Johnny Carson Returns: Antenna TV to Air Full ‘Tonight Show’ Episodes

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by dirwuf, Aug 12, 2015.

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  1. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    There is an amazing Carson podcast hosted by a guy that travels all over to interview anyone who was associated with the show. It is amazing the guests he has been able to procure. He must be approaching 75 episodes now. Is on the itunes store. If you can't find it let me know and I will look it up. I love it...been listening for two years. He is still producing new episodes. He loves Carson and he is a very good interviewer. He even managed to get Peter Lassater.
     
  2. Mark Nelson

    Mark Nelson Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I agree. Really good career overviews of those he speaks with, in addition to sharing their TONIGHT SHOW experiences.
     
  3. RockWizard

    RockWizard Forum Resident

    YES......will we get at least 42 minutes? Or(gasp) less? Gotta pay the bills. I know they're *saying* they won't be edited...but PLEASE.....let it be true.

    Hell, I'm STOKED to see the KING back on TV. Lets hope the network don't drop the ball on this.
     
    chilinvilin likes this.
  4. Joel Cairo

    Joel Cairo Video Gort / Paiute Warrior Staff

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Boy-- that show with Lewis really demonstrates how far and fast the mighty had fallen. Not only is the show's pacing a shambles (and pretty unfunny, to boot), the sponsors had abandoned the show to such an extent that the program is practically self-sustaining (which was generally the kiss of death, in those days).

    Wow. Carson **really** had a repair job on his hands when he took over.

    - Kevin
     
  5. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    One big beautiful train wreck.

    Jerry is simply insufferable. That is saying a lot coming from a huge Jerry Lewis fan! You can take the boy out of vaudeville but you can't take the vaudeville out of the boy. You can just feel Hugh Downs and the rest of the crew cringing while watching this unfold in front of their eyes. From Jerry screaming at the top of his lungs to screwing up every sponsor commercial to the chaotic interviews I wouldn't be surprised if they hosed down the set after he left!
     
    chilinvilin likes this.
  6. Zep Fan

    Zep Fan Sounds Better with Headphones on

    Location:
    N. Texas
    I haven't read through the other posts, but I just wanted to say that Antenna TV can also be seen on these cable networks:

    1. Time Warner Cable, included in the Starter TV Package

    2 Comcast, included in the Limited Basic Package

    3. Verizon TV, included with the Custom TV Package

    4. Cox TV, included with the TV Starter Package

    However, it's not included at this time, as far as I can tell, on Dish, Direc TV or ATT U-verse..
     
  7. Dr. Pepper

    Dr. Pepper What, me worry?

    Yes, it's quite amazing to watch Jerry go from his adult voice into "Hey Lady" mode then interrupt constantly. Hugh Downs earned his money and then some! I've seen other folks interrupt the beginning of a commercial, but not the entire thing!
     
  8. Dr. Pepper

    Dr. Pepper What, me worry?

    If all these shows existed you could actual syndicate each guest star in their own show.

    The Tonight Show starring Joey Bishop!

    The Tonight show staring Bob Newhart!
     
    joemarine likes this.
  9. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Yet according to Mark Evanier, Jerry's appearance was regarded as one of the most successful of that period, and led directly to him getting his ill-fated talk show on ABC the following year. Perhaps the show only appears as a "shambles" or a "trainwreck" by today's standards.
     
    MRamble likes this.
  10. Sir Cosmic

    Sir Cosmic Active Member

    I think the knock against Vaudeville illustrates that perfectly.
     
  11. Joel Cairo

    Joel Cairo Video Gort / Paiute Warrior Staff

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    No-- at that point in time, I think it was simply the novelty of seeing Lewis on television (it had been a few years since he and Dean did the Colgate Comedy Hour), and a desire on the part of ABC to be seen as a "real" network, by hiring a big TV/movie star. (Their "network" at that time was a real patchwork of small second-rate stations-- and largely stayed that way through the middle '60s.)

    I'll grant you it would have been unusual to see anyone deconstruct a show like that back then, but people only usually stare at a trainwreck for so long. Jerry's aggressive style is like Brylcreem-- a little dab'll do ya.

    Or as the upscale critics would say, he's too "hot" for a "cool" medium like television.

    -Kevin
     
  12. Dr. Pepper

    Dr. Pepper What, me worry?

    Furthermore, the out of control lunacy of this episode feels like the template for the late night '70s shenanigans of the telethons that were to come.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2015
  13. Alan G.

    Alan G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    NW Montana
    I remember when Jerry was given a weekly two-hour, live variety show ('62 or '63), Saturday nights from the Hollywood Palace. I don't think it lasted a season.
     
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  14. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Yeah, ABC spent $5 million renovating the theater (near Hollywood & Vine), and the show was cancelled by December after 13 episodes. My understanding is that part of the reason for the Hollywood Palace variety show was that they had spent so much money on that building, they figured they may as well use it for something.

    I like Lewis in short bursts (particularly during that period), but week after week is pretty tough. You have to be a very likeable, non threatening kind of host in order to really get wide acceptance. Carson filled that role, Ed Sullivan filled that role, and there's lots of others, but Joan Rivers and Jerry Lewis are examples of two talented people who couldn't do it for a long period of time.
     
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  15. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    Bleh. I remember him from his 80s-era daytime chat show. Mom watched it. :yawn:

    dan c
     
  16. rockclassics

    rockclassics Senior Member

    Location:
    Mainline Florida
    Comcast does NOT carry Antenna TV unless it is carried by a local station on a subcarrier channel. I just checked the Comcast website for my area and Antenna TV is not listed since no local station carries it.
     
  17. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    Excellent! A great talk show host, with celebrities worth hearing from!
     
  18. Zep Fan

    Zep Fan Sounds Better with Headphones on

    Location:
    N. Texas
    I believe you are correct. There is no "National" feed of Antenna TV. If a local station is not carrying it, then you would not have a way to see it, eith OTA or on cable.
     
  19. Dr. Pepper

    Dr. Pepper What, me worry?

    I would start calling/writing/emailing my local stations and comcast to let them know about the situation and the Carson Show. This is precisely why ATV are airing it, it is a unique program that many folks would like to see. I'm sure they are hoping this will help them pick up more stations across the country.
     
  20. Zep Fan

    Zep Fan Sounds Better with Headphones on

    Location:
    N. Texas
    From the Antenna TV Wiki:

    As of January 2015, Antenna TV has current or pending affiliation agreements with television stations in 94 media markets encompassing 21 states and the District of Columbia, covering 75% of the United States. The network is offered to prospective affiliates on a barter basis, an agreement in which the station will get the programming at little or no cost in exchange for giving a certain amount of commercial time to the network. Despite this barter offer, some large television markets without stations owned by Tribune have yet to affiliate with the network. As of February 2015, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the largest television market without an Antenna TV affiliate.
     
  21. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    So one thing to add is the Supreme court's "must carry rule"
    For analog tv, cable must pick up all the local stations
    For digital, cable only has to pick up the main channel (I.e. 5.1) 5.2 or 5.3 are optional
    Many stations use those channels for weather so cable doesn't have to pick them up
    But if antenna is offering something (I.e. Carson) they can pick it up if they want to
     
  22. redmetalmoose

    redmetalmoose Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    dirwuf thanks for posting this as I didn't even know one of the local cable channels was affiliated with antenna tv.
    I wonder how many others are out there like me.I was pretty young during Johnny's run.It's kind of hard to fathom in this day in age of 1500 channels(and nothing on) but if you were watching tv at 11:30 before cable,theres a pretty good chance it was Carson's monologue.They were great,sometimes even better when they bombed.But whats strange for me is that a guest like Jimmy Stewart would have had me reaching for the remote.Thirty years later I couldn't be more excited to see that Christmas show where he talks about 'Its A Wonderful Life'.Here's hoping there's a show where he talks about Hitchcock and 'Vertigo' etc.And not just him.Orson Welles.Frank Sinatra.Jonathan Winters. The list goes on and on.
    It does seem like they have tried to do this right the way.I think this will go over even better than they expect.
     
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  23. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    Perhaps. Going by Hugh Downs' reactions throughout the show it looked like it was a chore to everyone on stage (except maybe for the band who seemed to enjoy Jerry's antics) to have Jerry host. At one point the director cuts off Jerry's mic as he sabotages another live commercial plug. Jerry's chaotic/manic style worked well in the Catskills and in the early days of television but seemed very out of place at this point in the show's run where the general mood was cool and laid back.
     
  24. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    They may have been annoyed but it couldn't have been a surprise. If you hired Jerry Lewis, you pretty much knew exactly what you were going to get. I don't know if it's so much that his style was outdated as it was that his style was unsuited for the role of host. A good host needs to be able to shine the light on their guest, but Jerry's style is all about drawing attention to himself. It's the same reason Robin Williams would have been a terrible talk-show host, and why Conan's interviews are sometimes weak.
     
    MRamble likes this.
  25. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Oh...what a headache that must be. In fact, it's very hard to believe these episodes will all air without cuts, if they have to negotiate the sync rights for each show individually...
     
    chilinvilin likes this.
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