David Letterman Reveals His True Feelings about Jay Leno Hosting Tonight Show, Johnny Carson 1991
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Original Airdate: 08/30/1991
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whatever you do when you watch this interview......dont blame conan
No one's blaming Conan.
Hahaha nice one
@@BabysitterSky say that to Leno baby
Yuup
You weren’t thinking about blaming Conan now, were you?
I remember Conan O ' Brian saying " The great thing about America is you can do what ever you want to do " ; then he paused and said " Unless Jay Leno wants to do it "
Leno was keener funner classier shrug
Classier? He hid in a closet during a meeting so he could hear what was going on... is that... classy?
@@eliyates1691 nope probably the only way he could a beat their system though
Dave changed comedy on television and was Johnny's choice to succeed him.Jay got the job by being a sneaky kissass.
Dave reinvented comedy on television.Jay is a footnote.
@@louannbrill7255 no...you really had to be.there. jay was GREAT SHREWD FUNNY ....David letterman? Trash tv. He in
vented nothing and had zero class. Blah.
"If they told me I have a show then told me I don't have a show, then I would be angry". 20 years later, Conan comes to mind.
Letterman told Oprah many years later that NBC actually HAD talked to him but changed course and went with Leno but this answer in this particular interview with Johnny was kind of a cryptic stab at NBC... and since Dave and Johnny were such good friends, I wouldn't doubt this was actually set up before hand...
Carson was producing Letterman Show and Letterman was bad mouthing NBC and others which made Carson go elsewhere
NBC did him worse than they did Dave tbh. They ended up losing two late night legends. Jay was good but those are the only guys that could ever hold a candle to Carson
@@Dana_Danarosana Yes, *NBC* was pretty much telling Dave the same thing they were telling Jay- "we want you for 'The Tonight Show'"- in order to hold onto them both. It was when Jay was tempted by a big offer from CBS that the network finally chose Jay to replace Carson. He should've gone to CBS, though. They treated their talent much better than *NBC.*
@@VickStarkiller IMO none of them can hold a candle to Carson, not even Dave and certainly not Conan. Never mind Kimmel, Colbert, or Fallon. The current breed of late night talk shows where it's all anti Trump all the time completely misses the mark of what made Caron's era so great.
Johnny asks Dave if he could imagine staying on late night television another 20 years and Dave laughs and says no. Dave not only continued his late night run for another 24 years after this clip, he also ended up beating Johnny’s late night run (30 years) by 3 years (33 years). Incredible.
And he stayed until Jay was 100% done and off the air.
Pretty sure he meant with his show with NBC.
Why does this feel EXACTLY like that time Conan visited Letterman's show
Because they screwed David like they did Conan.
Kveld and Jay was the issue every time
Because its a script. They just keep playing the same script, different actors, and the public laps it all up. Sports, politics, showbiz etc etc etc, decade after decade.....distract the masses from The Truth. Who is Jesus Christ for 200 Alex?
@@everykneeshallbow Script was the very first thing to come to mind .
@@everykneeshallbow you say showbiz is a script and then want to talk about Jesus. Where do you think showbiz got that idea? Religion kept the populace ignorant long before TV ever did.
It's hard to believe Johnny Carson hasn't been on the air for almost 30 years now. It seems like yesterday, I always enjoyed his show.
And Carson RUclips channel has 500 000 subscribers- that is impressive.
Well that's because he died
@@Rob7194 lmao
@@Rob7194 he died on air, right?
I still miss Johnny Carson.
Wow, I remember watching this when it first aired, and here I am exactly 30 years later, 8/30/21. Carson and Letterman will always be part of my entertainment memories.
Mine too.
One of those things where we were all watching that night..
He predicts the Conan situation and renders his verdict way ahead of time.
Funny enough, after the decision was announced that they were giving it to Conan, Howard Stern was a guest on Conan's show and predicted exactly what would happen and what Jay would do right to the T.
What are you talking about? With his beard that Dave has now, he's so hairy he looks like Bigfoot from those "Messing with Sasquatch" commercials.
@@RREDDWARFF ....what are you talking about? Like seriously
I was going to say, you think this is impressive? Check out Howard stern on Conan. Nails it.
@@ReddFoxx1562 I think he was trying to comment on the comment above about Letterman having so much hair but missed the mark.
The amount of mutual respect between these two entertainers just floods through the camera
"just how pissed off are you?" beautiful.
The delivery of that line was what made it ... and Dave put respect on it by his reaction.
GOLD.
Ed looked worried when Dave got up 3:29
from half wit "comedy" to total obscurity....they even destroyed his old set and used it for firewood....it waslong overdue
@@1olddirtroad what are you talking about?
Boy, you forget how shot out of a cannon Dave was when he was younger. Always loved that Johnny took the time to signal that he actually understood comedy by essentially endorsing Dave. Just an all-time great episode.
Good point. Leno is actually a throwback to the kind of comedy Carson came up with--staid political jokes that never break the fourth wall--whereas Dave was the future. It's a rare artist who recognizes and approves of the genius of the generation that will replace him.
Dave’s show was the only talk show that Johnny ever visited
@@davidc.2878 Dave Letterman always admitted that he copied the wacky style of his hero, the original host of the Tonight Show, Steve Allen....Allen left Tonight after 3 years to host a prime time show on NBC...as Steve said years later "The Tonight Show was on 5 days a week, one and 1/2 hours very day...7 and 1/2 hours every week on the air...But the prime time show was just on ONE hour per week....and it paid me more than TEN TIMES the salary....it was an easy decisions."
@@davidc.2878 The problem that Leno had, as well as with all the other late night hosts other than Carson, is that they didn't know when to shut up and let the guests talk. I don't know if it was an ego thing where they all saw themselves as the draw instead of their guests, but there was always this almost continuous habit of interrupting the guests to insert their own thoughts, and that still holds today. Colbert seems to be 'getting it' and letting his guests be the focus of the interviews, though. I remember reading about Carson's prep work every day, learning as much as he could about the prospective guests that were going to appear, in order to be able to get them to talk about themselves and what was going on in their life. He was the master at making those who were nervous, able to feel more at ease on the set, which made his show the best.
@@d.e.b.b5788 nice to read such a thoughtful and articulate comment.
Johnny....”There were rumors you were going to firebomb NBC”
Dave...”Well, I hate waiting in lines, but I’d do it”.....ROFL...GOLLLDDD
FARKKING Funny .
My wish is that one day I'll find myself in a moment where this is the perfect line
Dave had a quick mind to come up with that.
You can really see how much Carson and Letterman like each other
I think Craig Ferguson was underappreciated/underrated.
I agree?I didn't appreciate him or rate him highly.
The crazed Scotsman with a robotic sidekick bit got old for me fairly quickly.
100%. Only one who didnt have a planned monologue on a teleprompter. The show definitely reflected his personality.
The Scotsman right?
@@TopStrikerMaverick ya. He also played Drew Careys boss on the drew Carey show. Mr Whick I believe.
For me, Dave's final two appearances with Mr. Carson were his very best. Thanks for sharing.
Johnny was and remains the greatest. The pinnacle.
The friendship of these two comics really comes through, but one of Letterman's
finer moments- he's very unguarded and running with it.
That was Jack Parr. Look at the old clips; Carson ripped him off.
Magic Trained...oh WW2 U S. Navy..
O'Brian was the funniest.
@@roberth.5185
You're thinking of Denis Leary and Bill Hicks
His “I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it “ might be his best line in all of broadcasting
I also like him telling the band the gravy train is over! lol
Dave's got a lot of them. He interviewed Joaquin Phoenix one time. He came on as the character from the movie he was promoting, but Dave didn't play along. By the end of the interview Dave said to him "And Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't make it tonight."
@@Cludensyo I think you've got that a bit wrong. Joaquin was pretending to BE that character. He actually had Dave fooled that he'd completely changed as a person!
Dave used it to nail Madonna too, in the infamous 'ok, what is that, a swimcap?' appearance. You've likely seen it.
Always one of my favorites of his and it's just occurring to me now that it might not have been an adlib. Johnny kind of glances at his notes as he sets it up. I feel like that line and "how pissed off are you" may have been worked out in the pre-interview.
When I was in High School, Johnny Carson was still on and still HILARIOUS week after week! I was so sad when he finally retired :(
Oops forgetting two important points Letterman was never funny-snarky and a smart ass, but not funny And Conan was about as interesting and funny as tapioca pudding or a mashed potato sandwich These guys should have gone into other careers
@@alangordon8906 I don't think Conan has EVER made me laugh even once, I still don't understand how he got that spot.
I watched the Leno Letterman and Conan years in early 2000's onwards. Just watching some Carson material lately (was too young when he was on air) and boy this guy is pure class. It's a different level altogether. No wonder all the other hosts put him on a pedestal even now.
The best.
He was the best, no doubt.. Celebrities, regular folk, zoo animals.. He had them all on his show and made it entertaining..
I don’t tell people this often, but I took the time while traveling with my brother, on business, to watch his final show.. And my sister called our room to tell us our mother had passed from cancer.. May 22, 1993..
1992* Big thumbs.. lol..
I can't cope with Letterman having this much hair.
That's a weird thing to say.
Tyler Samuels 😂😂😂 He probably can’t cope that he’s lost so much of it!
On his head as opposed to his face
He sure fidgets a lot. I never thought he was very funny. Johnny,yes!!
And no ZZ Top beard.
Carson, Letterman, O'Brien that's how history should have gone, but money and greed ruin things.....
Whose choice was it that when Leno got the show Carson's or NBC's?
your correct ruined everything I now go to bed at 10pm.
Leno's ratings were better than all of those 3 clowns.
@@sj4632 maybe you should talk about him being funny or not. Yes they are clowns and still funny.
@@willcuza Leno was the funniest.
And Letterman did his show until 2015... which was past the 20 years Letterman thought he would never do, per this interview.
This is true television - two legends, one clip. Both are missed in their own ways.
=M=
Dave is still with us. So, Dave isn’t missed. He’s here. His show is missed. Never start a sentence with “And”. “True” television would literally be a physical television. Your name ends in a vowel so I know you’re not stupid, you just have to apply yourself to your writing.
Letterman did his show ‘til 2015; which was longer than the 20 year window that he mentioned in this interview.
This is the epitome of television: two legends - one clip. Both their shows are missed, immensely.
=M= (I need 32 people to “like” this).
I watched Johnny every night. 10:30 to 11:30 pm. NBC. Still like yesterday
I can say that Letterman defined my sense of humor. Having said that, this is why ppl dont like me that much!! lol
I remember hearing someone once say that Dave was a comedian for the weirdos and awkward people....it resonated with me.
@never stop fighting looks like you suck ...
“I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it”
Most savage line ever 😂
buck7515 Dave is a Boss.
Except he says it while punching the air, as if you say he would rather push everyone out of his way instead of patiently waiting his turn. He did have a bad attitude and that's why TV networks thought little of him. Happenstance brought him to TV, his own personality pushed him away from it.
Born after 1985 here, "waiting in lines"?? A little help?
#PleaseAndThankYou
@@gmwilkiegeorge8685 there are plenty of stories of shootings from people getting angry about people cutting in line to people getting mad about a car accident. These shootings happen everyday all over the nation. I thought you knew this by now, but maybe watching fox news has corrupted your perception and you believe whatever they tell you. Do you really think guns make America safer when you have to risk yet getting shot during a car accident? Many people are afraid of such a raw encounter with a cool holding a gun.
I remember when GE bought NBC and he took a fruit basket to GE management as a gag, on the show. This was classic Letterman.
"Rule #1 in comedy. Never joke with the trades people." -Carson
Love that old school class.
I watch reruns of Carson on PlutoTV (streaming). It's clear that Carson had a BOATLOAD of class. A boatload.
What does that mean pls.
.
@@mymail3950 Ha HA ..you just said "BUTTLOAD"
@@007nadineL My taking of it is never be-little those in your team below you. He was saying that the whole team made this show, not just him and it wasn't right to make fun of them losing their jobs, I respect Carson for that.
Lettermans original NBC late night show was simply amazing
I felt pretty sad when Letterman retired and Carson couldn't be there. He would have been proud.
carson couldn't have cared less
@sid roth Yeah but he had to do something different then Leno also. If it was just like a 1:1 version of the tonight show it would be boring. Also in germany like every talk show or night show is political. They say here, if you go to the US and get invited to an american home, don't talk about politics, because the americans don't like to talk about it in private... In germany we talk about politics as well as about everything else when we are with other people.
“If you play your cards right and don’t give it all away, you can!”
One of Johnny’s many jokes about the fortune he spent on alimony. 😁
He laughed at 30 years and went 33 years himself.
He went 30 years too long.
This is hilarious. David Letterman never forget why he got his break. He loved Johnny too. 🙏❤️
Carson was another of my favourite entertaining stars who have made my life enjoyable!
Letterman really softened his edge when he got older. I always get surprised seeing how loud and commanding his personality was in old clips.
When his son Harry was born in 2003 he changed his persona a bit - but of course he was still having sexual affairs with many interns even in the years after Harry was born. It barely ended before the extortion/blackmail case came about in 2009.
@@johnking5174 He actually began slowing down even before that. It started around 2000 when he had his heart surgery. He essentially stopped "trying" around that time.
Yeah...he was actually a little obnoxious, but he was also so damn funny he could get away with it!
I think it happens to most of us as we age, it's probably a bit of wisdom and less energy
@SavageHenry762, yup. Letterman and all of the talk show hosts that followed Johnny let their personal political views affect the way they did their shows. Johnny was himself a registered Democrat, but you wouldn’t of known that because he didn’t show his biases on air. He made jokes of people of all political stripes and personal views, but he showed respect to all of his guests when he interviewed them. Watch how courteous he was to known conservatives like Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan when he interviewed them. You wouldn’t see that from Jimmy Kimmel and especially from Stephen Colbert!
"if they came to me and said, 'Dave, we'd like you to have this show', and then a week later said, 'Dave, we don't want you to have this show', then I'd be angry". Isn't that exactly what they did to Conan?
And *NBC* said "Jay, we'll give you "The Tonight Show" if you turn down CBS," and then they offered it to Dave when *he* threatened to go to CBS. That's the way *NBC* rolls and Dave not staying there is the best decision he could've made.
@@gallery7596 i also find that Conan is more creative now, more free when he's on TBS than he was on NBC.
@@daveteves Yes, Conan made a wise decision going to *TBS.* That's been a much better home for him (9 years and still running!) than *NBC* was ever likely to be.
@@gallery7596 so the best decision really is to leave NBC. I'm not a fan of Jimmy Fallon but i sure hope NBC screws him over in a couple of years and Jay Leno is once again involved. I want this thing to happen in three's.
@@daveteves Oh, please no more. Jay's been screwed enough by *NBC.* Let them do it to Fallon with Seth Meyers.
Miss Dave, that was great late night. I started watching him at 6yrs old.
Wow, it's amazing as Letterman DID go 20 years beyond this interview (and a few more!). Cool interview; thanks for posting!
Can you imagine doing your show for another 20 years? Dave laughs hysterically. Twenty-ONE years later, Letterman is retiring.
Greg Schmidt He just followed what Carson envisioned for him
Greg Schmidt You mean 24 years later.
I was never much of a fan of David Letterman, but this clip does show him in full bloom. It takes a certain personality to thrive in that industry and damn if he wasn't MADE for it.
I dunno about full bloom, his punchline delivery at 3:05 is bad and his reaction shows he knows it
@@ddolgov I don't like the guy personally, but nobody is perfect.
@@cyborg266 I like Colbert better than Letterman but no one comes close to Johnny.
@@jeffreysproul9110 who cares who like you??? Karma
Leno was in a bunch of Doritos commercials when it was announced he was taking over the Tonight Show, and my sister and I were like "The Doritos guy??" We were very confused lol.
Watching this friendship in action always makes me smile.
Ironically, Dave's run as a talk show host ended up being longer than Johnny's.
Johnny did a couple shows before the tonight show stretching back from 1953 through 1962, "Carson's cellar", "The Johnny Carson show", "do you trust your wife?"
That's not ironic but I get what you mean.
@@IMP3TIGO Dave literally laughed derisively at the idea of doing his show another 20 years but he also literally did just that. How is that not irony?
@@HylanderSB okay, that makes sense then. Sadly, the second half of his career was milquetoast compares to the first half, when he was the best ever (and why so many comedians idolize him).
@@IMP3TIGO No argument there. I watched a lot more of 80’s Dave than 2000’s Dave.
Mr. Carson had so much class! One of the perks of old age is I got to see him for almost 30 years. No one since him could fill his shoes!
The greatest!
Yep we were so lucky getting to grow up watching Johnny
And now late night shows don't even come close to how classy and professional a late night host could be and still be so entertaining and hilarious. Now it's about pushing some kind of agenda or bringing politics into it to garner support from one side. Really poorly researched and foolish questions to interesting guests. It's so sad. I'm so tired of those shitty hacks. It was all over when Leno quit and then Letterman. Even Conan started to become a boring shill once he started to bring his politics into his show. Keep it non-political or neutral otherwise it's stupid and boring. I can't stand Fallon and those other 2 British clowns. Late night shows are a dead form of entertainment.
Vladislav I think it’s also just because we’re moving on in time and things get more modern and more money gets in involved
Man I remember when he was young and interviewed jimi hendrix! That was cool to see, now look at him here
3:18
"Just how pissed off are you?" Best opening question in the history of late night talk shows. Love Dave, like Conan but no one will ever touch Johnny.
There seems to be a small hickup around the word pissed. As if there had been some post editing. If there was censoring, what do you think he actually said?
Actually, Jay Leno's question to Hugh Grant is also up there.
@@Enregardant I remember seeing it when it first aired, and I believe that's exactly what Johnny said. It was truly shocking at the time to hear Johnny use that phrase! Hence the audience roaring with surprised laughter.
He never used questionable language on air. Didn't need to. Was supremely funny without it.
I love how David Letterman practically foretells what happened with Jay Leno and Conan.
I'm surprised no one made a conspiracy theory about this
what happened
5:39 Check that
Ladyzelda333 fbomb NBC.
Ladyzelda333 Leno really hurt Conan career. He should of had Fallon's gig
In hindsight, you can definitely see how much NBC kept Carson out of the loop. The whole thing with Joan Rivers blindsided him b/c he didn't know about the difficulties she was having w/NBC & the unstable contract they dumped at her feet, causing her to leave to do her own show. Likewise, he seemed to have every intention of making Letterman his successor but was insulated by the network from all the behind-the-scenes drama, decision-making, & mudslinging and had to tow-the-line after NBC announced Leno as the new host.
But Carson got the last laugh. He never even mentioned Jay on his final show & never returned to the Tonight Show in any capacity; but he was regularly sending monologue jokes to Dave, even making a final public appearance on his show, which became a major television event.
Things came full-circle years later when Letterman was in Carson's role as the accomplished, legendary veteran having a similar sit-down with Conan who also lost the Tonight Show to that big-chinned dope Jay. The similarities are nearly the same.
I can’t stand Jay Leno. Big obnoxious dope. I remember when he was on “One Day At A Time”. He played a bid headed dope.
What a stretch.
The similarities were very ironically the same because there was one big difference. Letterman had naively assumed he'd be given the Tonight Show because he deserved it, and his contract only required NBC to pay him $1 million if he didn't get it. Conan, once he was successful at Late Night, wanted the Tonight Show too, and unlike Letterman did everything to get the most iron-clad guarantee possible that he would get it: Conan's deal with NBC required them to put a time limit on Leno's next contract and then give Conan the Tonight Show. There was no way Conan would not get it. And he did get it. But Leno wasn't ready to retire and NBC wasn't willing to let him become a competitor, so they set up an unsustainable compromise that was rigged against Conan.
@@MagicAl5F4781 I bet Letterman talked Conan behind the scenes and said here’s where I went wrong. I suggest this. But no one foresaw Jay taking the freaking show back. I guess putting a time limit on it maybe worked against Conan in the end. Or maybe later time limit allowing Jay to be in the position longer. But you can’t know those kinda things. It was up to Leno to communicate that with his legal team and then not be immature about it afterward. Clearly Leno is a horrible communicator though.
Great post!
I think the NBC execs get VERY nervous when they sense somebody is a loose canon and Letterman was a loose canon.
damn, i am too young, but looking back, Johnny Carson was pretty awesome.
This interview took place 2 months after Johnny's son passed away in a car accident, plummeting off a cliff while taking scenic photos. Johnny was preparing for retirement. This is a public interview for who would be sitting in his chair. No body tucked in America for bed the way Johnny did. Long live the greats ✌🏻
“10 years seems just about right” He hosted for 33 years 😂😂😂
I sure miss Johnny Carson.
You can watch a lot of his show on youtube. In germany we didn't know anything about Johnny Carson, most here even didn't know that the famous Shining line was a refence to Carson. Now I try to watch a lot of his shows on RUclips. I didn't even watch Fallon any more, I just watch old Carson clips. Especially the Don Rickles clips I watch over and over again.
I miss you
He had talent, Letterman not so much. Leno was as original as Johnny Letterman was written for and scripted. hardly talent.
Me too!! Gets depressing when you think about how much time has passed.
Funny thing. He describes exactly what happens to Conan, years later.
Jay Leno is predictable like that. Once he gets his backstabbing arm working, it doesn't stop.
Conan is just a bug that should be squashed. Never could understand his appeal.
America, a nation of idiots.
@@elderstatesman9932 not for inbreds like you to understand anyway
Well it just happened to Dave back then more or less, history repeated itself with Conan, even Conan mentioned when ge was at Dave's show how "it happened to me once" talk joking as Dave.
5:17
Exactly what happened to Conan O'Brian, ironically!!
Rhonda No, it was very different, but had the same ultimate outcome.
Clutch Cargo Dave explained in this video what would happen to Conan: "if I had the show for a week and then they told me I didn't have the show."
Help me Rhonda! Help, help me Rhonda!
Rhonda NBC sucks!
Rhonda Well he got paid out on his contract and he is worth about 80 million, thats what happened. Dave is worth about 4 times that.
I'm glad both Tubi & Pluto free TV have a channel that only has the Tonight show with Johnny Carson.
I love Johnny and Dave, always have, both are hilarious.
"I hate waiting in lines but I'd do it!"
Classic...
Pablo Neruda ok so let’s break it down. I’ll paraphrase.
Johnny says “you were going to firebomb NBC”
Dave says “I hate waiting in lines but I’d do it.”
Maybe seeing it will help. If you can’t figure out after seeing it and thinking about it I’ll tell you what it means.
Given to him, this is all Scripted by NBC and funded liberal BS.
Actually, that's not original; it's just a variation of a VERY old joke. It was first used many years ago about "doing something" on a person's grave followed by the line: "but I hate waiting in long lines."
@@Forevertrue Wow, you're probably a great one to talk with at parties and I'm guessing those 'funded liberals' ruined your life somehow?
I thought it was bad then they gave the show to Jay Leno, but then they outdid themselves and gave it to Jimmy Fallon.
fallon is pretty creepy.
Melo Bryant 😂 you’re absolutely right, I cannot remember laughing at any of his jokes.
He is the Joke!! Thank NBC Andrew Lack (everything) and Aged/Decrepit Lorne Michaels who lauded Fall on.
Aint that the truth. Fallon is an irritating, grating buffoon.
Fallon works for free and the shows are just a platform to sell crap
I remember watching this live , and I was young, but I still remember being floored by Johnny's action. It's only grown , my respect, over the years.
I have to admit I like Jay Leno over Dave
I love when Carson asks Dave if he thinks he thinks he'll be hosting late night in 20 years, and he bursts out laughing. Now it's 25 years later, and he's still at it.
Its been a few more years, now he is gone.
He did it for 24 more years.
Jack Tarasar If Carson hated Letterman so much, why did he send stand up jokes to Letterman and why did he only appear on Letterman's show after his retirement and why did Carson let Letterman hang out with him after his retirement? Seems a little strange. Also, you should read the Late Shift, it will give you a good idea of what REALLY happened and not what your anti Letterman diatribe would have you believe.
It was really only a couple years longer. Johnny was asking him about his then-current show "Late Night", and judging by his laughter and "good one!" remark, Dave was obviously not planning to be with NBC for long after what went down. He mentioned 10 years seeming just about right referring to his time at "Late Night", and after the audience reaction to him saying "The question to ask, maybe....", I think the unstated question was along the lines of him hosting someplace else. That also gives insight into his response about not being mad at NBC.....Obviously there was animosity, though negotiations to usurp Leno went on until 1993 when he jumped ship to "Late Show" at CBS. It's also pretty established that Leno was the network choice and Carson viewed Letterman as his heir, and he sent him material and appeared on his show while turning his back on Leno.
True, he stayed in the game longer than Carson himself did. But not at his old job. No way was he going to stay on the hind tit that long.
Carson (to Letterman): Can you imagine yourself, doing your show, 20 years from now?
Letterman: (breaks out in hysterical laughter)
Funny how life turns out, doesn't it..........
at 5:40 he predicts what happens to Conan
+Dante Sanaei Yeah---I found that kinda eerie. Weird.
+Dante Sanaei Just remember - Don't blame Conan.
+Dante Sanaei Predictive Programming... An Agenda... it was very weird to hear that.
Dan Bolivar
Dan Bolivar not unusual. Have you seen what the Simpsons have predicted?
I was born in 1992 and am now 30. Insane to me that Carson has only just recently been off the air for as long as he was on the Tonight Show. 3 decades as an American institution.
Dave went 33 yrs on his show- Johnny knew
Ya he knew this guy was awful host with a nasty style on interviewing. Why did Carson let this happen ? revenge on the audience??
Dave went to CBS for most of that.
@@timfischer 1982-93 on NBC, 1993-2015, CBS...so yeah, 2/3rds of it.
I love this, they had each other backs, both eccentric, both respected each other, I have always loved Dave, I grew up with Dave, got his humor, Leno was never for me, but I respect that we had both
"I'm not angry." *eye twitches*
My god what a stage presence Dave is. But he doesn't become a sad sack from what he lost, he started his own legend that, quite frankly, became bigger than the tonight show.
He is not very respectful. Hardly says hello to Ed. And does not give much room for Johnny to speak or respond.
@@Steve-Richter Just his act and consider he was stressed and you can see it because he found out Jay was getting the tonight show. Johnny was Dave's hero and they had a great mutual respect for each other. Dave was Johnny's pick to take over the tonight show. Johnny had such a great influence that it was his advice that convinced Dave to go to CBS. After taking over Jay didn't thank Johnny and their was no mention of him. And in one of his last public appearances Johnny walked on to Dave's show and never went back to the tonight show.
Letterman was never funny, always a creep and didn’t he routinely get beat in the ratings by Leno and the Tonight Show?
Help make it easier for you = he was routinely beaten in the ratings. Here is a snippet - Even on one of David Letterman's best nights, he still couldn't beat his rival Jay Leno. The extra-long finale Wednesday averaged 13.7 million and was the largest audience for the host since February 1994.
Help make it easier for you = he was routinely beaten in the ratings. Here is a snippet - Even on one of David Letterman's best nights, he still couldn't beat his rival Jay Leno. The extra-long finale Wednesday averaged 13.7 million and was the largest audience for the host since February 1994.
"I hate waiting in lines but I'd do it".....pure genius. Johnny was the original king of late night but Dave took the reigns no matter what anyone says. Miss them both.
Reins
Ironic that nearly 20 years later Dave got have a similar conversation with Conan about Jay.
I was actually at this show!!!
You were 22..
@@DonkeyLipsDA3rd Does him being 22 then make it not possible to visit shows or something?
@@bigbadwolf5870 No, I was just trying to guess his age at that time..
Who’s side you on? Letterman or Leno?
@@michaelblockley3910 Craig Ferguson
Good job Dave and Johnny.🌎
It was no secret that Carson preferred Letterman to take over the Tonight Show.
Imagine knowing that.
Jay Leno was the permanent guest host on the Tonight Show for several years. It ended up working out good for both Dave and Jay even though they both competed against each other.
@Benjamin Paisley Johnny didnt pick Jay, NBC did.
@Eric Cartman Ha. No.
@Eric Cartman maybe, yes. But Carson was an all-around better host for a late night talk show. He just always had the right things to say to his guests. Everyone liked and respected Johnny.
Carson was just so good. The ultimate late-night host; they should have just cancelled the whole genre once he retired.
Way too much of a cash cow to just pull the plug
In reality, Dave was Johnny’s successor, no matter the network.
About the most on point comment about late night TV.
Brilliant.
He , Dave was ok, but got crazy pollitically at end, Carson was King, sad though how in real life it sounds like he often wasn't so nice, but he was a National Treasure
More upvotes!!!!!!!!!
@stephi475 Awww....he didn't give you a second glance when you worked there?? Poor you.
Lenno had (and still has) more class and talent than radical lefty Letterman ever had. Lenno is the absolute perfect replacement for Carson.
1:40 - Actually Letterman spoke a lot of truth here when he said "the gravy train is being discontinued" - as I have read that members of the NBC Orchestra made a fortune from their own individual gigs, performances etc, all because they were able to say that they were part of the NBC Orchestra on Carson's Tonight Show - that increased their fees by 100%.
I think you've got that wrong. The band members on The Tonight show were all well established studio and performing musicians. The Tonight show was just one of their many gigs.
@@BillSmith-rx9rm It was just a joke Bill fro me.
Musicians actually making money is always a joke…
Johnny Greatest Ever....Dave close second. (in my life time)
Absolutely, and I feel so lucky to have been the right age to appreciate both in their prime. My husband and I grew up watching Carson in the '70s, and when we married as very poor young adults, staying up for Letterman was tantamount to a date. It was almost difficult to sleep afterward just because we were so wired from laughing.
I never noticed the line before from Letterman. "Had they said we want you to have the show then a week later said we changed our minds..." Oddly prophetic with what happened in the whole Leno - Conan debacle.
Most baby boomers grew up with the great Johnny Carson. To me he's still in a class by himself.
3434arc1 But it was also a much less dumbed down America. People had more class and they had attention spans. The schools were only partially disastrous back then.
Oh give me a break. The Baby Boomer generation was objectively the worst generation in America's history, and we're still recovering from it even today.
Will Hudson Bc baby boomers brought us free love and feminism, etc? I would have to agree.
3434arc1 he could be vindictive if crossed i.e. Joan rivers
Greg LaPrade They also gave us Ronald Reagan as President and neoliberalsim that has led to the crappy economics of today.
I miss those days. Nan would watch Johnny and fall asleep in her rocking chair, and i'd stay up watching Letterman. They were both masters of wit and timing.
There will never be another Johnny Carson
Russell Pottenger there will never be a David Letterman either
but we can make one... we have the technology
except for Letterman
I know a Johnny Carson's top bloke went to school with him big nose and a wonky eye but super nice guy
Absolutely amazing man
Carson, Letterman, Conan, Ferguson.
That's all that exists. Nothing else matters. Later.
I would add Kilborn to that list. All the new ones are terrible.
Jon Stewart!
@@niklazz7037 Jon Stewart sucks
@@timetravelingoldman6839 I'm guessing you say that just because you don't agree with his political views.
@@bonnienadinenewman conan first. Because conan is more cannon
There'll never be another Johnny Carson and another Dave Letterman for a long looonng time...
I think Conan and Craig are right up there with them.
There'll never be another anybody
Two goats in the same room. Two legendary talk show hosts the best to ever grace our TV screens at night
Johnny: There were rumors in the paper that you were going to firebomb NBC.
Dave: I hate waiting in line, but I'd do it.
Hilarious.
danieladougan One of his better jokes.
danieladougan v
Letterman cutting into NBC was his bread and butter joke wise.
+J Shepard Yep even better than the congealed toothpaste
Witty and intelligent quick comeback.
Leno would never have thought of something like that.
Dave's outfit is in breach of the Geneva convention.
@Agent Knight - Sheepdog Well it was the nineties, nobody cared what they wore. I just watched Ghost world yesterday, indeed it was a different time.
couldn't disagree more! aside from the oversized cut, he was killing it!
@Agent Knight Who cares? Get a life for crissakes......
What the hell kind of shoes are they
Ivana Petkovic GHOST WORLD?! That was from 2001 and they represent HIPSTERS. That wasn’t indicative of the style in the early 2000s. The 90s has nothing to do with that!
Wow, Letterman was in the ZONE here. I was watching an episode from maybe 5 years earlier, and his personality had changed dramatically! This is the Dave we all know today...
He must have done some blow before taping or just got done banging an intern. He usually is not that animated.
I do remember watching this! This was 40 years!
Back when saying ‘pissed off’ got a huge reaction
Foreshadowing cheap humor.....now they all just BLEEEP to get laughs. Irritating.
We miss you Johnny Carson!!!!
"Do you see yourself doing this in 20yrs?" NO! retires in 2015
I was thinking the very same thing when I heard him say that
Which was about ten years too late.
It's really hard to walk away from those big, fat contracts. When you're good at what you do, the offers to stick around "a little longer" just keep climbing and before you know it, ten years turns into 25.
Letterman is very good here - this holds up 30 years later - wow!
5:41 Dave foreshadowing Conan’s time on the Tonight Show
Some people didn't know what they were losing when David letterman retired, and NBC didn't know what they were losing when they didn't pick him for the Tonight Show. A WM
I don't think NBC cared that they lost Letterman. Leno always had better ratings than Letterman and Leno was better suited to be the host after Carson.
He got his first gig as the host of Late Night, had a big blow-up over moving to The Tonight Show, left to start an entirely new show on a network with no pre-existing talk show in the time slot, and finally ended up doing whatever the hell he wants on a streaming platform. Dave is Conan’s forerunner in literally every single beat of their careers. Seriously, that comparison is eerie. Their career paths are so, so similar.
Although Letterman's first gig was hosting his ill-fated morning show - brilliant but absolutely the wrong concept for morning tv
@@jamesrawlins735 Yeah, I was thinking strictly in terms of 'late night tv.' Should've clarified.
The days of black loafers and white socks...never again!
I'm wearing black loafers and white socks right now.
Those socks aren’t white.
He always wore gray socks that looked white on TV. Not sure if these socks are gray though.
So, Letterman laughed at the idea of doing his "Late Night" show 20 years, but he quit 24 years after this interview!
He didn't quit,he retired
@@A1collect The way I meant "quite" is as a synonym for "retired." He quit working.
I think Craig Ferguson was underappreciated/underrated.
Check out Dave's new Netflix show. In the episode he interviews Jerry Seinfeld, Dave makes a few jokes about being fired from CBS. After a few times of this Jerry asks if he is joking or not. Dave changes the subject and doesn't say anything about CBS again.
He’s laughing about STAYING WITH NBC and doing his late show. In other words, he was shading the network.
Carson… the man.. the myth.. the legend ❤
5:40 Dave defines and predicts Conan's experience with NBC
Jay Leno was/is a joke. Unintelligent humour, barely fit for coffee room discussion. I'm not saying Letterman is much better, but far more palatable than Leno's dull version of comedy.
Guess he proved you wrong hosing the TONIGHT SHOW over 20 years!
Jay Leno was about 1/10 of Carson and never filled his shoes. Then he jumped the shark when he used Monica Lewinski jokes for about 4 years. (always good for a canned laugh)
Then at the end, he was basically phoning it in and stopped doing the Jaywalking segment himself but had others talking to people on the street. . Well that's what I saw about the 20 times I ever watched Jay Leno during his entire run. (If that much)
455Transam the ability to simply DO something and then to do it for an extended period of time does not mean you are good at said activity. For example, look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Donald Trump's hair, been around a long time, but not doing 'it' well.
Tyler Horsman
Now THAT was a funny remark. A classic one actually.
Dave never does interviews..this was really classic..thanks for the upload
Yes, David has been on The View... Charlie Rose... Oprah ect ect... Letterman is not a totally uptight, he just jokes about it.
Johnny had a calmness, that was felt across the nation, like seeing the flag is still there. He is a mark,in late night talk, that want be met.
Well said. Whatever had happened in your day, or what you faced tomorrow, Johnny calmed you down for an hour, and made you feel everything was all right with the world.
So calm he left his son in a mental institution and was spiteful to so many people
Johnny. So classy. Such a sweet guy. Dave says he wasn't listening so Johnny says I forgot what I asked. Always making folks feel comfortable. A real gift.
Yes, Carson was a notorious dickhead, it was all persona. Letterman was also a dick, but never hid that, openly was a dick on his show, honest to a fault (therefore alright in my book). Leno was a teddy bear until he got caught up in all of this and managed to somehow backstab everyone, though I think he meant well in the end, he was overwhelmed. Leno and Letterman have ended up being really cool guys later in life, Carson was a complete dick till his death. Though Carson may be the OG, I hope Leno's and Letterman's legacy end up outshining his bitter ass. They should have gone with Conan anyway - he has more originality than all 3 of the others combined, imho, and is still kicking ass to this day.
Sweet guy? Carson beat his wife.
amylane baker That's why atheist carson is in Satan's hail....
@@enderpanda you are a fucking idiot if you really think that
@@OikPoinFive lol. You are a tool
Everything about Leno bugged me. His voice, his chin, his humor, etc. We used to watch Letterman in college and we would laugh our asses off!
Half of that guy's face is his chin
Diane E I always thought that Leno had generally unsophisticated humor that appealed the the average Joe. Letterman’s humor resonated with brighter folks.
Leno had some talented writers but he is not in the same league as Letterman and not even in the game in comparison to Carson.
Leno sucks just as much as Fallon
I'm sure Jay Leno will be devastated when he hears the news that he bugs you.