Without The Tonight Show SNL would Never Exist
 

Carson Wanted to Stop Saturday Reruns, So the Network Created a New Show

When Johnny Carson would go on vacation, the network would show reruns of the Tonight Show. The network would also show reruns on Saturday nights, and Carson asked them to stop doing that. He wanted those reruns kept in reserve for his vacation days — and he wanted more vacation days.

The network had to show something in the Saturday night time slot and started looking around for a new show. The one they ended up with was a comedy sketch show that got off to a rocky start but eventually found its footing, called Saturday Night Live!


And did you know . . . . . . .

Carson Contributed Jokes to David Letterman's Show

Carson was known for criticizing other talk show hosts, except for David Letterman. Carson was a big fan of Letterman's and started sending jokes to Letterman's show after he (Carson) retired. He'd send them daily, and some would make it on air without crediting Carson. A former Tonight Show producer said that he thought Carson missed the monologue segment of his show and needed an outlet for the jokes he was still thinking up.

Source: 5 Secrets About Johnny Carson's '"Tonight Show"

That is a fun fact. Thanks for creating the thread. Loved the old SNL the new one is OK some of the time.

I love SNL! :bigbow:

Such a shame but the late shows are too political now days. Johnny Carson would never be political.

:bigbow:

Nor any comedian of his time. A different era, not to be compared to today.

I am sure I am not alone by saying that I don't enjoy any late night comedy shows these days.

They used to be funny for EVERYBODY..... Wet your pants funny, snorting though your nose funny, gasping for breath funny. Now they are at best, uncomfortable and frequently..... that's enough, time to change the channel.

Bring back Karmac the Magnificent.

CARSON IS CARNAK SIS BOOM BAH- 7 MINS. COMPLETE SKETCH - YouTube

Carson was pulling in nine million viewers and now the "big three" average about three million viewers. There is some wisdom there somewhere.

I suspect you are alone, or at least in the minority.

Almost all late night shows are poltically slanted. Started a number of years ago...it attracts viewers to them for sure.

Used to be Mort Sahl was alone....no longer.

Actually, having worked with politicians for years, most enjoy humor even at their expense

Not alone, not in minority.


Check the stats...........how many watch late night vs. how many viewers there are.


It's funny how the liberal news channels refer to statements by late night hosts..........like that is news.


Viewers get sucked one by agendas.

I watched David Letterman more episodes than anyone probably alive, I'm a night owl. Going back to the 80's on his NBC shows, even when Jay Leno was a frequent guest, they never made jokes about politicians. Leno biggest attraction was his sort of ad-lib routine, pulling out a copy of TV Guide and making fun of the shows of the day. Letterman had Chris Elliot as a regular skit doing satire like the bounty hunter, or Marlon Brando, and who can forget Larry Bud Melman.

It wasn't until Letterman moved to CBS and Leno replaced Johnny that political humor came into being in late night monologues. After Conan replaced Letterman on NBC, he almost never did political humor. He stayed along the same lines that Letterman had setup in his time.

I believe ratings currently for SNL and the late night talk shows will show the largest numbers in the age group of 18 to 34, not really much appeal for those of us who are set in our lives, careers and have seen the good years of the shows.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7G7yJiV...jpg&name=large

That reminds me, early 80's after the original bunch had departed SNL, the show other than Eddie Murphy was horrible and was almost cancelled at one point.

Late 80's there was a complete upturn with the addition of Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon and Mike Myers. Here's one of my favorite routines by my favorite all-time member, Phil Hartman as Regan, and it's really not the same kind of lampooning that is done nowadays, but rather tries to make Regan out to be a genius.

President Reagan, Mastermind - SNL - YouTube

Actually if Letterman had any political guests I would turn the channel. Now if he had Rupert G at Hello Deli on or was sending 30 people in rabbit suits into an H&R Block, I would be watching. I didn't watch his show to see Al Gore, or even Donald Trump talk. Life is too short for that.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YGltB2PoJ2E/maxresdefault.jpg

When Johnny Carson left Television his viewer numbers were at nine million. Now any of the top three are lucky to get three million.

From Carson to Kimmel: the collapse of the late-night empire

Yep, it used to be that being self-deprecating (at least on the surface)...was considered a positive by most citizens.

Methinks the problem now is, that the parodies are cutting too close to the bone for some folks...thereby eliciting visceral reactions. :shrug:

"Some" enjoy being a "victim"