Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Tuesday's Overlooked TV: Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, and the Cigarette Box


Another funny moment I remember watching when it first aired on THE TONIGHT SHOW. I always enjoyed it when these unrehearsed bits happened.
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9 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have never been able to stay up late enough for THE TONIGHT SHOW. A whole phenomena I missed.It must have been great in the days when it just wasn't actors pushing their movies. When conversations really took place.

6:31 AM, June 11, 2013
James Reasoner said...

Yes, it was very different in those days.
When THE TONIGHT SHOW was still an hour and a half, the last fifteen minutes was sometimes called "the writer's spot", because Johnny would have various authors on. Once the show was cut to an hour, those spots pretty much disappeared. I guess Craig Ferguson is the only late-night host on broadcast who still has authors on occasionally. I've seen Larry Block on his show a number of times, and also Ken Bruen.

7:04 AM, June 11, 2013
Randy Johnson said...

I remember this episode well.

7:12 AM, June 11, 2013
RJR said...

I miss Johnny. Craig and Larry have gotten to be friends. Larry's been on several times.

RJR

10:55 AM, June 11, 2013
James Reasoner said...

Craig's the only late-night host who strikes me as much of a reader. Although of course you never know about people.

11:01 AM, June 11, 2013
Cap'n Bob said...

I got the An Error Occured message. Is this the one where Johnny throws Rickles into the Japanese bath?

1:49 PM, June 11, 2013
James Reasoner said...

No, this is a different episode, Cap'n. Johnny leaves the set of The Tonight Show and goes across the hall to the studio where they're taping an episode of Rickles' sitcom CPO SHARKEY to confront Rickles over the cigarette box he broke the night before when he was guest-hosting. Rickles is taken completely off-guard and is flabbergasted and speechless at first, which is what makes it so funny.

3:05 PM, June 11, 2013
D.A. Trappert said...

My favorite part is at the end when Carson reacts to Rickles introducing him to the CPO Sharkey audience.

8:23 PM, June 12, 2013
Cap'n Bob said...

Now I've seen it and yes, I remember it. I used to stay up and watch Carson almost every night, which is why I went to school, and later to work, like a zombie. It was worth it.

12:02 AM, June 14, 2013

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