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8 Episodes 1977 - 1978
Episode 4
Thu, Oct 6, 197790 mins
The comedy segment is quotes by famous people upon being told the world is going to end in one hour. Jane Fonda first talks about her pride in her new film "Julia". Carson asks about a lawsuit she filed against the US government for spying on her. She says it is ongoing, but gives examples of how they sent someone claiming to be a journalist to interview her (with the goal of finding out when her son would be born) and how her bank (the name of which is edited out) gave copies of all her financial records to the government. Carson is very complimentary about her activism, saying that what was once denounced as radical is now often viewed as more mainstream. A clip from "Julia" is shown. Orson Bean first tells a few jokes on aging. Then he discusses an article he saw about twin girls who only speak their own language. This leads him to talk about alternative education - primarily New York's 15th Street School, which he and his wife founded - and how children learn even if they are not part of a particular class. Skip Stephenson does a stand-up comedy routine. Dr. Michael Fox is a veterinarian and specialist in animal behavior. He talks about the impact of touch (petting) on both the animal and the person, strongly recommending it. He brings out a dog for demonstration, which is very well behaved. However, when Johnny tries giving commands to the dog, it returns to Fox, which he blames on a moving camera. He also recommends sending dogs to obedience school. Fox speaks against letting pets roam the neighborhood free, which puts them at risk.
Episode 29
Thu, Nov 10, 197790 mins
Dinah Shore talks about her current show and her interview of Governor Jerry Brown, but then has to leave to catch a plane. When Charles Nelson Reilly comes on, he pretends to be outraged that guests run off without finishing the show. Shore returns and presents him with a bouquet. Reilly then complains that he has never gotten the perks that out-of-town guests receive. When Teri Garr shows up, she's shy and nervous, more so when the lights behind Johnny showing the lake scene burn out, leaving a strange inky blackness. Thalassa Cruso, the prickly plant expert, makes her fourth appearance on the show.
Episode 42
Tue, Nov 29, 197761 mins
The comedy segment is referee signals the NFL should add. Johnny announces that Dolly Parton, who had been booked for the show, is ill and will appear on a later show. Charles Nelson Reilly appears as a replacement. Carson asks Reilly the questions he had prepared for Parton, but Reilly answers about himself. When asked about all of the wigs Parton has, Reilly talks about his hairpiece and an incident with it when making a TV show. When asked about growing up in Tennessee with many siblings, Reilly explains that he was an only child who grew up very poor in Connecticut. They only had a small stove for heat (he didn't have a place with a radiator until age 30), and he didn't get his eyesight corrected until age 17. Mark Hamill talks about "Star Wars", noting that George Lucas had been a big fan of 1930s science fiction films. He also mentions the many actors in the film that don't get recognized because they are hidden by their costume. He also says that on a visit to the White House, they gave Amy Carter a stormtrooper helmet. A clip from "Star Wars" is shown. Eugene Fodor performs and discusses some aspects of performing. Dr. William Nolen talks about the debate over elective surgery.
Episode 88
Wed, Feb 1, 197890 mins
The comedy segment was Karnac the Magnificent. At the start of the next segment Johnny brought up semaphore flag signals and claimed to remember them from his days in the Navy. Challenged to demonstrate someone gave him two US flags. Johnny then started "The Star Spangled Banner", the band joined in, and the audience sang the song. This led to some chatting about the song and how difficult it was to sing. Gabe Kaplan first talked about how he was working days and evenings, the latter performing in Las Vegas. Since he had an upcoming show for children about museums he talked about how he's come to like visiting them and school field trips as a child - where his mother was always a chaperone. He also talked about the 25th anniversary show he did for ABC, which includes a clip of Johnny and Ed doing "Who Do You Trust?". He talked about his first jobs, which he got because he could drive other acts to the venue. He and Johnny talked about how the early jobs built experience and performing for relatives. Kaplan also discussed his work for Cystic Fibrosis fundraising. Cloris Leachman and Johnny talked about her work in the early days of TV. She talked about "High Anxiety" and showed a clip. She then talked about her 20 year old son making an album and doing some acting. She said when she was 20 she won a beauty contest that started her on the path to be an actress. Marcel Marceau talked about his US tour, and that he was founding a school and company in France to teach mime to the next generation. He talked about how he performs and said mime was a combination of acting and dance. The then performed two segments, without his usual make-up. He then taught Johnny a few mime skills.
Episode 188
Wed, Jun 21, 197890 mins
The comedy segment is Carnac the Magnificent. Tony Curtis talks about traveling in Japan, and his general preference for raw or lightly cooked food for health reasons. A clip from "The Bad News Bears Go to Japan" is shown. Curtis then discusses his need to research a role before he plays it. Steve Landesberg does a stand-up routine, and then tells more jokes during his interview segment. Bess Armstrong discusses her adjustments to living in Los Angeles. Merie Earle first discusses her recovery from a broken hip. She shows her diary from her first trip to California in 1937, and discusses some of the entries in it, along with other old memories.
Episode 193
Tue, Jun 27, 1978
The Carpenters perform 'Thank You for the Music', 'Superstar' 'Rainy Days and Mondays' and 'Goodbye to Love'.
Episode 209
Thu, Jul 20, 197890 mins
Donna Hois is a young woman who became an expert in the care and raising of pigs. She was raised in Chicago, and talks about transporting the pig she has brought to the show. Johnny restarts his debate with Ed regarding the intelligence of pigs and horses. They talk about the characteristics of pigs. Hois then brings out an average-size pig - 450 pounds. Bruce Jenner says he had two pigs in college for a short time. He also talks about doing celebrity tennis matches. He discusses training for the Olympics, and says it would have been worth the effort even if he had not won. He talks about expecting a child (his son Burt) and training in Lamaze to be involved in the birth. He then talks about preparing to co-host the 1980 Olympics, having signed with NBC; O.J. Simpson is to be one of the other co-hosts. Marilu Tolo talks about coming to the US - when she arrived 18 months before, she spoke no English, but now is fairly fluent. She talks about other differences between the US and Italy; compared to Rome, she finds American drivers very slow and cautious. Asked about men, she says American men are fascinating - she calls them "childish, pure, naive". Joe Williams performs "Young Man on the Way Up". Ray Johnson is a convicted felon who now works to reform convicts and to assist in robbery prevention. He says if you suspect a burglar in the house, the best strategy is to make noise. He also suggests a lock on the bedroom door as the last line of defense. He talks about life in prison, and adjusting when released. In prison he earned four cents per hour - one of the higher-paying jobs.
Episode 218
Wed, Aug 2, 197858 mins
Johnny presents advice on finding an ideal wife. Burt Reynolds (Hooper (1978)); Susan Sarandon (King of the Gypsies (1978)); Renn Woods performs; Andrew Tobias (book "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need").