AMERICAN MASTERS: JOHNNY CARSON: KING OF LATE NIGHT (TV)

Summary

One in this series that explores the lives and achievements of America's most celebrated artists and performers. This episode is about Johnny Carson, the famed comedian and thirty-year host of "The Tonight Show." The program begins as many comedians comment on Carson's worldwide fame and easygoing, personable onscreen nature, though they add that he was "standoffish" in person, and show writer Al Jean calls him "the Citizen Kane of comedy" in reference to his extremely private nature. Born in Iowa in 1925, Carson moved to Norfolk, Nebraska at a young age and, as he explains, had a very early interest in entertaining. Richard Benjamin notes his "middle-America moral compass," and his second wife Joanne Copeland talks about his parents, including the fact that his mother Ruth preferred his sister and withheld affection from her sons. He discovered a book of magic tricks at age thirteen and began to teach himself, calling himself "The Great Carsoni" and giving small local performances; his love of sleight-of-hand would continue throughout his career. His idol was radio comedian Jack Benny, and Ray Romano points out Carson's similarities in the pauses and timing of his comedy. In 1946 he enrolled at the University of Nebraska, where he met his first wife, Jody Wolcott, with whom he had three sons. He then found work at a radio station and on Omaha's first television station in 1950, later securing an announcing job for CBS in Los Angeles. He hosted a program called "Carson's Cellar," though was at first awkward and tense onscreen.

Carson was then hired as a writer by Red Skelton and later stood in for him as host of his show in August 1954. At the same time, Steve Allen began hosting "Tonight," later "The Tonight Show." Carson landed "The Johnny Carson Show" in 1955, but it was canceled after 39 weeks, and his marriage declined around the same time. However, he then hosted "Who Do You Trust?", during which time he met Ed McMahon, who would become his lifelong comedy partner and friend. The "dangerous" Jack Parr replaced Allen, but when he departed five years later Carson was offered the job, and then-girlfriend Copeland pushed him to take it. He debuted on "The Tonight Show" on October 1, 1962, and Dick Cavett explains that it took him several weeks to warm up, shifting from Parr's controversial style to a more "cool" and relaxed show. He rapidly gained fame, and his 1963 marriage to Copeland made headlines, despite his efforts to keep his family life private. He interviewed a vast array of guests on the program, and the on-air wedding of singer Tiny Tim to Victoria Mae Budinger ("Miss Vicki") drew very high ratings. Joan Rivers explains Carson's talents as a "straight man," and other comedians praise his ability to let his guests be the star, often breaking into laughter and enjoying their jokes. Mel Brooks notes the genuine sense of "love and joy" on Carson's show, though his mother Ruth remained unimpressed with his efforts. Don Rickles adds that Carson was always "on the hunt" for women, and Copeland acknowledges his extramarital affairs, which lead to their divorce in 1970. He also had a strained relationship with his children, as explained by bandleader Doc Severinsen.

In 1972 Carson moved "Tonight" to Los Angeles, adhering to a strict personal routine and, during the writers' strike in the '80s, even writing several entire shows himself. Despite his nightly nervousness backstage, he maintained a confident demeanor onstage, and Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and others comment on his opening jokes and monologue, imitated by many current-day show hosts. He often touched upon political issues, equally mocking both parties, and critic Tom Shales calls him "the electronic Mark Twain." Carson's biographers note his "distanced" nature and the careful "illusion" of his onscreen persona, with Bob Newhart comparing the challenge of making an audience laugh to a game of Russian Roulette. He also played a number of characters in various sketches, including the psychic Canrac the Magnificent, while also becoming something of a sex symbol, frequently flirting with his female guests. McMahon introduced him with his signature "here's Johnny!", and the two developed a drinking-buddies image, though this often became far too literal offscreen, and the two maintained "love/hate" relationship, with McMahon occasionally being told not to "overshadow" Carson. He married Joanna Holland in 1972, though he continued struggling with the challenges of fame and his drinking problem, which plagued him throughout his life, including a 1982 DUI. In 1979, when NBC president Fred Silverman publicly chastised Carson for his amount of time off, Carson aggressively and successfully renegotiated his contract, shortening the show to an hour and landing a producer credit.

A number of budding comedians appeared on Carson's show, including Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Drew Carey, Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres, and they all talk about the thrilling experience of hearing him praise their talents. He was also known for his funny interactions with animals, though in 1983 he was greatly affected by his very expensive divorce from Holland, and his friends recall his belief that they would last. Carson also hosted the Academy Awards five times, and Steve Martin acknowledges borrowing his style when he took over the post. Rivers became his permanent co-host in 1983, though she landed her own show in 1986 and left, which Carson regarded as a serious betrayal. He also experienced a fracture with business advisor Henry Bushkin, and his friends comment on his strong need for loyalty amongst his friends. His mother died in 1985, and Copeland states that his "conflicting" relationship with her likely affected his relationships with women, including Angie Dickinson, whom he dated after his third divorce. He married the much younger Alexis Maas in 1987, and was "never the same" after losing his middle son Richard in a 1991 car accident. NBC began to worry about the "threat" of late-night host Arsenio Hall and considered replacing Carson with Leno earlier than planned, much to his frustration, and he decided to retire in 1992 after a thirty-year run, choosing to "go out on top." His final show aired on May 22, 1992, and many friends comment on the impact of his departure, including David Letterman, to whom he frequently sent jokes for his show after his retirement. He traveled to Africa and then retreated to his California home, seeking solitude and simplicity after a lifetime in the spotlight. He passed away on January 23, 2005 of complications from smoking-related emphysema, for which he had chosen not to pursue aggressive treatment, and his friends discuss their reactions to his death, as well as to the reveal of his many charitable donations, which he had quietly made throughout his life. Letterman comments on his desire to emulate Carson and his significant impact on his life, and Jean guesses that in the end, magic was "his Rosebud." Commercials deleted.

Details

NETWORK: PBS
DATE: May 14, 2012 9:00 PM
RUNNING TIME: 1:54:07
COLOR/B&W: Color
CATALOG ID: 107784
GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries; Biography; Actors
SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986-
COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

Susan Lacy … Executive Producer
Peter Jones … Executive Producer, Writer, Director
Julie Sacks … Supervising Producer
Brian Tessier … Producer
Mark Catalena … Producer, Director
Prudence Glass … Series Producer
Earl Rose … Music by
Thomas Wagner … Theme Music by
Kevin Spacey … Narrator
Steve Allen
Richard Benjamin
Jack Benny
Mel Brooks
Victoria Mae Budinger (see also: Miss Vicki)
Henry Bushkin
Drew Carey
Johnny Carson
Richard Carson
Ruth Hook Carson
Dick Cavett
Joanne Copeland
Ellen DeGeneres
Angie Dickinson
Jimmy Fallon
Arsenio Hall
Joanna Holland
Al Jean
Jay Leno
David Letterman
Alexis Maas
Steve Martin
Ed McMahon
Bob Newhart
Conan O'Brien
Jack Parr
Don Rickles
Joan Rivers
Ray Romano
Jerry Seinfeld
Doc Severinsen
Tom Shales
Garry Shandling
Fred Silverman
Red Skelton
Tiny Tim
Jody Wolcott