or


[01/24/05 - 12:00 AM]
Jay Leno Remembers Johnny Carson Tonight During a Special Tribute Show Featuring Ed Mcmahon, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Drew Carey and a Music Performance by K.D. Lang

[via press release from NBC]

JAY LENO REMEMBERS JOHNNY CARSON TONIGHT DURING A SPECIAL TRIBUTE SHOW FEATURING ED MCMAHON, BOB NEWHART, DON RICKLES, DREW CAREY AND A MUSIC PERFORMANCE BY K.D. LANG

BURBANK, Calif. -- January 24, 2005 -- In tribute to Johnny Carson, tonight's telecast of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" featured Jay Leno reflecting on the life of Johnny Carson with Ed McMahon, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart and Drew Carey. k.d. lang closed the show with a performance of "Simple."

The following is a transcript of host Jay Leno's comments at the top of the show:

Welcome to "The Tonight Show." As you know, it's been a tough 24 hours for those of us who are fans of Johnny Carson. I was thinking about what I could say about Johnny Carson, and I kept trying to search for something new that hadn't been said before. After a couple hours, I realized that was impossible. Maybe that was the greatest thing about Johnny, imagine getting to the end of your life and there's no compliment that you haven't been paid. Johnny had that special quality of grace, charm and dignity in the public arena. He was an incredibly polite man and when you were invited into his house, this show, you knew you were an honored guest. Before he became host of "the Tonight Show", he was the host of a show called "Who Do You Trust?" which was the perfect title for show starring Johnny Carson. Because the truth is, we trusted Johnny. We trusted him to make us laugh, to entertain us, to speak for us with what was a truly an American voice.

Johnny hosted this show for 30 years...Think about that, these days some NBC shows don't last 30 days. What made Johnny such a unique talent was that for 30 years he was hip, but smart enough not to be so hip that next year he was out of style. That was a fine, almost impossible, line to walk and no one did it better than Johnny Carson. Johnny never went out of style. As a comedian he taught me that it was okay to be known for doing political humor, but never making the mistake of thinking you're a political commentator. It's okay to satirize the society we live in, just don't start believing you're a social commentator.

You know, people say this country is divided now, these people forget the 60s and early 70s. There were almost daily marches, there were race riots, there were assassinations, there were anti-war demonstrations all the time. We witnessed the most drastic cultural change in American history. But, throughout it all, no matter what the state of the world, it seemed to get its sanity back every night at 11:30. Johnny was a constant in our lives and every night he made us feel okay about it.

As good as Johnny was with celebrities and politicians, he was at his best with ordinary folks. Because they didn't treat him as Johnny Carson, "the king of Late Night", they treated him as Johnny Carson from Norfolk, Nebraska. There was always a moment when he would ask, "Do you ever watch my show?" And the person would always say something like " No, I don't stay up late unless there's something worthwhile to do." Well Johnny loved that, he would laugh and laugh and he thought that was the greatest thing in the world.

As a performer I don't think I ever wanted to impress anyone more than Johnny Carson. He had that effect on comedians. When he gave you that wave, or the wink, or the call over to the desk. Nothing before or since has had as profound an effect on me as that one little gesture. In the mid-80s I started working as a guest host for Johnny. And it's strange, after all these years, I still feel like a guest in his house.... Because he built this place, everyone who does this for a living owes it to him. Johnny was the best, plain and simple. The best way to sum it up is, you had to be there. If you were fortunate to be watching during Johnny's 30-year run, consider yourself lucky, cause you're not going to see the likes of him ever again.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with NBC Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.





  [january 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[07/09/25 - 12:00 PM]
HBO Max Orders "The Big Bang Theory" Spinoff "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" to Series
Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon.

[07/09/25 - 10:31 AM]
"Queer Eye" to Conclude with 10th and Final Season
The Fab Five (Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo, and Tan France) return for one last round of unforgettable makeovers and heartfelt transformations.

[07/09/25 - 10:02 AM]
Highly Anticipated "Wicked" Special Gets Nov. 6 Air Date on NBC and Peacock Ahead of the Nov. 21 Theatrical Release of "Wicked: For Good"
Previously announced at the NBCU Upfront presentation, Academy Award-nominated stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will lead a one-time-only two-hour "Wicked" special event at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

[07/09/25 - 09:02 AM]
Paramount+ Returns to San Diego with "The Lodge" Fan Experience and Other New Exclusive Brand Activations During Comic-Con International
New this year is the "Paramount+ Mountain Experience" convention floor booth featuring a towering mountain crane challenge, and an outdoor "Nerd Out" fan booth.

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Slaying solo travel like only Tracee can!

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
New OWN Docuseries "Heart & Hustle: Houston" Premieres August 2, Spotlighting a Powerful Sisterhood of Black Women
These women are redefining what it means to be a boss, a wife and a mother while navigating entrepreneurial life plus a labyrinth of unique daily challenges.

[07/09/25 - 08:37 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art, and New Images for Season 2 of "Twisted Metal"
The new season premieres on Peacock with three episodes on July 31, followed by new episodes every Thursday through August 28.

[07/09/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Long Story Short" - Official Teaser - Netflix
From the creator of "BoJack Horseman," a comedy for anyone who has ever loved or hated their family.

[07/09/25 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes" - Official Trailer - Netflix
One of the greatest manhunts in New York City history comes to life in this gripping three-part series.

[07/09/25 - 07:04 AM]
ESPN Original Series "Running with the Wolves" to Premiere July 29 on ESPN and ESPN+
The four-part docuseries follows daytime television icons Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa as they dive headfirst into the high-stakes world of Italian football - not as spectators, but as team owners.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: "The Amateur" - Coming Soon - Hulu
Starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, and Jon Bernthal, the film streams July 17 only on Hulu.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Gripping Teaser for Season Four of "The Morning Show"
The 10-episode fourth season will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 17 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until November 19.

[07/09/25 - 06:02 AM]
GameTV/Paramount+ in Canada Miniseries "Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story" Taps Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor, Mark McKinney, Karen Robinson and Ennis Esmer to Join Cast
The six-episode series is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use.

[07/09/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Wednesday" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Nevermore is back in session as Wednesday tangles with a new principal, a devious campus stalker and a waning grip on her psychic powers.

[07/09/25 - 03:00 AM]
HBO Max Is Back
It's good to be Home.