“Here’s Johnny”
You have to admit, late night television is not what it used to be.
Who can argue that the late Johnny Carson, was not the best late night television show host of all times? The “Late Show with Johnny Carson” aired for 30 years making Mr. Carson the “king” of late-night television. His wit, facial expressions, stand-up monologues, and comedy routines were hilariously funny. He was also compassionate, caring, a snazzy dresser and quite a gentleman. My favorite segments were Mr. Carson and the animals. He didn’t mind feeding or holding an animal and you could guarantee something unusual was going to happen with every animal he encountered. One famous incident was when Mr. Carson leaned a little too close to a cheetah’s cage. The cheetah swung his paw at Mr. Carson which caused him to run to his sidekick Ed McMahon and jump into his arms for comfort. The audience burst into laughter. Who can forget the list of the greatest movie and television stars that appeared on Johnny’s show? Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Dolly Parton, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, etc. just to name a few. Many comedians got their start on the Tonight show; Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Gary Shandling, etc. Getting an offer to sit on the couch after a new comedian’s stand-up routine, immediately changed their lives. That was the way Mr. Carson let that person know he liked your work. There will never be anyone like Johnny Carson but there have been others who have been close.
David Letterman runs a close second to Johnny Carson. For 30 years he hosted one of the late-night talk shows. He is known for his straight forward questions to big stars and for pushing boundaries. Mr. Letterman was the first talk show host to return after 9/11. The New York Daily News called it, “one of the purest, most honest and important moments in TV history.” It is exactly what the people of this country needed to hear one week after the disaster. And, of course, who can forget the episodes with David Letterman and Jack Hanna-the notorious zookeeper who appeared on the David Letterman show over 100 times? Mr. Letterman explained, one evening, “The animals leave a big mess behind and he is forced to hold strange creatures.” But it was all in fun and we laughed at Mr. Letterman’s and Mr. Hanna’s conversations concerning the animals. His final show was on May 20, 2015 and watched by over 13 million viewers.
And then there was Arsenio Hall. His first late night talk show ran from 1989 to 1994. His show was just a “cool” party. The audience would greet Arsenio with the “Woof, woof, woof ” yell that still is used to this day. He related to his audiences, his comedy routines were hilarious and he was a snappy dresser.
Talk show hosts are definitely not what they used to be. Their conversations continue to talk about the world news instead of entertaining the audience. Their liberal viewpoints, comedy and guest stars do not resonate with more conservative audiences. People are tired of hearing negative news and it is, once again, time to be entertained and laugh. Heaven knows we need it.
One commercial caught out attention and it is of two children racing cards with a man. Of course, during the commercial, it states that this isn’t real, but does everyone pick up on that announcement?