Gee I Wonder Why Carson Didn't Do This For Leno?

[Dinger]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/01/tv.letterman.carson.ap/index.html

[Az_lefty]

1. I saw the show last night too. Seems JC was pretty tight with Dave.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. Because...

...Carson was miffed that Leno stepped into the Tonight Show upon his exit and "did not appropriately thank / acknowledge him" for his new job. He DID, but Carson expected more, and didn't get it.

There's more to it than that, and I'm too lazy to "Google" it, but that's essentially it. Some may think that Leno SHOULD have stepped out of Carson's shadow...QUICKLY, as he did at the time...but Letterman has constantly acknowledged Carson over the years, and I don't care WHAT they say about Carson "withdrawing from the public eye"...he LIKED it.

:toast:

[UdoKier]

4. It could just be that Dave is funny and an interesting person...

Whereas Leno, albeit a nice guy, is not especially funny, and strikes me as a pretty dull and unimaginative sort.

I had always hoped that Dave would take Johnny's place. Leno has turned the tonight show from a program for adults into a show for dullards and teeny-boopers. The "Jaywalking" segment is kinda cute, though...

[autorank]

3. Letterman is "cool;" Leno is a total dork...

Carson was a class guy and a genius. In the 60's pot heads and their parents both oved Carson. He was and will always be THE BEST. Why woudld someone of that quality associate himself with a third rater like Leno? The answer is, he wouldn't. I saw Dave list night, his tribute to Johnny. He did a monologue of all Carson jokes Johnny sent him. It was just great.

[aquart]

7. The monolog, sadly, is what I missed.

Damn!

[autorank]

9. So right. His friend on Dave last night said this was Carson's favorite

part of the show. God, he was soooo good. I dropped off watching for a few a while but then watched regularly for the last year (after he announced). That was just heaven. I've never bought any of those CD TV collections but I'm going to find a good one for Carson. Oh, his best friend, Peter Desaley says Carson was "a flaming liberal."

[question everything]

20. None of them can even be compared to Carson

and the fact that none have "guest hosts" when they are out, showing reruns, instead without ever identifying them as reruns. That is, until one gets a clue when, say, it is February and they talk about the party national convention..

Carson was secure enough to allow for guest hosts - that's how both Leno and Letterman got their shot at the national arena. Leno and Letterman are too insecure to allow that.

Both have idiotic segments. Leno with his "intern" and "jaywalking;" Letterman with his dropping pumpkins from the rooftop to explode them - or something like that. Or that poor assistant of him who reads letters..

[glarius]

5. As I remember it, Leno did some dirty work behind the scenes to get the

job when Johnny left....I don't remember the details, but it seems to me that Johnny was aware of this and didn't like Leno because of it...

[nostamj]

10. and, Johnny knew how to hold a grudge...

just ask Joan Rivers...

as for the scandal around hosting the Tonight Show, there was even a TV movie about it. can't remember any of the details but Leno's manager was a key player... again, can't remember her name...

[glarius]

12. I saw that TV movie.....according to the movie Leno's manager did a lot

of unethical things, with Leno knowing about them but pretending he didn't, so he could look squeaky clean...When he no longer needed her (although she had been with him for many years), he canned her to make himself look good....Leno came across as pretty sleezy.
P.S...The woman was played by Cathy Bates...

[drbtg1]

14. The movie was "The Late Shift"

It was on HBO and based on the book by Bill Carter of The NY Times. Mr. Carter interviewed all of the principles, including Mr. Leno, Mr. Letterman, and Mr. Carson. If you really want the whole story, I strongly recommend the book.

As for "he canned her to make himself look good", that's not quite the whole story. NBC was sick of Ms. Kushnick's crap and finally Leno took off the blinders after being told by NBC that if he keeps Kushnick, he loses the Tonight Show.

Leno may have been sleezy, but that was nothing compared to all the stuff NBC did to everybody.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116835/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0786889071/qid=1107281630/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-6091439-7368664?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[LiberallyInclined]

15. the dear departed helen kushnick

played by kathy bates in "the late shift"...

[WI_DEM]

6. that joke about Bush throwing away his national guard "spotty

attendance record" is a gem.

[Shopaholic]

8. It was a classy show--

It was a funny & sweet tribute to Carson. Letterman is a class act all the way. Leno's a chump.

[9119495]

11. This is interesting. How scientific are ratings?

I don't know more than three people who watch Leno whereas all my friends prefer Letterman. I filled out a ratings survey once and I really did not watch much TV. I lied about the shows I watched by writing in the ones I liked whther I watched them that week or not. How do we really know more people watch Leno when so few appear to like him. Letterman by contrast is like a father figure to some of his viewers.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

13. I know alot of people who like Leno better than letterman

I used to watch Leno occasionally, but now his jokes are tiresome and old.

[tk2kewl]

17. I laughed outloud when I read it . . .

Another joke noted Democrat John Kerry, under fire for his Vietnam service record, was criticized for throwing away some of his military service medals.

"Not to be outdone, President Bush threw away his National Guard spotty attendance records," he said.

[Dinger]

16. My Guess Might Be . . .

that Carson didn't like all the bush/repug ass kissin' by Leno, and he appreciated Letterman's biting of bu$h. Also, I agree that Letterman gave Carson the respect he deserved. Was Carson a dem? I dunno... What do you think?

[earth mom]

18. Exactly-Class Act! The Letterman show was so touching last night

but damn it I missed the opening monologue too-I was reading posts here on DU!

Anyway, I was so impressed with how Dave dedicated the show to Johnny and it all made me cry a little too.

I don't know why The Tonight Show baton wasn't passed to Dave but it damn well should have been and last night was proof of that!

[ISUGRADIA]

19. Leno seems awed by a lot of his guests and don't forget

he let the asshole Ahnold announce for governor with no critism. Letterman seems willing to let some of his guests have to work a little. And the man is way funnier than Leno too.

[SoCalDem]

21. Leno is very much like Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin

They would both be so "star-struck" with their guests that it always was embarrassing to watch..That's how I feel about Leno.. He's too "gee whiz".. and it's phony.

Dave has always been "real"..he learned that from johnny..

When Dave found out that Leno had gotten the Tonight Show, he called Johnny and told him about the CBS offer..he asked him what "he" would do in the same spot.. Johnny is reported to have told him.."F*** 'em, I'd walk."...and Dave did :)

I don't think he has ever really regretted it.

Had he stayed with NBC, he would have always been seen as 3rd best.. Where he is now, he's at the Top of his game, and HE, not Leno, will end up being Johnny's true heir :)

[madrchsod]

22. when letterman did his "golf swing"

after a joke that was the thanks to johnny carson for sending a joke.....

[Dinger]

23. CNN.CON: Carson's Heir?

http://www.cnn.com/

51% Letterman
21% Leno

[global1]

24. What Was The Tune Doc Severinsen and Tommy Newsom ......

played. I would hope they would do a recording of that from the show. Doc said it was Johnny's favorite - but couldn't remember the name. It was really soulful and a classy touch. Letterman's whole show was better than Leno's tribute to JC. It was great!!!!

[Contrary1]

25. The name of the song was "I'll be seeing you".

I agree Letterman was the rightful heir to Carson's show.
Since I live in Indianapolis, I got a front row seat to
some of Dave's antics when he was the local weatherman.
Classic.

My brother, who is a purveyor of junk, picked up at auction
the light fixtures that hung over the supermarket checkout
lines where Dave workedas a bagger back in the 60's. He was
thinking about getting hold of Letterman to see if he would
like to have them. Atlas Supermarket was where he really got
his start.

[SoCalDem]

26. The song was...."Here's That Rainy Day."

Carson's old bandleader Doc Severinsen and some of his band — including put-upon sax player Tommy Newsome — performed one of Carson's favorite songs, "Here's That Rainy Day."



http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/39669.htm

[Contrary1]

27. Yep...you are right.

I had read somewhere else that "I'll be seeing you" was his
favorite song, so he probably had more than one "favorite".

[Lindsey]

28. I saw the show last night and it was just wonderful...

Letterman asked Johnnie's old producer some really good questions. For example, "Did Johnnie ever almost loose it over any particular guest?" Questions like that. I thought the monologue was great as was Lettermans delivery. It was truly a sincerely terrific tribute. IMHO there's simply NO comparison between Leno and Letterman. I think Letterman borders on genius and Leno is just plain lucky. Apparently, Johnnie really wanted Letterman to be the heir but didn't have any say in the matter...and remember...it was Letterman who Johnnie gave the jokes to NOT Leno. Yea, Johnnie Carson will always be in a class all by himself (kind of like the Beatles).