Listen Now

Robert Smigel and Dana Carvey discuss their Carson sketches on Saturday Night Live, Carvey’s 5 Johnny appearances, and their thoughts on Carson’s 30-year run.

TV Curator, James Comisar, discusses Carson personally giving him the famous Carnac turban, how he got Carson’s full Tonight Show set, & the amazing TV artifacts in his Comisar Collection.

Gabe Kaplan discusses his 40 appearances on Carson’s Tonight Show, 18 times guest hosting the Tonight Show, how going on Carson led to Welcome Back Kotter, Battle of the Network Stars and Robert Conrad, friendship with Howard Cosell, Bob Hope, & Groucho Marx.

Barry Gibb discusses Carson, Bee Gees, brother Andy, Streisand, McCartney, Dolly, Letterman, Leno, Hope, Burns, & being knighted by Prince Charles.

Tina Sinatra discusses Johnny Carson, her famous father, Don Rickles, Sammy Davis Jr, Suzanne Pleshette, David Janssen, and Dean Martin.

Richard Lewis discusses his Carson appearances, nearly getting banned, an awkward airplane flight involving Carson, going on Letterman’s NBC show, David Brenner’s advice & Larry David.

Carol Burnett returns to discuss Johnny Carson, working with Carson on The Garry Moore Show, the Carson appearance discussing her daughter’s substance abuse issue, Carol Wayne, & Jimmy Stewart.

Jan Schwarz discusses her 15 years at the Tonight Show, her Carson interactions, working with Bobby Quinn, Carson’s loyalty, the issues with sketch rehearsals, & Carson having her on the show on her final day working.

Roger Cortes discusses working on The Tonight Show, the famous Malibu Restaurant sketch with Betty White, Tony Bennett, Linda Ronstadt, Alan King, Shelley Winters, Fred de Cordova, & Joey Bishop.

Cowboy poet, Baxter Black, discusses his Carson appearances reading cowboy poetry, why it took years to get booked on Carson, turning down Johnny’s request to do the show more often, & crying when Carson passed away.

Franklyn Ajaye discusses his Tonight Show appearances, Carson’s helpful advice, Why Make Me Laugh was more impactful than going on Carson, Richard Pryor, Freddie Prinze, & the 1976 movie Car Wash.

Cathy Guisewite discusses her Carson appearances, Johnny being a fan of the “Cathy” comic strip, Carson visiting her before the show, being a guest during the final months of Carson’s Tonight Show, & her friendship with Charles Schulz.

Don Mischer discusses working with Carson on the 1993 Kennedy Center Honors, Bob Hope’s 90th Birthday featuring Carson, asking Carson during  retirement to host the Oscars and Emmys, Don Rickles, & Garry Shandling.

Rona Barrett discusses going on Carson’s Tonight Show, working with Tom Snyder, Steve Lawrence, Mae West, Frank Sinatra, Cher, Eddie Fisher, Michael Landon, and much more.

Pete Hammond discusses being an NBC Page, Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, working at the Arsenio Hall Show, Lauren Bacall, Mel Brooks, & Bette Davis.

Carson Writers Round Table 3 with Tony DeSena, Andrew Nicholls, & Darrell Vickers discussing writing meetings at Carson’s home, Misery Bingo, buzz words to elicit laughs, & writing Carson’s famous long intro for Bill Clinton.

Architect Ed Niles discusses designing Carson’s Malibu home, working with Carson on the home, designing his tennis court, and some of Niles’ other Malibu house designs.

Saundra McClain discusses working on Carson’s NY Tonight Show, her funny incident with Carson, Ed McMahon, Joanne Carson, Sidney Poitier, & Paul Newman.

Brian Ross discusses his NBC News 1980 investigative report on Wayne Newton and the mob, talking to Johnny Carson, Newton and Carson bidding on the Aladdin Hotel, & Newton suing Ross and NBC.

Albert Fisher discusses working with Carson & Ed McMahon, his 5 years at the Merv Griffin Show, Richard Pryor, Lucille Ball, 1962 NY World’s Fair, Carol Channing, Red Skelton, & Jonathan Winters.