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184 Episodes 0 - 1992
Episode 1
Tue, Oct 8, 199190 mins
Episode 2
Wed, Oct 9, 199190 mins
Episode 3
Thu, Oct 10, 199190 mins
Carnac the Magnificent makes his final appearance. Carl Reiner comments on traveling in France and recalls sketches from Your Show of Shows (1950); Destiny performs stand-up; 103-year-old Mike Zele of Van Nuys discusses his approach to life.
Episode 4
Fri, Oct 11, 199190 mins
Episode 5
Mon, Oct 14, 199190 mins
Episode 6
Tue, Oct 15, 199190 mins
Episode 7
Wed, Oct 16, 199190 mins
Episode 8
Thu, Oct 17, 199190 mins
Episode 9
Fri, Oct 18, 199190 mins
Episode 10
Sat, Oct 19, 199190 mins
Episode 11
Tue, Oct 29, 199190 mins
Episode 12
Wed, Oct 30, 199190 mins
Episode 13
Thu, Oct 31, 199190 mins
Episode 14
Fri, Nov 1, 199190 mins
Episode 15
Tue, Nov 5, 199190 mins
Episode 16
Wed, Nov 6, 199190 mins
Episode 17
Thu, Nov 7, 199139 mins
The comedy segment is collectible memorabilia of celebrities. Patrick Duffy says "The Tonight Show" was the first talk show he ever did, when Johnny had made many jokes about his show "Man from Atlantis". They then talk about Duffy's frugality; calling it recycling now makes it seem noble. Jeff Foxworthy does a stand-up comedy routine. Sitting down briefly with Johnny, he tells jokes from his book "You Might Be a Redneck". He also talks about being from the South.
Episode 18
Fri, Nov 8, 199138 mins
Johnny answers questions from the audience. George Segal (For the Boys (1991)); Penelope Ann Miller (Other People's Money (1991)); Drew Carey performs stand-up.
Episode 19
Tue, Nov 12, 199190 mins
Episode 20
Wed, Nov 13, 199190 mins
Johnny presents updated nursery rhymes. Glenn Close (Meeting Venus (1991)); Tim Allen (Home Improvement (1991)) performs stand-up and is interviewed. Also: Buddy Guy performs.
Episode 21
Thu, Nov 14, 199190 mins
Johnny looks at network slogans. George Burns (book "Wisdom of the 90s"); director Barry Levinson (Bugsy (1991)). Also: Patricia Kaas performs.
Episode 22
Fri, Nov 15, 199190 mins
Episode 23
Tue, Nov 19, 199190 mins
Episode 24
Wed, Nov 20, 199190 mins
Episode 25
Thu, Nov 21, 199190 mins
Episode 26
Fri, Nov 22, 199190 mins
Episode 27
Mon, Nov 25, 199190 mins
Episode 28
Tue, Nov 26, 199190 mins
Episode 29
Wed, Nov 27, 199190 mins
Episode 30
Thu, Nov 28, 199190 mins
Episode 31
Fri, Nov 29, 199190 mins
Episode 32
Tue, Dec 3, 199190 mins
Episode 33
Wed, Dec 4, 199190 mins
Episode 34
Fri, Dec 6, 199160 mins
Episode 35
Tue, Dec 10, 199190 mins
Episode 36
Wed, Dec 11, 199190 mins
Episode 37
Thu, Dec 12, 199190 mins
Episode 38
Fri, Dec 13, 199190 mins
Episode 39
Tue, Dec 17, 199190 mins
Episode 40
Wed, Dec 18, 199190 mins
Episode 41
Thu, Dec 19, 199190 mins
Episode 42
Fri, Dec 20, 199190 mins
Johnny and Doc debate the pronunciation of "poinsettia", and Johnny comments on the final Christmas season for the show. The comedy segment is questions from the audience. Jonathan Winters tells stories and jokes, jumping from topic to topic. He claims to have travelled by dog sled from Alaska to Oregon, and displays his Native American gloves. He then comments on Christmas parties and gifts, and does some characters on the holiday theme, including a recollection of a Maude Frickert sketch, much to Johnny's amusement. Bonnie Hunt first tells of visiting Winters' house, where he did several characters' voices and frisked her before letting her in. She talks about working with him on "Davis Rules" and how she has to improvise, since he doesn't follow the script. She says her husband still lives in Chicago while she lives on the West Coast. She recalls her childhood impulses toward performing, and being a nurse before going into show business, noting that she still volunteers as one during time off. Joe Williams performs a medley of Christmas songs. Sitting down briefly with Johnny, he says he had never done any Christmas albums until the two he released this year, and needed to work at learning the lyrics.
Episode 43
Mon, Dec 30, 199190 mins
Episode 44
Tue, Dec 31, 199190 mins
Episode 45
Wed, Jan 1, 199290 mins
Episode 46
Thu, Jan 2, 199290 mins
Episode 47
Fri, Jan 3, 199290 mins
Episode 48
Tue, Jan 7, 199290 mins
Episode 49
Wed, Jan 8, 199290 mins
Episode 50
Thu, Jan 9, 199290 mins
Episode 51
Fri, Jan 10, 199241 mins
The comedy segment is questions from the audience. David Steinberg analyzes presidents and the presidential candidates, compared to the Three Stooges. Drew Carey does a stand-up routine. Regis Philbin discusses various aspects of his career, including working with Kathie Lee Gifford on their morning show.
Episode 52
Tue, Jan 14, 199290 mins
Episode 53
Wed, Jan 15, 199290 mins
Episode 54
Thu, Jan 16, 199241 mins
The comedy segment is differences between men and women, inspired by a Time magazine article. Keenen Ivory Wayans talks about his first appearance on "The Tonight Show" in 1983 doing stand-up, and how meaningful it was since he grew up watching the show. He talks about about his show "In Living Color", and how they get complaints over things that one wouldn't expect to be controversial. He also talks about censorship of the show, and how it is inconsistent since there are no real rules. He briefly talks about the special show they are going to do during the Super Bowl halftime. Jimmy Brogan does a stand-up comedy routine. During his interview he says that he has not had any other jobs - he has been a comic since age 8. He then talks about his dream of being a "Jeopardy" contestant. Siskel and Ebert then come out. Roger Ebert first talks about his upcoming marriage, his first, at age 50; his fiancee is an attorney who likes movies as much as he does. Asked how many movies they see each year, Gene Siskel says about 300. He says that he gets tired of the bad movies, and those that don't try, but a really good movie - he names "Grand Canyon" - makes it worthwhile. They also say that critics have an impact on films the public doesn't know much about, but not something like a "Dirty Harry" picture since the public already knows what to expect. They then talk about the Academy Awards and why some pictures get overlooked. When asked who/what should get nominated, they mention Laura Dern in "Rambling Rose" and Wesley Snipes in "New Jack City", as well as "Grand Canyon". They decry that musicals aren't made anymore; Ebert predicts that musicals will be remade as animated films. They predict that "Bugsy" will win Best Picture, though they think other films are more deserving.
Episode 55
Fri, Jan 17, 199290 mins
Episode 56
Tue, Jan 21, 199290 mins
Episode 57
Tue, Jan 28, 199290 mins
Episode 58
Wed, Jan 29, 199290 mins
There is not any particular item for the comedy segment. First, two audience members at the back of the theater good-naturedly complain that later arrivals got better seats, so Johnny has them moved to chairs in front of the audience. He chats with Doc about Ed's absence due to being ill, and about Doc's health - as he's also been under the weather, but is quite gleeful about the prescription he's received. Then another pair in the audience yell out and get moved up; Johnny expresses mock irritation, but decides to end the audience shuffling. Melanie Griffith makes her first (and only) appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny. She says she is nervous since she has been watching the show since she was 9, about 25 years ago; she first watched with her aunt because she misheard Johnny's name as Johnny Crawford, who she liked on "The Rifleman", but liked Johnny so much that she kept watching. She talks about her marriages to Don Johnson, over ten years apart, and explains how their daughter Dakota's name was chosen after a friend planned to use it for her own baby. She then describes her family excitedly meeting President George Bush while skiing in Colorado with Jill St. John. She talks about her film "Shining Through", and a clip is shown. She also says she is going to San Francisco to watch Johnson play in a golf tournament. Tim Allen does a stand-up comedy routine. During his interview, he said he hires people to work on his home, and notes their exasperation with his enthusiastic ignorance about tools and materials. He also talks about being recognized as a celebrity as he travels. William Wegman shows his photos of Weimariners, and talks about his dogs and how he made the photos; Johnny shows three of his older videos from the late 1960s and early 1970s, including a spelling lesson for a dog.
Episode 59
Thu, Jan 30, 199290 mins
Episode 60
Fri, Jan 31, 199290 mins
Johnny looks at NASA's zero-gravity experiments. Kevin Bacon (JFK (1991)); Wayne Cotter performs stand-up; Amanda Plummer (The Fisher King (1991)).
Episode 61
Tue, Feb 4, 199290 mins
Episode 62
Wed, Feb 5, 199290 mins
Episode 63
Thu, Feb 6, 199290 mins
Episode 64
Fri, Feb 7, 199290 mins
Episode 65
Tue, Feb 11, 199290 mins
Episode 66
Thu, Feb 13, 199290 mins
Episode 67
Fri, Feb 14, 199290 mins
Episode 68
Tue, Feb 18, 199290 mins
Episode 69
Wed, Feb 19, 199290 mins
Episode 70
Thu, Feb 20, 199290 mins
Episode 71
Fri, Feb 21, 199260 mins
The comedy segment is questions from the audience. Elizabeth Taylor makes her first appearance on The Tonight Show, and congratulates Johnny on 30 years. She talks about her upcoming 60th birthday party at a Disney park, recalling that she and Grace Kelly went to each other's 40th birthday parties. She also comments on how much she has survived in life, and how that has fed into the public fascination with her. She and Johnny joke about marriage and the number of unions they have been in, and she talks about her new marriage of four months; she notes that all of her husbands have been about 40 years old, regardless of how old she was. Taylor then discusses her reluctance to perform before a live audience, as opposed to a camera, and says that is why she has not been on the show before. Asked about her friendship with Michael Jackson - at whose ranch she was married - she says they actually have a lot in common, having started young and not having had a real childhood; they are also both very shy, and love animals. She recalls how she learned the value of herself as a commodity when, at age 15, she told off Louis B. Mayer (and refused to apologize) but wasn't fired. When asked the most exciting gift she ever received, she says the studio gave her the horse from National Velvet; she kept it until it died, when she was 24. Michael Douglas met Taylor and Richard Burton at age 13 when they were taking their yacht past Connecticut. Recalling that his father Kirk used to appear on The Tonight Show while Michael was a teenager, he says he often pretended to be a guest on the show while sitting in the bathroom. His first time being booked on the show was in 1971, but he was bumped the first time. Asked which famous people he's never met but would like to, he mentions Marlon Brando and Katharine Hepburn. He talks a bit about his father, noting that unlike most professions, people are critical if he's too similar to his father; he says he's trying to find a project in which they can work together. He also says that Kirk is often surprised when people ask if he's jealous of his son's success. Douglas then notes that his upcoming film "Basic Instinct" had 47 seconds edited to get an R rating, though audiences can see the unedited version in Europe. Then he comments on the new film "Radio Flyer", which he produced. Linda Hopkins does not appear due to lack of time.
Episode 72
Mon, Feb 24, 199290 mins
Episode 73
Tue, Feb 25, 199290 mins
Episode 74
Wed, Feb 26, 199290 mins
Episode 75
Thu, Feb 27, 199290 mins
Episode 76
Fri, Feb 28, 199290 mins
Episode 78
Tue, Mar 3, 199290 mins
Episode 79
Wed, Mar 4, 199290 mins
Episode 80
Thu, Mar 5, 199290 mins
Episode 81
Fri, Mar 6, 199290 mins
Episode 82
Tue, Mar 10, 199290 mins
Episode 83
Wed, Mar 11, 199290 mins
Episode 84
Thu, Mar 12, 199240 mins
The comedy segment is letters from elementary school children offering advice to Johnny after he retires from "The Tonight Show" (this show being his 30th from the last). Burt Reynolds first talks about hosting the Orange Bowl Parade. Johnny mentions that Reynolds has been a guest on "The Tonight Show" 61 times; Reynolds recalls that he got his role in "Deliverance" after the director saw him guest hosting the show, with his ex-wife as a guest. Reynolds also says that anything good he got in show business was due to his association with "The Tonight Show". A clip is shown from a 1974 appearance in which Reynolds and Carson sprayed whipped cream on each other. (Dom DeLuise was in the clip.) Afterwards Reynolds brings out more whipped cream for a few more hijinks, including spraying some down Ed's pants. Pete Barbutti does a stand-up comedy routine. Ahmad Rashad first tells about an evening he spent out drinking with Johnny in Paris several years before. He then talks about playing tennis with John McEnroe and his experiences as a sportscaster. Reynolds recalls a night out drinking with quarterback Joe Kapp which resulted in their being arrested. Johnny then asks Rashad's opinion about current pro sports and salaries. Rashad also talks a little bit about the upcoming Olympics, which he will be broadcasting. Finally he talks about a recent audition for a sitcom role.
Episode 85
Fri, Mar 13, 199290 mins
Episode 86
Tue, Mar 17, 199290 mins
Episode 87
Wed, Mar 18, 199290 mins
Episode 88
Thu, Mar 19, 199290 mins
Episode 89
Fri, Mar 20, 199290 mins
The comedy segment is Johnny asking the audience questions about the show in the spirit of an exit poll for the political season. Woody Harrelson talks about Carson's upcoming retirement, the planned final season of "Cheers", and traveling to India, and shows a clip from his film "White Men Can't Jump". Blake Clark does a stand-up comedy routine, and in a brief interview talks about his film "Shakes the Clown". Cathy Guisewite, the cartoonist of the strip "Cathy", gives her take on Carson's upcoming retirement, and talks about various aspects of male-female relationships and other sides of women, including spring romances and attitudes towards clothes and hairstyles. She also presents Johnny with one of her strips, which she thinks reflects how women view him.
Episode 90
Mon, Mar 23, 199290 mins
Episode 91
Tue, Mar 24, 199290 mins
Episode 92
Wed, Mar 25, 199290 mins
Episode 93
Thu, Mar 26, 199290 mins
Episode 94
Fri, Mar 27, 199290 mins
Episode 95
Tue, Mar 31, 199290 mins
Episode 96
Wed, Apr 1, 199290 mins
Episode 97
Thu, Apr 2, 199290 mins
Johnny welcomes an audience filled with the owners and managers of NBC's affiliates, and draws one of their names (John Carpenter of New Orleans) to award him an old prop from the show, a "Swiss Army Wife". Johnny then discusses how voters in a Florida county settled on an extensive definition of "buttocks" for an ordinance on skimpy bikinis, and suggests alternative definitions. Craig T. Nelson recalls that his first television appearance was as a member of the comedy troupe The Third Bananas, who appeared on The Tonight Show 19 years earlier. He notes that the appearance was disastrous, with Johnny telling them to never come back; the troupe included not only Nelson but also Barry Levinson and Rudy De Luca, with all three having previously written for Tim Conway's show (their manager was Wally Amos, who later founded Famous Amos cookies). Nelson then comments on attending a parent-teacher conference for his teenage son, noting his own nervousness upon recalling similar situations with his own father, and talks about his son's acting ambitions. He also talks about his auto racing hobby, noting that he recently won $40 in a race. Michael Crawford performs "The Music of the Night", then discusses the early stage mishaps in "Phantom of the Opera", and talks about now being widely recognized in public. He also talks about being cast in the movie "Hello, Dolly!" by Gene Kelly, who he found immensely intimidating as a dancer. Bob Costas discusses the upcoming broadcast of the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and talks about covering numerous sports and hosting his talk show which airs an hour after Johnny's. He recounts humorous, awkward incidents by baseball broadcasters including Vin Scully and several others, one of which involved a visit to the booth by Miss Cheesecake.
Episode 98
Fri, Apr 3, 199290 mins
Episode 99
Tue, Apr 7, 199290 mins
Episode 100
Wed, Apr 8, 199290 mins
Episode 101
Thu, Apr 9, 199290 mins
Episode 102
Fri, Apr 10, 199290 mins
El Mouldo (played by Johnny Carson) stops by to showcase psychic feats, but stops the sketch early, complaining of a headache. Johnny interviews Arnold Schwarzenegger about a TV film he directed, "Christmas in Connecticut". John Bowman performs stand-up. Little Village performs "She Runs Hot" and "Don't Bug Me When I'm Working".
Episode 103
Tue, Apr 14, 199290 mins
Episode 104
Wed, Apr 15, 199290 mins
Episode 105
Thu, Apr 16, 199290 mins
Episode 106
Fri, Apr 17, 199290 mins
Episode 107
Tue, Apr 28, 199290 mins
Episode 108
Wed, Apr 29, 199290 mins
Episode 109
Tue, May 5, 199290 mins
Episode 110
Wed, May 6, 199290 mins
Episode 111
Thu, May 7, 199290 mins
Episode 112
Fri, May 8, 199290 mins
Johnny explains that Jimmy Stewart had been scheduled as a guest, but wasn't feeling well and couldn't appear. With two weeks left before the final show, the comedy segment features clips of favorite sketches: First, Johnny as Reagan in a sketch from exactly 10 years earlier in 1982, in "Who's on First"-style wordplay with chief of staff Jim Baker; and then annoying commercials where the spokesperson gets hit with a pie in the face. Outtakes of the pie gags are also shown. Garry Shandling talks about Johnny's departure, and then his upcoming show "The Larry Sanders Show". Since the show is about a late night talk show host, he asks for Johnny's feedback about some plot ideas. Shandling then tells jokes and stories on several topics - politics, his girlfriend, growing old. George Foreman talks about his recent win in his fight against Alex Stewart, and mentions that he doesn't like the sight of blood. He also talks a bit about plans for the future, including acting.
Episode 113
Tue, May 12, 199290 mins
Episode 114
Wed, May 13, 199290 mins
Johnny recounts his dalliances with pro baseball, football and other daring acts over the years. Carlin does stand up and announces it is 105th appearance. Ullman tries to convince Johnny to try dramatic acting. Estefan does Nayib's Song.
Episode 115
Thu, May 14, 199290 mins
With about one week remaining before Johnny's last show, he talks about his friendship with Jack Webb, and being invited to his house to meet James Cagney. Then a clip from 1968 parodying "Dragnet" with Webb is shown. Michael Keaton talks about once being frozen speechless on stage when doing stand-up, and then about seeing himself in the advertising for "Batman Returns". He talks about going to parochial school growing up near Pittsburgh, and then the lack of attention to science in the popular media, noting his son's talent in that area. He also coaches his son's athletic teams. Martin Short talks about the first time he was on "The Tonight Show" with Bette Davis, and then about meeting people of whom he has done impressions, including Doug Henning. He also recalls his trips to Las Vegas with Paul Shaffer and his castmates from SCTV. Asked what impression he couldn't do, he tells of an awful "Saturday Night Live" sketch in which he tried to imitate Lucille Ball. He also says he had difficulty doing Paul Simon; he notes that he once got his Paul Anka impression right in only one take out of nine for a sketch, but the audience only sees the one that worked, so they thought he was better than he actually was. Teri Garr has an injured leg (her ankle is taped) but says she didn't want to miss this final appearance. She talks about the time she didn't want to appear on the show because she got a bad review which panned her singing. She and Johnny talk about their films that were not successful (his being "Looking for Love" with Connie Francis, hers being "Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood"). Asked about her personal life, she says Johnny is her longest successful relationship. Martin Short closes the show singing about Johnny, in the persona of an elderly cigar-chomping songwriter.
Episode 116
Fri, May 15, 199242 mins
The comedy segment features a clip from April 1990, a eulogy for a thesaurus writer. Clint Eastwood answers Johnny's questions about the Sergio Leone films, working with an orangutan, the Dirty Harry movies, and being mayor of Carmel. David Letterman talks about Johnny's retirement and achievements, and recalls how he first met Eastwood while working at a comedy club. He talks about his fellow passengers on the flight from New York, and also tells a humorous story about his dog eating spoiled meat. Bob Hope mentions receiving his 54th honorary degree (from the University of Rhode Island), and shows several clips from his upcoming special.
Episode 117
Tue, May 19, 199290 mins
Johnny replays numerous commercial parodies previously featured on the show: Range Top Stuffing, Johnny as Colonel Sanders, Johnny as Karl Malden in the hot tub, Old Splice, Yodel Hills Hospital, and Underalls. Two of the guests were also featured on the first episode of The Tonight Show from 1962: Mel Brooks and Tony Bennett; Jack Lemmon also guest stars.
Episode 118
Wed, May 20, 199260 mins
Episode 119
Thu, May 21, 199290 mins
Robin Williams and Bette Midler were the guests. As Johnny told Bette Midler some of his favorite songs, she sang "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)".
Episode 120
Fri, May 22, 199246 mins
May 22, 1992 was the last "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson as host. Carson presents a retrospective of clips covering the past 30 years. Carson says goodnight for the last time.
Episode 121
90 mins
Episode 122
90 mins
Episode 123
90 mins
Episode 124
90 mins
Episode 125
90 mins
Episode 126
90 mins
Episode 127
90 mins
Episode 128
90 mins
Episode 129
90 mins
Episode 130
90 mins
Episode 131
90 mins
Episode 132
90 mins
Episode 133
90 mins
Episode 134
90 mins
Episode 135
90 mins
Episode 136
90 mins
Episode 137
90 mins
Episode 138
90 mins
Episode 139
90 mins
Episode 140
90 mins
Episode 141
90 mins
Episode 142
90 mins
Episode 143
90 mins
Episode 144
90 mins
Episode 145
90 mins
Episode 146
90 mins
Episode 147
90 mins
Episode 148
90 mins
Episode 149
90 mins
Episode 150
90 mins
Episode 151
90 mins
Episode 152
90 mins
Episode 153
90 mins
Episode 154
90 mins
Episode 155
90 mins
Episode 156
90 mins
Episode 157
90 mins
Episode 158
90 mins
Episode 159
90 mins
Episode 160
90 mins
Episode 161
90 mins
Episode 162
90 mins
Episode 163
90 mins
Episode 164
90 mins
Episode 165
90 mins
Episode 166
90 mins
Episode 167
90 mins
Episode 168
90 mins
Episode 169
90 mins
Episode 170
90 mins
Episode 171
90 mins
Episode 172
90 mins
Episode 173
90 mins
Episode 174
90 mins
Episode 175
90 mins
Episode 176
90 mins
Episode 177
90 mins
Episode 178
90 mins
Episode 179
90 mins
Episode 180
90 mins
Episode 181
90 mins
Episode 182
90 mins
Episode 183
90 mins
Episode 184
90 mins
Episode 185
90 mins