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133 Episodes 1988 - 1989
Episode 1
Mon, Jan 4, 198890 mins
Episode 2
Wed, Jan 6, 198890 mins
Episode 3
Thu, Jan 7, 198841 mins
After looking over some unlikely new calendars for the new year, Johnny talks with Bette Davis about her recent career, including recent honors bestowed on her in France and at the White House with President Reagan. She also talks about working with Lillian Gish on the film "The Whales of August". Martin Short does several funny impersonations, including Jerry Lewis and Robin Williams.
Episode 4
Fri, Jan 8, 198860 mins
Episode 5
Mon, Jan 11, 198890 mins
Episode 6
Wed, Jan 13, 198890 mins
Episode 8
Thu, Jan 14, 198843 mins
The comedy segment is Johnny reading announcements for NBC affiliates, poking fun at various parts of the country; the bit falls so flat that Johnny gets through it as quickly as possible. Milton Berle talks a bit about his career in the earliest years of television, and says that he is approaching his 80th birthday; he tells a few jokes about married life at his age. He says that producing the first episode of his show in 1948 cost $15,000 - which would not pay for a guest star's appearance in modern times. He talks about his upcoming special, which shows scenes from his Texaco show that were in his personal archive. Several clips from the special, featuring Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Martin and Lewis, and Jack Benny, are shown. Finally, his new book on the Friars Club, "B.S. I Love You: Sixty Funny Years with the Famous and the Infamous", is briefly mentioned. Carol Siskind does a stand-up comedy routine. Don Yesso talks about working on "Frank's Place", the reaction to his acting, his unique accent that led to his lines being subtitled in one episode, and meeting Barbara Eden.
Episode 9
Fri, Jan 15, 198890 mins
Episode 11
Mon, Jan 18, 198890 mins
Episode 12
Wed, Jan 20, 198890 mins
Episode 13
Thu, Jan 21, 198890 mins
Episode 14
Fri, Jan 22, 198841 mins
Jim Fowler introduces a clip which shows him capturing an Andean condor, and then brings one out for Johnny to meet; he also comments on efforts to save the California condor. Fowler then displays three baby alligators - two of them rare white variants (not albinos), which would be unlikely to survive in the wild due to their lack of camouflage. Finally he shows a coypu (nutria), or South American swamp beaver, which differs from North American beavers in not having a flat tail; he brings out a second, larger one, and as the animals are meeting for the first time he is cautious about them having contact due to potential combativeness. Art Fern's Tea Time Movie segment follows, with Teresa Ganzel; Tommy makes a brief appearance as a man with a window implanted in his chest. Jim Nelson then performs a stand-up routine which includes various uses of balloons, and the introduction of a college football all-star team. Finally, Ganzel returns for a brief interview in which she comments on spending the recent New Year's Eve in Las Vegas and seeing Frank Sinatra perform.
Episode 15
Tue, Feb 2, 198890 mins
Episode 16
Wed, Feb 3, 198890 mins
Episode 17
Thu, Feb 4, 198890 mins
Episode 18
Fri, Feb 5, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is different Wheaties boxes for all possible outcomes of an event. Oprah Winfrey discusses some stories from her past. Daniel Rosen performs as a juggler. Sydney Walsh talks about life as an actress, being on the show "Hooperman", and her apartment and its lack of furnishings.
Episode 19
Wed, Feb 10, 198890 mins
Episode 20
Thu, Feb 11, 198890 mins
Episode 21
Fri, Feb 12, 198890 mins
Episode 22
Tue, Feb 16, 198890 mins
Episode 23
Wed, Feb 17, 198890 mins
Episode 24
Thu, Feb 18, 198890 mins
Episode 25
Fri, Feb 19, 198890 mins
Episode 26
Tue, Feb 23, 198890 mins
Episode 27
Wed, Feb 24, 198890 mins
Johnny answers questions from the audience; prompted by one question, he does a magic trick with a cigarette. The show is all guests who had been bumped from previous scheduled appearances. Ritch Shydner, Rita Rudner, and Darryl Sivad all do stand-up comedy routines; none are interviewed by Johnny afterward. For Rudner and Sivad, it is their first actual appearance on "The Tonight Show"; Shydner had appeared before. Fred Roggin is a local sportscaster who was supposed to show funny clips, but due to lack of time he just comes out and chats briefly about the Olympics. Johnny then has all the guests come out for a brief congratulatory chat.
Episode 28
Thu, Feb 25, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is the "Tele-Scam Home Shopping Club", with Teresa Ganzel as the co-host; items offered include a ring in the form of a Coke bottle, an educational globe with national foods attached, and a juicer shaped like Jamie Farr's head. Eddie Edwards is the only member of the British Olympic ski jump team. He has been ski jumping for only two years, as there are no facilities in the UK, but has been doing other types of skiing much longer. His first day at the Olympics was hectic, as his flight arrived a day and a half late - causing him to miss two of his three test runs; his credentials were then locked in the hilltop cabin, making him an hour and a half late for his press conference - which he couldn't get into because no one believed he looked like an athlete. He came in last of 58 competitors, but set a new British record - breaking his own mark. He describes how other countries' teams helped him as he trained - the Swiss gave him new skis, the Italians gave him a helmet and goggles (after watching his helmet, attached by a string, come off during multiple runs), and other teams gave him a ski suit and coaching tips. He recalls competing in Finland, where other skiers helped arrange lodging for him in a mental hospital in order to avoid the 20-mile commute from his host family's residence. He hopes to compete in future Olympics. Burt Reynolds talks a bit about what sports he watches. He says he is working on his autobiography, but it will not be a "kiss and tell" book. Johnny shows a clip from Reynolds' earlier picture "The End", dubbed into Italian. Then a clip from his new film "Switching Channels" is shown. Reynolds says that since Johnny got married, he will get married within a year, and offers a $10,000 bet. (He married Loni Anderson two months later.) Teresa Ganzel comes out and says this is the 25th time she has been on to do a sketch. She brings Johnny a "silver anniversary" gift: silverware from the NBC commissary.
Episode 29
Fri, Feb 26, 198890 mins
Episode 30
Mon, Mar 7, 198890 mins
Episode 32
Wed, May 11, 198890 mins
Episode 33
Thu, May 12, 198841 mins
Dana Carvey (Saturday Night Live (1975)); Joe Garagiola (book "It's Anybody's Ballgame"); CalArts film students David Teitelbaum and Jack Saltzberg talk about crashing the red carpet at the Academy Awards by posing as reporters.
Episode 34
Fri, May 13, 198890 mins
Episode 35
Wed, May 18, 198890 mins
Episode 36
Thu, May 19, 198890 mins
Johnny conducts an audience feedback questionnaire. Jonathan Winters (book "Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual", Moon Over Parador (1988)); 11-year-old Texas college freshman Kristen Banerjee.
Episode 36
Thu, May 19, 198890 mins
Johnny conducts an audience feedback questionnaire. Jonathan Winters (book "Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual", Moon Over Parador (1988)); 11-year-old Texas college freshman Kristen Banerjee.
Episode 37
Fri, May 20, 198890 mins
Episode 38
Wed, May 25, 198890 mins
Episode 39
Thu, May 26, 198843 mins
There is no comedy segment. John Suter completed the Alaskan Iditarod race using poodles instead of huskies. He talks about the Standard Poodles as sled dogs (they are larger than poodles commonly kept as pets) and how he got the idea. Chevy Chase talks about his former job as a head counselor at Camp Tamakwa in Ontario, teaching canoeing, tennis, and other activities. He also mentions that he didn't do a "Vacation" movie in Australia due to his fear of poisonous spiders and snakes, after Eric Idle told him about the country's funnel-web spiders. He talks about his current film "Funny Farm" and the competition with new films from Sylvester Stallone and Paul Hogan; Chase says that Stallone is unfairly criticized, in spite of the great popularity of his movies. A clip from "Funny Farm" is shown. Johnny then asks about a recent Playboy interview in which Chase was thought to be criticizing Dan Aykroyd and the women from the original "Saturday Night Live"; Chase says his comments were misinterpreted and selectively edited. Thalassa Cruso has been appearing on The Tonight Show for 20 years. She demonstrates pruning a geranium down to a single stalk so it will grow tall with a large plume. She then demonstrates transferring it to a smaller pot, and also warns against overwatering. Johnny's mistakes and rushed, clumsy technique draw her ongoing irritation. Bill Maher is scheduled to appear, but does not due to lack of time.
Episode 40
Fri, May 27, 198890 mins
Episode 41
Mon, May 30, 198890 mins
Episode 42
Tue, May 31, 198890 mins
Episode 43
Wed, Jun 1, 198890 mins
Episode 44
Thu, Jun 2, 198890 mins
Episode 45
Fri, Jun 3, 198890 mins
Episode 46
Mon, Jun 6, 198890 mins
Episode 47
Wed, Jun 8, 198890 mins
Episode 48
Thu, Jun 9, 198842 mins
For the comedy segment, Johnny reads jokes submitted to a USA Today contest during the writers' strike; out of about 600 responses, more than half were either ethnic jokes or jokes about body parts. The ones he reads are generally either puns, riddles, or jokes about animals; the last joke is a submission from West Germany in fractured English. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he is fine with people making jokes about him, and talks about his recent Friar's Club roast; he feels he has a great sense of humor, so he tries to put some comedy in his films. He then talks about his current film "Red Heat", comments on filming in Red Square, and mentions that he is working on "Twins" with Danny DeVito. He talks about working with dialect coach Robert Easton for three months to learn the pages of Russian dialogue for "Red Heat", and a clip from the movie is shown. Jerry Seinfeld does a stand-up comedy routine about horses. During his interview, he talks about his young nephew but says he is not ready for a family of his own. He also talks about his Clio Award nomination for a commercial, and comments on movie posters and billboards. Tennis star Andre Agassi is just 18 years old, but is coming off the French Open semifinals; Johnny projects him as a future champion. Agassi talks about hitting with Jimmy Connors as a young child. He says he didn't go to Wimbledon because he couldn't dress as he preferred. He also says he needs to get some rest.
Episode 49
Fri, Jun 10, 198890 mins
Episode 50
Mon, Jun 13, 198890 mins
Episode 51
Wed, Jun 15, 198890 mins
Episode 52
Thu, Jun 16, 198890 mins
Episode 53
Fri, Jun 17, 198890 mins
Episode 54
Mon, Jun 20, 198890 mins
Episode 55
Wed, Jun 22, 198890 mins
Comedian Jay Leno talks about riding motorcycles, his constant travel and his parents' apprehensions about technology; Raquel Welch (Right to Die (1987)); Garbage Truck Driver of the Year Ray Anderson of Seattle.
Episode 56
Thu, Jun 23, 198890 mins
Episode 57
Fri, Jun 24, 198890 mins
Episode 58
Mon, Jun 27, 198890 mins
Episode 59
Tue, Jun 28, 198890 mins
Episode 60
Wed, Jun 29, 198890 mins
Episode 61
Thu, Jun 30, 198890 mins
Episode 62
Fri, Jul 1, 198890 mins
Episode 63
Mon, Jul 18, 198890 mins
Episode 64
Wed, Jul 20, 198890 mins
Dead Rabbit joke. Uses for a Garfield doll. David Steinberg; Comic Jake Johannsen; Author and Comedienne Susie Essman; (first appearance after three tries). Thursday January 5, 1989
Episode 65
Thu, Jul 21, 198890 mins
Episode 66
Fri, Jul 22, 198890 mins
Episode 67
Mon, Jul 25, 198890 mins
Episode 68
Wed, Jul 27, 198890 mins
Episode 69
Thu, Jul 28, 198890 mins
Episode 70
Fri, Jul 29, 198890 mins
Episode 71
Mon, Aug 1, 198890 mins
Episode 73
Wed, Aug 3, 198890 mins
Episode 74
90 mins
Episode 75
Fri, Aug 5, 198890 mins
Episode 76
Mon, Aug 8, 198890 mins
Episode 77
Tue, Aug 9, 198890 mins
Episode 78
Wed, Aug 10, 198890 mins
Episode 79
Thu, Aug 11, 198890 mins
Episode 80
Fri, Aug 12, 198890 mins
Episode 81
Mon, Aug 22, 198890 mins
Episode 82
Wed, Aug 24, 198843 mins
Johnny polls the audience on the upcoming election, and audience members fill in as convention delegates. George Carlin (George Carlin: What Am I Doing in New Jersey? (1988)) performs stand-up and is interviewed; Mark Harmon (Stealing Home (1988)).
Episode 83
Thu, Aug 25, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is various types of phobias. Karen and Sarah Jacobson are identical twins who are competing in the upcoming Olympics in synchronized swimming. They talk about the sport and how much time they spend training (6-7 hours a day) and demonstrate some synchronized moves on the stage with accompaniment by the band. Jonathan Winters and Johnny talk about miscellaneous topics such as learning to swim and getting a haircut. Then Winters talks about the animals he keeps at home. This is followed by his experiences in the Marine Corps. Then, at Johnny's urging, he talks about his first experiences with women. Brooke Adams' appearance is postponed.
Episode 85
Mon, Aug 29, 198890 mins
Episode 86
Wed, Aug 31, 198890 mins
Episode 87
Thu, Sep 1, 198890 mins
Episode 88
Fri, Sep 2, 198890 mins
Episode 89
Mon, Sep 5, 198890 mins
Episode 90
Wed, Sep 7, 198890 mins
Episode 91
Thu, Sep 8, 198890 mins
Episode 92
Fri, Sep 9, 198890 mins
Episode 93
Mon, Sep 12, 198890 mins
Episode 94
Wed, Sep 14, 198890 mins
Episode 95
Thu, Sep 15, 198854 mins
Episode 96
Mon, Oct 10, 198890 mins
Episode 97
Wed, Oct 12, 198890 mins
Episode 98
Thu, Oct 13, 198890 mins
Episode 99
Fri, Oct 14, 198890 mins
Following the previous night's second presidential debate, Johnny takes his third poll of the audience on the coming election. After that, the comedy segment is vanity license plates for celebrities. Sandy Duncan talks about how being on the show with Johnny makes her nervous, and she and Johnny talk about how they behave differently on TV than in their daily lives. She also talks about receiving an award from her hometown of Tyler, Texas; Johnny mentions that he's about to visit his Nebraska hometown. Steve Mittleman does a stand-up comedy routine. Irv Kupcinet is a Chicago newspaper columnist who also hosted a TV talk show for many years. He has written his autobiography, and tells some stories from hosting his own show.
Episode 100
Mon, Oct 17, 198890 mins
Episode 101
Wed, Oct 19, 198890 mins
Episode 102
Thu, Oct 20, 198890 mins
Episode 103
Fri, Oct 21, 198890 mins
Episode 104
Mon, Oct 31, 198890 mins
Episode 105
Wed, Nov 2, 198890 mins
Johnny conducts his final audience poll on the upcoming presidential election. The comedy segment is propositions on the ballot in various states in the upcoming election; Johnny takes the mild audience reaction in stride. Jonathan Zachary is a 13-year-old reporter on a PBS children's news show. He explained how he became involved, beginning with print journalism. He spent a day with the Bush campaign, has interviewed vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle and First Lady Nancy Reagan, and has visited the West Bank in the Middle East. He admits that the job interferes with his schoolwork. He doesn't plan on a career in journalism, but sees it as a way to learn about other topics. He says that for Halloween, he tried to dress as a giant condom, but the garbage bag he used didn't fit too well. Johnny first asks Christopher Reeve about when he was thirteen - Reeve was interested in theater and used that to attract dates. He comments on being recognized on the streets in New York City while doing research for his movie "Street Smart". He then talks about his TV movie "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story." He talks about filming in Yugoslavia, saying they have just one car and two colors (blue and gray), and greasy food; a local Elvis impersonator performed at the cast party. A clip is then shown. Melanie Mayron of "Thirtysomething" makes her first appearance on "The Tonight Show" after being bumped a few weeks before. She talks about wanting to be a stand-up comic when she was young; she recently did her first stand-up monologue at an improvisation show. She recalls being in acting classes with Reeve early in their careers. She talks about her poodle, and unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to have puppies.
Episode 107
Thu, Nov 3, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is combined ad slogans, supposedly from billboards in the process of being changed over. Michael J. Fox talks about filming "Casualties of War" in Thailand. He also discusses his recent marriage. He talks about it being the last season for "Family Ties", and a clip from the series is shown. Larry Miller does a stand-up routine about the different levels of drinking. Harry Lorayne, who had been on The Tonight Show twenty-one times when it was based in New York, talks about ways to improve memory. He says memory doesn't have to deteriorate with age. He does a demonstration reciting the names of many audience members.
Episode 108
Fri, Nov 4, 198890 mins
For the comedy segment, Johnny has issues of "Politicsboy" (based on Playboy) with centerfolds of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. He reads little-known facts from the data sheet for George Bush, Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle. James Garner talks about his quadruple bypass and aortal aneurysm surgeries, and reads from "The Portable Curmudgeon", which he raves about (Garner would eventually enlist its author, Jon Winokur, to co-write his 2011 memoir "The Garner Files"); he notes that Mac Davis' wife Lise, who was one of his nurses, and Bob Newhart both gave him copies of the book during his recuperation. He also talks about changing his diet to be healthier. Jeff Cesario does a stand-up comedy routine. Park Overall talks about growing up in the South, telling how she used to have a pet crow and a pet cow. She keeps calling Johnny "sir".
Episode 109
Wed, Nov 9, 198890 mins
Episode 110
Thu, Nov 10, 198890 mins
Episode 111
Fri, Nov 11, 198890 mins
Episode 112
Mon, Nov 14, 198890 mins
Episode 113
Wed, Nov 16, 198890 mins
Episode 114
Thu, Nov 17, 198890 mins
Episode 115
Fri, Nov 18, 198890 mins
Episode 116
Mon, Nov 21, 198890 mins
Episode 117
Wed, Nov 23, 198890 mins
Episode 118
Thu, Nov 24, 198890 mins
Episode 119
Fri, Nov 25, 198890 mins
Episode 120
Mon, Nov 28, 198890 mins
Episode 121
Tue, Nov 29, 198890 mins
Episode 122
Wed, Nov 30, 198890 mins
Episode 123
Thu, Dec 1, 198890 mins
Episode 124
Fri, Dec 2, 198890 mins
Episode 125
Mon, Dec 5, 198890 mins
Episode 126
Wed, Dec 7, 198890 mins
Episode 127
Thu, Dec 8, 198890 mins
Episode 128
Fri, Dec 9, 198842 mins
Johnny reveals to audience members if they were naughty or nice. Danny DeVito shares that Arnold Schwarzenegger trained with Milton Berle for their film "Twins." Director Richard Benjamin promotes "My Stepmother Is an Alien," and claims to be unaware that both films are opening that evening.
Episode 129
Mon, Dec 12, 198890 mins
Episode 130
Wed, Dec 14, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is letters to Santa that have been received by the Post Office, with information to contact the PO if one wishes to help the less fortunate. (This was an annual segment on the show.) Steve Jenne comes out with a sandwich partially eaten by Richard Nixon, which he saved from a campaign stop in September 1960; he was a 14-year-old Boy Scout at the time. He relates the details of how he got it and saved it. At the end, another sandwich is brought out, and after Johnny takes a bite it is given to Jenne to add to his collection. Steve Martin talks about doing the play "Waiting for Godot" and his film "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". A clip from the movie is shown. After Martin says that he doesn't believe in Christmas, Santa comes out to confront his disbelief. Helen Shaver discusses that she recently had a child, and then got married. Her husband also worked on "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".
Episode 131
Thu, Dec 15, 198890 mins
The comedy segment is telling audience members about eccentric distant relatives, with photos. Bob Hope comes out to promote his upcoming Christmas special. He says the first Christmas show he did was in 1948, at a base for the Berlin Airlift. A clip from the upcoming special is shown. At Johnny's urging he tells some stories from growing up; when he was a paperboy, one customer was John D. Rockefeller Sr. He also describes his brief career as a boxer. Jimmy Tingle does a stand-up comedy routine. Ellen Greene talks about her recent career, and then talks about problems she has recently had involving her pet turtle. She had been scheduled to sing, but the show runs out of time.
Episode 132
Fri, Dec 16, 198890 mins
Episode 133
Mon, Dec 26, 198890 mins
Episode 134
Wed, Dec 28, 198890 mins
Johnny reads specialty Christmas cards. Catherine Hicks (Child's Play (1988)); Franklyn Ajaye performs stand-up; 100-year-old bowler "Papa" John Venturello.
Episode 135
Fri, Dec 30, 198890 mins
Episode 137
Thu, Oct 6, 198890 mins
Episode 138
Thu, Dec 29, 198890 mins
Episode 238
Thu, Sep 7, 198943 mins
The comedy segment is Johnny announcing various unclaimed property (accounts abandoned at banks, etc.) using the names of audience members. James Stewart first talks about his trip to Africa and the destruction of elephants. He then talks about publishing a book of his poems, and reads one about a dog he had as a pet. Jim Fowler brings out several types of turtles. He then shows a baby python before he (and assistants) show a python that had been found living under a house in Florida. It is over 20 feet long and weighs over 200 pounds. An inventor, who had been bumped twice already, has his scheduled appearance postponed again due to lack of time.
Episode 252
Wed, Sep 27, 198942 mins
The comedy segment is messages from home for audience members. Florence Hodges is a 93-year-old who volunteers at the hospital in Dothan, Alabama seven days a week for at least eight hours a day. She talks about her hospital work and other topics. She has 7 children, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren were 53 at last count. Larry Miller does a stand-up routine about how men and women see each other. Jason Bateman talks about his relationship with his girlfriend and buying a new house. He also describes being in Paris to film an episode of "The Hogan Family".