪ THEY'RE ONLY MADE OF CLAY ♪♪

Narrator: THE STAGE CARSON INHERITED

FROM JACK PAAR AND STEVE ALLEN

WAS ALREADY SUCCESSFUL.

BUT JOHNNY BROADENED "THE TONIGHT SHOW'S" APPEAL

AND CREATED A NATIONAL TREASURE.

THE THING IS, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE...

AS WELL AS JACK PAAR DID IN THE RATINGS...

WHEN JOHNNY CARSON CAME OUT,

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DOUBLED,

BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO IT.

Narrator: UNDER CARSON, LATE NIGHT TELEVISION

BECAME A FIXTURE OF AMERICAN LIFE...

THE HEARTH WE GATHER AROUND AT THE END OF THE DAY

TO UNWIND, REFRESH, LAUGH.

ARE YOU MARRIED?

OH!

I'LL PUT THAT DOWN AS A NO?

Narrator: ON CARSON'S WATCH,

LATE NIGHT TELEVISION REACHED ITS PRIME.

BUT HE WASN'T THE ONLY PIONEER OF THE GENRE.

HE SHARES THAT HONOR

WITH A HANDFUL OF OTHER CREATIVE TALENTS

WHO LOOKED INTO THE DARK

AND SAW THE LIGHT.

IT'S A STORY THAT BEGINS EVEN BEFORE TELEVISION ITSELF.

THE FOUNDING FATHER OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION

WAS, MORE ACCURATELY, A MOTHER...

BELLE MONTROSE.

WIDELY ACCLAIMED AS THE FUNNIEST WOMAN ON THE VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT,

MONTROSE NEVER HAD A TELEVISION SHOW.

BUT SHE DID HAVE A SON NAMED STEVE...

STEVE ALLEN.

SHE HAD A REMARKABLE SORT OF LOW-KEY

AD-LIB-Y MUTTERED IRISH WIT.

Narrator: STEVE APPLIED THE FAMILY WIT

TO A NEW FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT,

CALLED RADIO.

BY AGE 24, HE WAS A NATIONAL FIGURE ON THE CBS RADIO NETWORK.

STEVE WAS PROBABLY

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.

STEVE NEVER... WHEN HE TOLD SOMETHING,

A STORY, A JOKE, OR WHATEVER...

NEVER HAD A WORD OUT OF SEQUENCE.

Narrator: BUT ALLEN'S PERFECTION SOON LED TO A BIG PROBLEM.

HE EXHAUSTED ALL HIS TIGHTLY CRAFTED MATERIAL,

AND HE COULDN'T WRITE NEW BITS FAST ENOUGH

FOR A DAILY RADIO SHOW.

HE WAS DESPERATE FOR FRESH COMEDY.

SO I JUST WENT OUT IN THE AUDIENCE

AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE AT RANDOM,

HORSING AROUND, THE WAY I HAD ALWAYS

IN HIGH SCHOOL AND AROUND THE HOUSE,

BUT AGAIN, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD DO THAT FOR A LIVING.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO EASY.

Narrator: THE TECHNIQUE

WAS A BIG HIT.

ALLEN HAD ACCIDENTALLY INVENTED

A BRAND-NEW APPROACH TO BROADCAST COMEDY...

AN IDEA THAT WOULD LATER BECOME A STAPLE

OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.

BUT BACK IN THE 1940s,

LATE NIGHT TELEVISION DID NOT EXIST.

Announcer: AS IN RADIO, MANY TELEVISION PROGRAMS

WILL COME FROM A SPECIALLY EQUIPPED STUDIO,

SUCH AS THIS ONE IN RADIO CITY.

Narrator: TELEVISION BROADCASTING

HAD A PAINFUL INFANCY.

IN THE 1940s, TV SETS WERE EXPENSIVE.

AND THE PROGRAMS WERE PRIMITIVE.

I'M SORRY, GIRLS.

WE'LL STAY HERE FOR A MINUTE.

SPEAK TO ME, YOU.

UM, COULD YOU RHYME

THE WORD "VINCENZA"?

CAN YOU RHYME THE WORD "VINCENZA"?

YEAH, WITH "CREDENZA."

YOU'RE THE LUCKY MOTHER!

WHEN TELEVISION FIRST APPEARED,

I THOUGHT IT WAS A GIMMICK LIKE 3-D MOVIES, YOU KNOW,

THAT MIGHT JUST DISAPPEAR. I DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

I HAVE A NICE LETTER FROM...

Narrator: BY 1948, THERE WERE A FEW SUCCESSES,

BUT OVERALL, THE NEW MEDIUM WAS STRUGGLING.

IT NEEDED A VISIONARY.

AND THE SAVIOR ARRIVED JUST IN TIME...

IN THE FORM OF A NEW PRESIDENT AT NBC,

PAT WEAVER, THE MOST CREATIVE TELEVISION EXECUTIVE OF THE ERA.

Woman: MY FATHER ALWAYS FELT

THE AUDIENCE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT.

BECAUSTHAT TELEVISIONOUGHT WAS REALLY LIKE YOUR...

AT ITS BEST, IT WOULD BE LIKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL ROCKET SHIP

AND TO ANY KIND OF KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION.

AND I THINK THAT HE WANTED TO ENLIST PEOPLE IN THAT.

Narrator: BY 1950, PAT WEAVER BELIEVED

AMERICA WANTED A FEW LIGHT MOMENTS

BEFORE GOING TO BED.

ANYONE WHO COULD MAKE YOU LAUGH,

THAT WAS JUST A GIFT,

AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MY FATHER

REALLY THOUGHT PEOPLE NEEDED.

MR. LESTER?

I'M SORRY I CAME EMPTY HANDED.

Narrator: WEAVER'S FIRST LATE NIGHT CREATION

WAS A VAUDEVILLE-STYLE COMEDY SHOW

CALLED "BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE."

AND THE SHOW CREATED TELEVISION'S

VERY FIRST FEMALE STAR...

THE STATUESQUE SIDEKICK NAMED DAGMAR.

IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS,

"BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE" HAD RUN ITS COURSE.

AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, WE WERE DONE.

Narrator: PAT WEAVER WASN'T SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT

UNTIL THE NIGHT HE CAME ACROSS A QUIRKY LOCAL TV SHOW

HOSTED BY STEVE ALLEN.

Leno: AND THERE WAS SOMETHING

SORT OF WONDERFULLY CHILDLIKE ABOUT STEVE ALLEN.

HE WAS LIKE AN ADULT WHO ACTED LIKE A KID.

Narrator: WEAVER BROUGHT ALLEN'S SHOW TO NBC

AND GAVE IT A DIFFERENT NAME... "TONIGHT."

THE SHOW'S TITLE WAS NEW,

BUT ALLEN WAS FOLLOWING A FORMULA

HE HAD DEVELOPED YEARS EARLIER,

AN INVENTIVE ARSENAL OF COMEDY

THAT WOULD SERVE HIM WELL FOR DECADES.

THE ICE CREAM!

Man: AND HE BECOMES TOTALLY BURIED IN IT,

AND THAT WAS THE STEVE ALLEN SUNDAE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW,

I LOOKED AT IT AND MY JAW DROPPED,

AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.

BUT BOY, WHEN I WATCHED IT ON TELEVISION

AND THAT CAMERA WENT IN ON HIM,

IT WAS HYSTERICAL, YOU KNOW.

HE WILL NOBODY SAVE ME? NG.

AAH!

Conway: AND HE DID WILD,

YOU KNOW, YOU'D SHOW UP, AND STEVE WOULD SAY,

"WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A BOWL OF JELLO TONIGHT,

SO JUST PUT ON THAT BATHING SUIT."

AND YOU GO, "JELLO?"

IT WAS A LIVE SHOW.

ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.

A DOOR WOULD OPEN AND YOU'D SEE SOMEBODY DO THIS

WHO WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

AND HE WOULD DO THAT... "HA HA HA!"

HE'D DO THAT LAUGH,

AND YOU REALIZE, OH,

YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING

THAT'S HAPPENING LIVE

THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN,

AND THAT WAS ALWAYS THE MOST EXCITING

PART OF THE SHOW FOR ME.

WE'LL GO SWIMMING LATER, HUH?

YOU DON'T MIND IF I GO IN, DO YOU?

WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SUITS FOR EVERYBODY

IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, AND I THINK YOU...

WAIT, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR SUIT ON!

YOU DON'T...

Conway: HE PUT ME IN A TANK

WITH A PORPOISE, AND HE SAID,

"YOU GO IN WITH THE PORPOISE, AND THE PORPOISE

WILL PUSH YOU OVER TO THE SIDE AND KIND OF SAVE YOU, YOU KNOW."

AND I SAID, "OKAY," AND I SAW A GUY STANDING THERE WITH A GUN.

AND I SAID, "STEVE, THE GUY WITH THE GUN, WHAT IS HE DOING?"

Narrator: WITH JUST A SINGLE-PAGE OUTLINE, A PIANO,

AND A QUICK-WITTED PERSONALITY,

ALLEN AND A FEW FRIENDS WOULD CREATE

NEARLY TWO HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT

Man: HE DIDN'T SPEAK MUCH AT ALL DURING THE DAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY, "HI, STEVE."

AND HE'D SAY, "HI, ANDY" AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT IT.

AND THEN, WHEN HE GOT IN FRONT OF A CAMERA,

THEN HE JUST TALKED AND TALKED AND TALKED AND TALKED.

BUT HE HADN'T SAID ANYTHING ALL DAY LONG.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE HIGH MORAL STANDARDS OF OUR PROGRAMS.

I MEAN THAT SINCERELY.

WE DON'T RESORT TO SEX OR CRIME

OR VION THE PROGRAMS.NG...

BUT OFF, CHARLIE, LOOK OUT FOR THESE GUYS!

I REMEMBER HE WOULD TAKE ROCK 'N' ROLL LYRICS

AND READ THEM.

I REMEMBER HIM READING,

"BE BOP A LOO BAH, SHE'S MY BABY."

IT WAS THE GENE VINCENT SONG, I THINK IT WAS GENE VINCENT,

"BE BOP A LOO BAH, I DON'T MEAN MAYBE."

AND THEN HE WOULD LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE IT WAS

BUT THOSE WERE THE ACTUAL LYRICS COMPLETOF THE SONG.ONTEXT,

Narrator: STEVE ALLEN WASN'T JUST CREATING A SHOW...

HE WAS INVENTING

AN ENTIRE GENRE.

NEARLY ALL HIS IDEAS HAVE SINCE BEEN ASSIMILATED

INTO THE DNA OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.

FOR EXAMPLE, ONE NIGHT, SHORT ON MATERIAL,

ALLEN STARTED READING ACTUAL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

FROM DAILY NEWSPAPERS.

ALL RIGHT, FIRST ONE'S FROM MANHATTAN AND SAYS,

"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE ZACK MOSLEY,

GETS THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE CAN TALK WHILE KISSING!"

Leno: THAT'S KIND OF WHERE "HEADLINES" COMES FROM,

FROM STEVE ALLEN READING LETTERS OUT OF THE DAILY NEWS.

"AND MR. SO-AND-SO SAYS, BY GOLLY..."

AND HE WOULD READ THE ACTUAL LETTER,

AND THEY WERE VERY FUNNY.

Narrator: IN ADDITION TO THE GOOFINESS,

ALLEN ALSO KNEW HOW TO PLAY THE STRAIGHT MAN

TO A CAST OF PLAYERS WHO ALL BECAME FAMOUS

IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.

THIS IS DAVE WINKLY IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

WITH A DIAMOND EXPERT,

CONDUCTING A DIAMOND INVENTORY.

NOW BACK TO...

Allen: YOUR NAME, SIR?

SIR, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND

HOW A MAN CAN FORGET HIS OWN NAME.

IT ISN'T EASY.

MY NAME IS L.L. MORRISON, AND I AM A TELEVISION DIRECTOR.

RETIRED.

TEMPORARILY.

Allen: MR. L.L. MORRISON,

TELL ME, WHAT DOES THE "L.L." STAND FOR?

LOTSA LUCK.

THAT'S THE TROUBLE WITH THE CHILDREN OF TODAY.

TOO MANY PARENTS OUT WALKING ON BRIDGES

WHEN THEY SHOULD BE HOME, APPLYING A LITTLE DISCIPLINE.

Leno: "WELL, TELL US, MR. SO-AND-SO..."

WHATEVER IT WAS AND PLAY THE STRAIGHT MAN

AND THEN CRACK UP HALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.

I'M SORRY, SIR, BUT ISN'T THEREMADE ME LAUGH.

SOME KIND OF A... SHUT UP!

Harrington: IT WAS LIKE MATRICULATING

IN A GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR COMEDY.

WELCOME TO "THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF VIOLENCE."

EVERYBODY WAS FUNNY.

AND STEVE GAVE EVERYBODY WHATEVER THEY WANTED.

IF A GUY GOT ON A RIFF, HE WOULD JUST SIT BACK.

AND THEN LAUGH...

HIS LAUGH KEYED EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER.

Narrator: STEVE ALLEN WASN'T JUST FUNNY.

HE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT,

DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES,

AND THE AUTHOR OF MORE THAN A DOZEN BOOKS.

HE WOULD COME TO A PARTY AT MY HOUSE

AND BE STANDING BY THE FIREPLACE, RECORDING.

HE WAS ALWAYS WRITING.

HOW YOU DOING? THINGS ARE JUMPING HERE TONIGHT.

Narrator: LONG BEFORE ANYONE ELSE,

STEVE ALLEN'S "TONIGHT SHOW"

FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN OFFERED PERFORMERS.LATFORM

ALLEN DIDN'T SEE HIMSELF AS A CRUSADER...

RATHER, HE JUST WANTED TO SHOWCASE TALENT,

REGARDLESS OF COLOR.

ALLEN WAS AN ESPECIALLY BIG FAN OF JAZZ.

HIS LIST OF GUESTS READS LIKE A "WHO'S WHO" OF JAZZ GREATS...

LIONEL HAMPTON...

CAB CALLOWAY...

COUNT BASIE.

♪ WHO'S THAT MAN IN THE BASIE BAND? ♪

STEVE ALLEN MAY HAVE BEEN THE MOST VERSATILE PERFORMER

IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION.

BUT THE LABEL

OF TALK SHOW HOST DIDN'T QUITE FIT.

IT'S TRUE ALLEN HAD GUESTS,

BUT CONVERSATION WASN'T HIS GOAL.

THAT REFINEMENT WOULD BE LEFT TO ANOTHER PIONEER...

ALLEN'S SUCCESSOR ON "TONIGHT."

YOUNG JACK PAAR LIKED TO TALK.

IN JACKSON, MICHIGAN, IN THE 1930s,

THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY A YOUNG MAN COULD EARN MONEY BY TALKING,

PAAR WAS ONE OF THE VERY, VERY AND TBEST INTERVIEWERSDIO.

OF ALL TIME, ALL TIME.

HE REALLY LOOKED AT YOU,

AND HE REALLY HEARD YOU.

GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, MY FRIENDS.

Narrator: PAAR'S STAR ROSE QUICKLY.

BY THE EARLY 1950s,

HE WAS IN NEW YORK,

HOSTING GAME SHOWS AND MORNING SHOWS.

COME HERE ONCE ALREADY, YET.

Narrator: BUT HE HAD YET TO FIND THE IDEAL VENUE FOR HIS TALENTS.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN,

OPPORTUNITY WAS BREWING.

Narrator: AT THE TIME, CBS WAS TROUNCING NBC

ON THE ALL-IMPORTANT SUNDAY NIGHT RATINGS,

THANKS TO PERENNIAL FAVORITE ED SULLIVAN.

NBC HAD JUST ONE BIG GUN IT COULD AIM AT SULLIVAN...

"TONIGHT SHOW" HOST

STEVE ALLEN.

AND SO ALLEN MOVED TO PRIME TIME OPPOSITE ED.

BUT FIRST, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE

WHO DON'T KNOW THAT ED SULLIVAN IS ON AT THIS TIME.

DO YOU KNOW THAT ED IS?

THERE MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO.

HE HAS A WONDERFUL GUEST LIST.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD IN THE PAPER?

HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD, WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HE HAS ON?

Narrator: WITH STEVE ALLEN IN PRIME TIME,

LATE NIGHT WAS IN FLUX.

NBC TRIED NEW HOSTS,

NEW FORMATS.

NOTHING WORKED.

FINALLY, IN JULY OF 1957,

THE NETWORK WOULD GIVE IT ONE MORE TRY,

HANDING THE REINS TO JACK PAAR.

THIS NEWCOMER WAS NOTHING LIKE STEVE ALLEN.

IN FACT, HE WASN'T LIKE ANYONE ELSE ON ANY SHOW.

WHEN CRITICS SAY "WELL, PAAR DOESN'T DO ANYTHING,

"HE DOESN'T SING, HE DOESN'T DANCE, HE DOESN'T...

I THINK THAT THEY'RE BEING A LITTLE UNKIND.

YOU COULD MENTION, IF YOU WERE FAIR,

THAT I'M ALWAYS ON TIME.

Narrator: PAAR KNEW HIS STRENGTH WAS CONVERSATION...

BOUNDARY-PUSHING CONVERSATION.

SO THERE WERE NO WACKY STUNTS OR GOOFY CHARACTERS

ON PAAR'S "TONIGHT SHOW."

INSTEAD, PEOPLE TALKED.

IT WAS EMOTIONAL, CONTROVERSIAL,

AND ALWAYS SPONTANEOUS.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR EXERCISE?

I STUMBLE, AND THEN I FALL INTO A COMA.

AND NOW, HERE'S JACK.

DOING THAT PROGRAM WAS KIND OF LIKE RIDING A BRONCO, YOU KNOW,

AS OPPOSED TO RIDING A NAG.

BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN,

AND IT DID, EVERY NIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS EXCITING TELEVISION.

Cavett: THE SUSPENSE EACH DAY, WHAT'S HE LIKE TODAY?

ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO MAKING JACK

THE MOST INTERESTING PERSONALITY THE SCREEN HAS EVER SEEN.

MAY I JUST ASK SOME PERSONAL QUESTIONS?

Narrator: UNLIKE MOST LATER TALK SHOWS,

PAAR'S GUESTS WERE NOT PRE-INTERVIEWED.

INSTEAD, THE CONVERSATIONS FLOWED

WITH PAAR'S MOMENTARY WHIMS...

FUN FOR THE AUDIENCE,

BUT A CHALLENGE FOR THE GUESTS.

WITH JACK, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

YOU WOULD SAY SOMETHING IN CONVERSATION,

AND HE WOULD PICK UP ON IT AND TAKE A TURN

EITHER WAY OVER THIS WAY OR WAY OVER THAT WAY.

AND YOU HAD TO FOLLOW ALONG,

YOU HAD TO GO WHEREVER HE WENT.

IF YOU VEER AWAY FROM THE EXPECTED ANSWER

THEN YOU WATCH THE GUESTS AND CRESPARK TO IT.G ELSE,

AND HE FEELS BETTER AND LOOKS BETTER

AND IS A BETTER HOST FOR IT.

SO I THINK THE GUEST HAS GOT TO KEEP THE HOST INTERESTED.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS?

WELL, I'VE BEEN IN THE FOREST, AND THE...

YOU'VE BEEN ON 3rd AVENUE,

IS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN, I THINK.

WHEE!

IT TOOK ME 45 MINUTES TO GET THAT IN THERE.

I'M SORRY, IN THE FOREST, WE DON'T CARE.

Winters: I WOULD BE ROLLING ON A CHARACTER...

A LOT OF TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE ME A LITTLE WHILE TO ROLL.

IF I WERE DOING MAUDE FRICKERT, YOU KNOW,

WELL, I JUST, GIVE ME A CHANCE TO GET INTO THE CHARACTER.

AND HIS PATIENCE WOULD, BOY, JUST GO OUT THE WINDOW.

IF THINGS WEREN'T HAPPENING, IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT AWAY,

"OKAY, LET'S FORGET MAUDE, LET'S GO RIGHT TO THE SISSY INDIAN."

SISSY INDIAN?

I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

I BELIEVE IN BEING FAIR HERE.

Paar: BE A SURGEON, BE A SURGEON

IN THE KOREAN WAR, INCHON.

I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO BELIEVE IT.

Narrator: PAAR SOON DEVELOPED A STABLE OF GO-TO GUESTS

LIKE ELSA MAXWELL,

DODY GOODMAN, FLORENCE HENDERSON,

BETTY WHITE, AND PHYLLIS DILLER.

I WAS SO GOOD WITH HIM.

WE WERE SO GOOD TOGETHER.

IF JACK PARR LIKED WHAT YOU WERE DOING,

YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE GUESTS COULD COME BACK THE NEXT NIGHT.

AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, ONE LINE JUST GOT HIM.

AND I'M THE SAME WITH COMICS.

I'LL TAKE ONE LINE AND THINK, "OH, I LOVE THIS PERSON."

THE LINE HE JUST LOVED WAS, I SAID,

"THIS ISN'T HAIR. THESE ARE NERVE ENDS."

I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL, 9.

YOUR LITTLE BOY IS 9. YES, 9, TOO, YES.

Narrator: PAAR'S SUCCESS WASN'T JUST

THE RESULT OF GOOD CONVERSATION.

HE WAS A PERSONALITY

WHO KNEW HOW TO GRAB HEADLINES...

OFTEN BY LASHING OUT AGAINST HIS CRITICS,

PICKING FIGHTS WITH THE POWERFUL.

ED SULLIVAN HAS GONE BACK TO CRACKING HIS KNUCKLES AGAIN.

HE HAD FIGHTS WITH ED SULLIVAN, AND IT ALL WAS FRONT PAGE.

AND HE WAS TELEVISION'S BIGGEST STAR.

HE PLAYED THE INNOCENT GUY.

AND I WOULD ALWAYS QUESTION

HOW INNOCENT THIS GUY WAS, YOU KNOW.

WITH NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST WALTER WINCHELL

MARKED A MAJOR TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN MEDIA POWER.

NO ONE HAD EVER DARED CRITICIZE WINCHELL,

BECAUSE A FEW LINES IN HIS COLUMN

COULD DESTROY A CAREER.

BUT WHEN WINCHELL DISPARAGED PAAR IN PRINT,

PAAR FOUGHT BACK, AND MOCKED WINCHELL REPEATEDLY

ON THE AIR.

I CAN'T VERY WELL ATTACK WINCHELL,

THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO ATTACK, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU SEE.

BUT I IMAGINE MR. WINCHELL IS SITTING THERE,

MAKING NOTES WITH HIS CRAYON.

Narrator: PAAR'S CRITICISMS

EFFECTIVELY ENDED WINCHELL'S CAREER.

THE TABLES HAD TURNED.

NOW, TV HAD THE POWER.

HE WAS VERY, VERY SMART.

BAND I THINK WHAT YOU SAW.

WAS PRETTY MUCH, PRETTY MUCH JACK.

Narrator: PAAR'S MOST FAMOUS OUTBURST CAME IN 1960,

WHEN NBC CENSORED ONE OF HIS JOKES.

THE NEXT DAY PAAR TURNED THE SLIGHT

INTO A NATIONAL STORY.

Downs: I CAME TO WORK, AND THE HALLS WERE FILLED

WITH LAWYERS AND REPORTERS AND EVERYTHING.

AND I WENT AND I FOUND JACK HAD BEEN...

HE WAS DRESSED RIGHT, AND HE HAD HAD MAKEUP AND EVERYTHING.

AND HE SAID, "I'M LEAVING THE SHOW."

AND I SAID, "I HOPE NOT, JACK."

AND HE SAID, "YES, I'VE HAD IT, AND I'M GOING TO DEPART."

AND I SAID, "DON'T LET THEM DRIVE YOU

OFF OF YOUR OWN SHOW, YOU'RE AT THE PEAK NOW."

AND HE SAID, NO, HE COULDN'T BE TALKED OUT OF IT.

THERE MUSOF, UH... TTER WAY

MAKING A LIVING THAN THIS.

I THOUGHT, MAYBE THERE'S A PUNCH LINE,

HE'S GOING TO COME BACK IN THROUGH THE CURTAINS AND DO...

Narrator: AS PAAR DISAPPEARED OVERSEAS,

THE PRESS OBSESSED OVER EVERY DETAIL, EVERY RUMOR.

WOULD HE RETURN?

WEEKS PASSED.

Winters: WE HAD A LITTLE GET-TOGETHER.

AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, PAL,

"I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD COME BACK.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE?"

DON'T BE A CRYBABY.

'CAUSE YOU'RE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, SEE,

SO THE GUY OUT NORTH OF TOPEKA,

WHO'S MAKING, YOU KNOW, A FAST $7,500 A YEAR

AND HE HAS TO SELL HIS EQUIPMENT TO CUT BACK AND STUFF...

UH... DON'T BE A CRYBABY.

JUST GO OUT THERE AND JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME.

Narrator: SIX WEEKS AFTER LEAVING "TONIGHT,"

PAAR DID RETURN.

AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE I WAS INTERRUPTED...

Narrator: DESPITE HIS RETURN,

PAAR'S INTENSE STYLE COULDN'T BE SUSTAINED FOR THE LONG TERM.

IN 1962, HE LEFT "TONIGHT" FOR GOOD.

BUT JACK PAAR'S LEGACY IS SECURE,

SETTING THE COURSE FOR TELEVISION TALK.

HAVING RUN OUT OF FRESH, EXCITING,

NEW IDEAS TO BRING YOU MYSELF,

I FEEL I SHOULD GIVE SOMEBODY ELSE A TURN.

I WOULD TELL HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHAT HE MEANT TO ME,

AND HOW HE HELPED ME, AND HOW I ADMIRED WHAT HE HAD DONE.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT HE DID WANT TO HEAR IT.

AND I TOLD HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN

WHAT A WONDERFUL BROADCASTER HE WAS.

NOTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE ELSE IN TELEVISION BEFORE OR SINCE,

A COMBINATION OF NEUROSES

AND WIT AND CURIOSITY.

Narrator: WITH PAAR'S EXIT IMMINENT,

NBC EXECUTIVES WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED.

THERE WAS NO JACK PAAR CLONE IN WAITING.

BUT THE CHOICE THEY FINALLY MADE

WOULD FOREVER CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE

OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.

Narrator: THE WIDE OPEN PLAINS OF NEBRASKA

ARE A GOOD PLACE TO RAISE A BOY.

PLENTY OF ROOM TO PLAY, HAVE FUN.

AND THAT MIDWESTERN BOYISH CHARM

NEVER LEFT THE STATE'S MOST FAMOUS SON,

JOHNNY CARSON.

JOHNNY'S FIRST STEP INTO THE WORLD OF SHOW BUSINESS

WHEN HE DISCOVERED A DECK OF MAGICIAN'S CARDS.

THE TRICKS CAME EASY.

BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE WAS MASTERING THE AUDIENCE...

ENGAGING THEM WITH THE SPOKEN WORD...

THE MONOLOGUE.

THAT WAS THE KEY TO ENTERTAINING.

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA,

CARSON WROTE HIS THESIS ON COMEDY,

DISSECTING THE STRUCTURE OF JACK BENNY'S FAMOUS ROUTINES.

YEARS LATER, HE'D GET THE CHANCE

TO EXPLAIN IT ALL TO BENNY... IN PERSON.

WELL, THERE IS ONE MORE THING.

WELL, THEN TELL ME! TELL ME!

DON'T KEEP ANYTHING AWAY FROM YOUR IDOL.

OUT WITH IT!

WELL, AS LONG AS I AM BEING CONSTRUCTIVE, JACK,

THIS I HAVE TO TELL YOU.

NOW, YOU MAY NOT REALIZE THIS,

BUT EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE... YOUR DELIVERY,

EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION THAT YOU HAVE...

IS EXACTLY THE WAY I WORK.

AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR.

Narrator: BACK HOME IN 1951 NEBRASKA,

THE WINDS OF AMBITION WERE BLOWING JOHNNY CARSON WESTWARD.

AFTER COLLEGE, HE TOOK HIS CHANCES ON CALIFORNIA.

WITHIN A YEAR, JOHNNY LANDED A LOW-BUDGET LOCAL TV SHOW

PRODUCED IN A BASEMENT STUDIO.

Announcer: "CARSON'S CELLAR"!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH,

Narrator: THE INVENTIVE HALF-HOUR

DIDN'T GET HIGH RATINGS,

BUT SHOW BIZ INSIDERS

LOVED THE SHOW.

AND TONIGHT WE'VE GOT A VARIETY OF THINGS ON THE "CELLAR."

DID YOU SEE THE GAME YESTERDAY?

TELEVISION, THE USC-UCLA?

White: BACK IN THOSE DAYS...

YOU KNOW HOW TEENAGE BOYS HAVE LONG WRISTS

AND THEIR BONES HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T QUITE SETTLED?

THAT'S HOW YOUNG HE WAS.

Narrator: CBS SAW CARSON'S POTENTIAL

AND GAVE HIM A NATIONAL PRIME TIME VARIETY SHOW.

NEW STYLES ARE COMING OUT...

THERE'S NYLON, ORLON, AND DACRON.

AND A FELLOW SOLD ME A SUIT THE OTHER DAY,

WAS MADE OF 100% SARAN WRAP.

DON'T LAUGH, YOU CAN KEEP SANDWICHES RIGHT IN THE POCKETS.

AND TONIGHT MEL IS GOING TO TRY

TO SET A NEW WORLD'S RECORD.

BUT BEFORE HE TRIES FOR THAT RECORD,

I'D LIKE BRIEFLY TO INTERVIEW HIM.

MEL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR CHANCES ARE GOING TO BE

TO BREAK THAT OH, PRETTY GOOD, MEL? JOHNNY.

WELL, THE BEST OF LUCK, MEL.

Narrator: ONE OF JOHNNY'S FIRST SIDEKICKS

WAS A NEWCOMER NAMED BARBARA EDEN.

Eden: HE WAS WONDERFUL WITH COMEDY SKETCHES.

AND THAT'S WHAT I DID WITH HIM, WERE THE SKETCHES.

AND I COULD BE SILLY, AND HE COULD LAUGH AT WHAT I WAS DOING,

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WORKED VERY WELL.

BUT I HAVE OTHER PLANS.

READY, BABY?

Narrator: BUT THE RATINGS SAGGED.

CARSON WOULD LATER REFLECT THAT PRIME TIME REQUIRED

TOO MUCH STRUCTURE AND PREPARATION.

IT DIDN'T PLAY TO HIS FREEWHEELING STRENGTHS.

HIS CAREER DRIFTED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.

THEN, WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS,

HE WENT TO NEW YORK AND TOOK A JOB

HOSTING A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.

IT WAS A COMEDOWN,

BUT IT WAS WORK.

AND ED, WHO'S FIRST?

WE'RE ALL SET...

Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME,

CARSON HAD A CHANCE TO DO INTERVIEWS

AND AD-LIB WITH GUESTS.

THINGS ARE PICKING UP AROUND HERE ON THE SHOW.

Narrator: HE WAS GOOD AT IT.

AND "WHO DO YOU TRUST?" BECAME A HIT.

JOHNNY CARSON HAD FOUND HIS NICHE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME FOR HOBBIES OR ANYTHING?

I'M JUST A BUTCHER.

A BUTCHER?

AND HE HAD THIS INTERVIEW, AND THAT'S WHERE

ALL THE COMEDY OF JOHNNY CARSON CAME OUT.

NOW, YOU'RE A REAL BUTCHER...

Narrator: CARSON'S STAR WAS RISING AGAIN.

NBC ASKED JOHNNY TO REPLACE THE EXITING PAAR.

BUT CARSON TURNED DOWN NBC'S OFFER.

AND MAYBE HE FELT IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH WORK INVOLVED,

TOO MUCH STRAIN,

TOO DIFFICULT TO DO, YOU KNOW,

Narrator: WHEN CARSON DECLINED NBC'S OFFER

TO HOST "THE TONIGHT SHOW,"

NBC WENT TO "PLAN B."

THEY ASKED BOB NEWHART...

JACKIE GLEASON...

JOEY BISHOP.

ALL SAID NO.

SO, ON A RAINY MARCH DAY IN NEW YORK,

NBC INVITED CARSON TO ROCKEFELLER CENTER

AND GAVE HIM ONE LAST CHANCE.

THIS TIME, JOHNNY AGREED,

SIGNING ON TO FILL THE "TONIGHT SHOW" VACANCY.

BUT THERE WAS STILL ONE BIG PROBLEM.

JOHON HIS CBS CONTRACT.THS

NBC'S STOPGAP SOLUTION

WAS TO FILL THE VOID WITH GUEST HOSTS...

MAKING THE SUMMER OF 1962

ONE OF THE MORE UNUSUAL IN LATE NIGHT HISTORY.

THE "TONIGHT SHOW" STAFF, INCLUDING WRITER DICK CAVETT,

STAYED ON

TO PROP UP THE PARADE

OF 17 DIFFERENT HOSTS

WHO FILLED THE CHAIR.

MOST WERE MEDIOCRE.

Cavett: ONE WAS SO BAD AND WE HATED HIM SO MUCH

THAT AFTER THE SECOND DAY OF HIS BLOWING ALL OUR JOKES

AND THEN COMPLAINING THEY WEREN'T FUNNY,

I WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND BOUGHT A BENNET CERF JOKE BOOK,

AND WE COPIED JOKES OUT AND HANDED IT TO HIM.

AND HE DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

Narrator: ONE FILL-IN HOST DID EXCEL,

WINNING OVER AMERICA

FROM THE MOMENT HE STEPPED ONSTAGE...

MERV GRIFFIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Narrator: GRIFFIN HAD ONLY MINIMAL TV EXPERIENCE

AS THE HOST OF A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.

BUT HE MASTERED THE TALK SHOW ROLE ALMOST INSTANTLY.

HE WAS REALLY GOOD.

AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AS GOOD

AS CARSON, I SUSPECT,

HAD HE GONE IN THAT DIRECTION.

WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU

Narrator: BUT AFTER HIS FIRST FIVE MINUTES

AS A LIVE TALK-SHOW HOST,

GRIFFIN WANTED TO QUIT ON THE SPOT.

HIS PRODUCER PUSHED HIM BACK ONTO THE STAGE.

AND I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO."

HE SAID "MERV, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE!

GET BACK OUT THERE."

AND I WENT, "WHOA," AND WENT BACK OUT

AND SAT DOWN AND DID MY FIRST SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW,

WHICH OBVIOUSLY WORKED VERY WELL,

AND THE WHOLE SHOW WAS A SCREAM.

MERV KNEW JUST WHAT HE WAS DOING.

I MEAN, HE CAME OUT AND HE KNEW HOW TO DO IT,

AND HE DID IT, AND HE PLAYED IT

AND INTELLIGENCE FULAND ALL THOSE THINGS.SS

BUT THEN THE TRUE TEST CAME...

I WALKED TO WORK THE NEXT DAY,

'CAUSE I DIDN'T LIVE TOO FAR FROM NBC.

AND AS I WALKED DOWN THE STREET,

EVERY TAXI DRIVER WAS YELLING OUT,

AND TRUCK DRIVERS, "MERV, HEY, THAT WAS GREAT."

AND I GO, "WOW, I GUESS THAT'S FAME."

HI, KAY!

HOW ARE YOU, DEAR?

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM?

OH, NOTHING... A LITTLE EXHAUSTION,

Narrator: WHILE MERV WAS ON THE AIR WINNING OVER AMERICA,

JOHNNY WAS GETTING MORE AND MORE ANXIOUS,

UNSURE IF HE HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

JUST BEFORE HIS PREMIERE, NBC SCURRIED HIM

OFF TO LAS VEGAS TO CLEAR HIS MIND.

CARSON'S MANAGER CALLED JOHNNY'S OLD FRIEND, JACK NARZ.

Narz: I FLEW INTO LAS VEGAS,

AND THEY HAD A ROOM AT THE SANDS.

AND TOM SAID, "YOU KNOW,

"JOHNNY'S GETTING 'THE TONIGHT SHOW.'

"HE'S GOING TO DO 'THE TONIGHT SHOW, '

"AND HE IS SCARED TO DEATH.

"HE'S A NERVOUS WRECK.

"AND WE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IF THE TWO OF YOU

"WERE TOGETHER FOR A WEEKEND, YOU COULD KIND OF CALM HIM DOWN.

"AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BE FRIENDLY WITH HIM,

MAKE HIM... PUT HIM AT EASE."

Narrator: BUT THE LAS VEGAS STRATEGY DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK.

WHEN CARSON FINALLY MADE HIS PREMIERE,

HE WAS STILL NERVOUS, UNCOMFORTABLE.

HIS FIRST COUPLE WEEKS WERE ROUGH.

THERE WERE COMICS SITTING BACKSTAGE, SAYING,

"THIS GUY ISN'T MAKING IT," YOU KNOW.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT NOW.

Narrator: THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS

AS CARSON GRADUALLY CAUGHT HIS STRIDE

AND SETTLED INTO THE JOB HE WAS BORN FOR.

SENATOR AND MRS. KENNEDY ARE EXPECTING THEIR 10th CHILD.

IS DEMANDING IA CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD.Y

Severinsen: JOHNNY MADE IT WORK.

JOHNNY MADE EVERYTHING WORK.

THAT SHOW WAS JOHNNY FROM THE GET-GO.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WORKS.

Narrator: EARLY ON, CARSON BELIEVED

THAT THE BEST WAY TO SURVIVE ON "TONIGHT"

WAS TO MAKE THE SHOW SEEM RELAXED AND UNREHEARSED...

TO NOT OVERLY EXERT HIMSELF.

THAT MEANT PUTTING THE FOCUS ON THE GUESTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE,

HELP THEM OUT,

LET THEM SHINE.

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO WEAR THAT BRACE?

IT'S NOT LONG.

JOHNNY KNEW HOW TO JUMP IN WHEN A GUEST WAS BAD

OR WHEN A GUEST WAS QUIET OR WASN'T DOING WELL.

AND WHEN A GUEST WAS DOING REALLY WELL,

JOHNNY KNEW HOW TO JUST LAY BACK.

HE WOULD SORT OF GUIDE YOU, YOU KNOW,

IN THE DIRECTION THAT HE THOUGHT WOULD WORK BEST FOR YOU.

THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I ALWAYS APPRECIATED ABOUT HIM,

YOU KNOW, HE, WHAT HE REALLY WANTED YOU TO BE ON HIS SHOW,

HE WANTED YOU TO BE GOOD.

AND HE LOVED BEING THE STRAIGHT GUY.

HE LOVED BEING THE STRAIGHT GUY.

THAT'S WHAT WAS, MADE IT SO MUCH FUN.

I ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND I THINK

THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE MAKING A JOKE.

FIGHTER PILOT... YOU WERE A PILOT, RIGHT?

OH, YEAH, I FOUGHT THE WHOLE WAR IN OKLAHOMA.

AND IF YOU THINK BACK...

AND I'M NOT MAD AT ANYBODY OR ANYTHING,

BUT JUST REMEMBER, THERE WAS NOT ONE

JAPANESE AIRCRAFT GOT PAST TULSA.

Narrator: CARSON'S "TONIGHT SHOW" SOON BECAME

AMERICA'S FAVORITE PARTY.

AND ANYONE JOHNNY INVITED COULD BECOME A HIT... OVERNIGHT.

HIS STAR-MAKING POWER WAS UNPRECEDENTED.

OVER AND OVER, CARSON OFFERED YOUNG TALENT

A SHOT ON HIS STAGE.

AFTER SEVEN MINUTES, THEY WERE FAMOUS.

AND FROM THE FRONT OF THE COACH COMES THIS GUY,

AND HE'S HAD A FEW,

AND AS HE APPROACHED THE SECTION

WHERE THE WOMAN WAS WITH THE BABY,

HE STOPS, AND HE'S STARING, LIKE THAT.

SHE'S WATCHING HIM FROM THE CORNER OF HER EYE.

AND SHE SAYS TO HIM, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

AND THE GUY SAYS, "I'M LOOKING AT THAT UGLY BABY."

"THAT'S A BAD-LOOKING BABY, LADY."

SAYS, "I BET YOU SAVE A LOT OF MONEY WITH THAT BABY,

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIRE ANY BABYSITTER...

NOBODY'S GOING BOTHER THAT KID."

Hall: THERE WAS A TIME WHEN JOHNNY WOULD PUT ON A COMIC,

AND IT WOULD CHANGE HIS CAREER, IT WOULD BREAK HIM.

IF HE WAS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW, HIS LIFE WAS...

I SEE THE RADAR TONIGHT IS PICKING UP

A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWERS WHICH EXTENDS FROM A POINT

NINE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA,

ALONG A LINE AND 6 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE

TO A POINT 8 MILES TO A POINT

NORTH-NORTHEAST OF SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY.

HOWEVER, THE RADAR IS ALSO PICKING UP

A SQUADRON OF RUSSIAN ICBMs...

SO I WOULDN'T SWEAT THE THUNDERSHOWERS.

JOHNNY ALWAYS WANTED YOU TO DO WELL, YOU KNOW.

YOU'D HEAR THAT "HA HA HA!"

YOU'D HEAR HIM LAUGHING IN THE CORNER WITH ED

OR HE'D POKE ED OR HE'D HIT THE TABLE.

AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A CUE TO THE AUDIENCE...

OH, YOU WERE ACCEPTED.

Narrator: JOHNNY CARSON'S FAVORITE PART

OF "THE TONIGHT SHOW" WAS THE MONOLOGUE.

BUT THE HUDSON IS BAD... IT IS REALLY BAD.

I WENT OVER, AND I SAW A FISHERMAN TODAY.

HE TURNED HIS BACK FOR A SECOND,

AND HIS WORM MADE A BREAK FOR IT.

I MEAN, THAT'S...

Narrator: CARSON DIDN'T INVENT THE TALK-SHOW MONOLOGUE.

THAT HONOR GOES TO JACK PAAR.

BUT CARSON MADE IT HIS OWN,

THANKS TO AN INBORN GRASP OF AMERICAN VALUES.

HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT FOLKS BACK HOME WOULD LAUGH AT.

AND HE KNEW WHAT BOUNDARIES NOT TO CROSS.

THE RAIN HAS TRIGGERED A NEW WAVE OF ADS

WHICH ARE RATHER INTERESTING.

I SAW ONE TODAY THAT SAID, "GIRL WITH WET RUMPUS ROOM"...

"WISHES TO MEET MAN WITH SUMP PUMP."

HE HAD A GREAT COMMON TOUCH.

HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS TOO MUCH,

WHAT WAS NAUGHTY AND WHAT WAS DIRTY.

HE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF THAT.

I MEAN, IF YOU HEARD THE MONOLOGUE,

YOU PRETTY MUCH KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY,

WHAT THE FEEL OF THE COUNTRY WAS.

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

FIRST THE WOMAN HAS TO QUALIFY TO MAKE THE TEAM.

THEN THEY GO TO MONTREAL

AND HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE A WOMAN.

AND THEY ARE SUBJECTING

THE WOMEN ATHLETES UP THERE TO A SEX TEST

TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY...

THEY HAVE TWO WAYS OF DOING IT.

NOW, LET ME... LET ME POINT THEM OUT.

YOU MAY HAVE YOURS. I GOT MINE.

THEY CAN EITHER TAKE THE PHYSICAL EXAM BY A DOCTOR,

OR THEY CAN GO ON A DATE WITH ONE OF OUR CONGRESSMEN.

Narrator: UNDER CARSON, THE "TONIGHT SHOW" MONOLOGUE

GAINED TREMENDOUS POWER.

AND I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY THIS,

BECAUSE WE HAD THE VICE PRESIDENT ON,

YOU KNOW, HUBERT HUMPHREY, ON OUR SHOW...

Narrator: A JOKE BY CARSON COULD END A POLITICAL CAREER.

BUT JOHNNY NEVER SEEMED TO HAVE AN AGENDA.

HE MADE FUN OF EVERYONE IN POWER.

YET HE HAD LIMITS.

THERE WERE LINES CARSON WOULD NOT CROSS.

WHEN RICHARD NIXON WAS APPARENTLY

STUMBLING AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE WITH A DRINK IN HIS HAND,

YOU KNOW, JUST FALLING APART,

HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, ED, NO MORE NIXON JOKES.

HE'S A SICK MAN, AND WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT."

Narrator: LIKE STEVE ALLEN, JOHNNY DEVELOPED A SERIES

OF SKETCH CHARACTERS AND REGULAR BITS...

FLOYD TURBO,

ART FERN,

AND CARNAC.

CARNAC IS ATTEMPTING TO DIVINE AN ANSWER

WHILE YOU'RE SITTING HERE, GIGGLING.

MAY I HAVE SILENCE, PLEASE?

YOU'VE HAD IT MANY TIME BEFORE.

McMahon: NO REHEARSAL, YOU KNOW,

WE DIDN'T REHEARSE ANYTHING.

WE JUST WENT AHEAD AND DID IT.

AND THOSE WERE GREAT TIMES.

Narrator: BY THE LATE 1960s,

JOHNNY CARSON HAD BECOME A NATIONAL PHENOMENON...

THE MOST POPULAR PERSON ON TELEVISION

AND THE BEST-PAID.

BUT OFF-STAGE, CARSON WAS SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY...

A SHY MAN

WHO TRIED TO STAY OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT.

JOHNNY WAS A VERY SHY GUY.

HE WAS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON,

HE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO USE FOR SMALL TALK.

AT A PARTY, HE WOULD BE IN A CORNER,

TALKING TO ED McMAHON,

IF HE WENT AT ALL.

I FELT SORRY FOR JOHNNY,

IN THAT HE WAS SO SOCIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.

I'VE HARDLY EVER MET ANYBODY WHO HAD AS HARD A TIME AS HE DID.

Narrator: BUT SHYNESS SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH WEAKNESS.

CARSON KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED

FROM EACH PERSON ON THE SHOW.

WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE NBC LOT,

EVERYONE KNEW WHO WAS IN CHARGE.

WE'RE OVER THERE PLAYING AND THINKING

NOBODY'S LISTENING TO US,

AND THEN I'D GET A LITTLE NOTE FROM FREDDIE DE CORDOVA

THAT SAYS,

"JOHNNY SAID, DON'T EVER PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN

AS LONG AS YOU LIVE."

IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM JOHNNY CARSON,

YOU WERE DOING A GREAT JOB.

THAT MEANT THAT YOU WERE DOING IT JUST THE WAY HE WANTED IT.

HE CERTAINLY EXPRESSED HIS DISLIKE AND CHANGED THINGS.

AND HE MAJORED IN LOGIC IN COLLEGE.

SO HE COULD REALLY HANDLE HIMSELF

IN FACT, HE WOULD TELL YOU,

"OKAY, YOU WANT TO ARGUE ABOUT IT?

YOU PICK THE SIDE YOU WANT."

AND HE'D TAKE THE OTHER SIDE AND JUST DEMOLISH YOU.

Narrator: SUCCESS LIKE JOHNNY CARSON'S

OVER THE YEARS, MORE THAN A DOZEN CHALLENGERS

POPPED UP ON OTHER NETWORKS AND IN SYNDICATION.

ONE OF THE FIRST WAS THE MAN

WHO ALMOST GOT "THE TONIGHT SHOW" HIMSELF...

MERV GRIFFIN.

BORN THE SAME YEAR AS CARSON,

GRIFFIN WAS A BIG HIT ON "TONIGHT"

IN THE MONTHS BEFORE JOHNNY TOOK OVER.

IN THE LATE '60s, CBS SLOTTED MERV

DIRECTLY OPPOSITE CARSON.

SO THAT HE GOT MAXIMUM LAUGHS AND DOUBLE,

MERV, THERE'S NO GOING BACK, RIGHT?

OH, JANE, DON'T SAY THAT.

Narrator: GRIFFIN HANDLED CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS WITH SKILL.

BUT HE DIFFERENTIATED HIMSELF

BY ALSO BOOKING CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-WAR FIGURES

AND BUILDING THEME SHOWS

AROUND TABOO SUBJECTS...

AN IDEA REGULARLY RIDICULED BY CARSON.

AND SO JOHNNY USED TO GO ON IN HIS MONOLOGUE,

AND HE'D SAY, "HEY, EVERYBODY, BE SURE

"YOU TUNE IN MERV RIGHT OPPOSITE ME TONIGHT,

"HE HAS ON SEVEN LITHUANIAN NUNS

WHO WANT TO BE PROCTOLOGISTS."

AND THE AUDIENCE WOULD SCREAM.

BUT LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAME OVER,

AND THE RATINGS WOULD JUMP.

AND THE GUARD ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CELLS

WERE WALKING BY, WATCHING THEM ALL DAY.

Narrator: ABC MOUNTED ITS OWN CHALLENGE TO CARSON IN 1967

BY INSTALLING COMEDIAN JOEY BISHOP

AND HIS SIDEKICK, REGIS PHILBIN.

JOEY BISHOP WAS A TERRIFIC COMEDIAN,

A GREAT COUNTERPUNCHER.

IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER YOU THREW UP TO HIM,

HE COULD MAKE A JOKE OUT OF THAT.

HE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD AT THAT.

Narrator: A COUNTERPUNCHER NEEDS A SETUP MAN...

AND SO BISHOP

WOULD COAX PHILBIN OUT ONTO THE STAGE

DURING THE MONOLOGUE.

SOON THE OPENING MINUTES BECAME A TWO-MAN SHOW.

REGIS HE WOULD BRING ME OUT...

TO TELL HIM WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE SHOW.

BUT EVENTUALLY IT BECOME MORE THAN THAT...

IT BECAME... I KNEW WHAT HE WANTED.

HE WANTED TO BE FED THE STRAIGHT LINE

BECAUSE OF HIS COUNTERPUNCHING.

Narrator: THE UNIQUE MONOLOGUE

WASN'T JOEY BISHOP'S ONLY INNOVATION.

HIS SHOW WAS SHOT IN LOS ANGELES,

WHICH MEANT A STEADY STREAM OF HOLLYWOOD GUESTS.

IT TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE A GOOD SHOW,

BUT IT NEVER DID GET THE RATING THAT ABC WANTED.

YOU KNOW, JOHNNY WAS TOUGH COMPETITION.

Narrator: AFTER A FEW YEARS, ABC ABANDONED JOEY BISHOP

AND REPLACED HIM WITH A VERY DIFFERENT CHALLENGER...

DICK CAVETT.

IF YOU DON'T LAUGH, STAY TUNED ANYWAY...

IT MIGHT HELP OUR RATING.

I THINK I SAID,

IT'S A GREAT JOB FOR PEOPLE

WHO HAVEN'T HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROS DO IN A CASE LIKE THIS,

BUT MY SHOE IS UNTIED.

WILL YOU EXCUSE ME?

OH, THAT'S EXCITING.

THERE, THANK YOU.

Narrator: CAVETT'S SHOW FEATURED A BROADER RANGE OF GUESTS

THAN HIS PREDECESSORS...

FROM OLD-SCHOOL FAVORITES

LIKE GROUCHO MARX

TO YOUTH CULTURE ICONS LIKE JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO.

YOU'VE SAID, SOMEWHERE YOU SAID

YOU'D LIKE TO BE FORGOTTEN.

BUT NOW YOU SAY YOU'D LIKE TO GO OUT

AND PERFORM AGAIN, SO YOU CAN'T REALLY...

WELL, I CAN STILL BE FORGOTTEN WHEN I'M DEAD.

I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT HAPPENS

WHEN I'M DEAD, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN.

Narrator: PERHAPS CAVETT'S MOST ENDURING EPISODE

WAS A 1971 DEBATE ON THE VIETNAM WAR

FEATURING TWO VETERANS... NIXON SUPPORTER JOHN O'NEILL

AND AN ANTIWAR ACTIVIST

NAMED JOHN KERRY.

TO THE HAGUE AND GENEVA CONVENTIONS

AND TO THE LAWS OF WARFARE.

Narrator: KERRY WAS PERSUASIVE.

THE WHITE HOUSE WAS FURIOUS AND BLAMED CAVETT.

THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET TAPES REVEALED HIS ANGER.

Narrator: BY THE END OF 1972,

DICK CAVETT AND MERV GRIFFIN HAD BOTH LEFT LATE NIGHT.

JOHNNY CARSON WOULD REIGN WITHOUT SERIOUS RIVALS

UNTIL A FRESH COMPETITOR FINALLY CAME UP WITH A NEW ANGLE.

AND IT DAWNED ON ME, THERE IS AN ENTIRE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT

THAT HAD BEEN IGNORED BY "THE TONIGHT SHOW."

Narrator: ARSENIO HALL'S LATE NIGHT VENTURE

WAS AN IMMEDIATE HIT,

AIMING AT A YOUNGER, URBAN AUDIENCE.

I DIDN'T WANT JOHNNY'S AUDIENCE.

I WANTED THE CHILDREN OF HIS AUDIENCE,

AND THAT'S HOW I REMAINED FRIENDS...

OR THAT'S HOW I REMAINED NOT HATED...

BY THE CARSON REGIME, BECAUSE THEY KNEW

THEIR NUMBERS WEREN'T GOING TO CHANGE.

I WAS GOING TO BRING PEOPLE TO TELEVISION

THAT WEREN'T WATCHING.

Narrator: BY THE TIME ARSENIO HIT,

JOHNNY WAS ALREADY PLANNING HIS RETIREMENT.

A NEW GENERATION WOULD SOON TAKE THE REINS.

BUT THEY WERE BUILDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.

AND EVERYBODY, WHEN THEY START OUT,

THEY'RE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.

THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THE CHAIR

OVER THERE AND THE DESK UP HERE.

BUT EVENTUALLY, IT COMES DOWN

TO THIS, THIS BASIC FORMAT.

PEOPLE LIKE TO CLOSE OUT THEIR DAY

WITH SOME HUMOR, SOME LAUGHS,

AND SEE SOME FIGURE THAT THEY ADMIRE,

SOME PERFORMER THAT THEY LIKE.

I THINK IT'LL GO ON FOREVER.

Narrator: TOGETHER, THIS SMALL GROUP OF ENTERTAINERS

CREATED SOMETHING NEW,

SETTING THE TEMPLATES

THAT STILL ENDURE.

HE WAS TELEVISION'S BIGGEST STAR.

YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

THEY DRY YOUR SINUSES AND, YOU KNOW,

AND YOUR, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS? SINUSES?

NOT ADENOIDS. WHAT ARE THESE?

Man: FINGERS.

FINGERS, YES.

White: AND YOU'D COME ON,

WHAT YOU WERE ANDGOING TO TALK ABOUT.LUE

AND WE WOULD JUST TAKE OFF AND SOMEHOW

YOU'D GET INTO A DIALOGUE, AND IT WOULD BE,

ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO MAKING JACK THE MOST INTERESTING

PERSONALITY THE SCREEN HAS EVER SEEN.

HE WOULD COME UP WITH ALL THESE, THESE CRAZY, WILD THINGS.

I THINK HE WAS BRILLIANT.

ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO! NOW.

HE LAUGHED TILL SPITTLE CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH.

I MEAN, HE JUST, HE LOVED THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND THEN CRACK UP AHALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.,

THAT AL LAUGH.

SO, ON THE WAY DOWN THE STEPS, I SAID,

"JOHNNY, HOW DO YOU SEE MY ROLE DOWN HERE TONIGHT?"

AND HE LOOKED AT ME, HE SAID,

"ED, I DON'T KNOW HOW I SEE MY OWN ROLE.

LET'S JUST GO DOWN AND ENTERTAIN THE HELL OUT OF THEM."

AND THAT WAS THE GREATEST ADVICE I EVER COULD GET.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

I MEAN, THAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE,

THAT'S WHAT HE DID FOR 30 YEARS.

HE ENTERTAINED THE HELL OUT OF THEM.

JOHNNY WAS AMERICA. HE WAS THE MIDWEST.

JOHNNY WAS GREAT BECAUSE HE NEVER LOST

HIS SENSE OF PROPORTION.

YOU SMASH IT AGAINST A MAN'S HEAD,

AND HE WON'T EVEN FEEL IT... LIKE THIS.

HE'S THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO TELEVISION.

HE IS A SUPERSTAR.

NOT JUST ONE OF THE GOOD TALK SHOW HOSTS.

AND HE MADE SOMETHING OUT OF THAT JOB AND THAT SHOW

THAT NO ONE ELSE EVER DID OR EVER WILL.

Narrator: IT'S A FORMAT THAT REMAINS SOLID

TO THIS DAY,

AN ART FORM SCULPTED BY A SMALL GROUP

OF TALENTED PERFORMERS

IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.

THEY ARE THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"

AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,

GO TO PBS.ORG.

NEXT TIME, ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...

HERE IT COMES, FOLKS.

MOM LIKED YOU BEST!

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

I'M WEARING A LIVE RACCOON.

THAT TAKES GUTS.

GEE, IT'S NICE TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN.

LET ME HAVE THAT MICROPHONE DOWN HERE.

DO IT RIGHT NOW? I CAN... OOH!

♪ THEY CALL HER HARD-HEARTED HANNAH ♪

THE SHOW IS OVER, WE HAVE IT TIMED OUT

TO A SCIENCE... I SIMPLY SAY,

"GOOD NIGHT," AND THAT'S IT.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US,

AND GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT!

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

THIS PROGRAM

BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION

FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.