The Tonight Show/Funny

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Part of The Tonight Show‍'‍s reputation was built from just having fun.


Steve Allen (1953-57)

  • (Nothing as of yet, but here just in case.)


Jack Paar (1957-62)

  • (Nothing as of yet, but here just in case.)


Johnny Carson (1962-92)

  • 1965: Supposedly, the longest continual laughter in live TV goes to a Carson Tonight episode. His guest was actor/singer Ed Ames, who claimed that in the course of his work he had learned how to throw a tomahawk. Carson produced a human outline on a board, and Ames lobbed the tomahawk at it. It hit the board successfully, but slammed in right at the figure's crotch, starting the thunderous laughter. When the laughter started to die down, Carson quipped "I didn't even know you were Jewish!" starting it all up again. (Even funnier still was Carson's followup remark: "Welcome to Frontier Bris!")
  • 1968: The Dragnet parody with Carson and Jack Webb. "Clean copper clappers."
  • 1969: George Gobel's appearance, put in the impossible position of having to follow Bob Hope and Dean Martin. "Did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?"
  • November 1979: Prior to Thanksgiving, Johnny talked with Doc Severinsen about their respective plans for the holiday. Before long the two of them had each other, and the audience, in stitches.
  • "I have certain guidelines, but I would give about a year's pay to peek under there." (...Which added fuel to the fire of the Zsa Zsa Gabor Pussy Cat Urban Legend.)
  • All of his pie skits, particularly this one:

Johnny: (in a commercial parody) Hi. Do you mind if I talk to you for just a minute? I just want to say a few words about Diarrhea - *SPLAT* *SPLAT* *SPLAT*


Jay Leno (1992-2009/2010-Present)


Conan O'Brien (2009-10)

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