TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {JOE NAMATH, KENNY ROGERS, DOTTIE WEST, JIM FOWLER} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. The guests for this program are animal expert Jim Fowler, football star/actor Joe Namath, and musicians Kenny Rogers and Dottie West.
In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: tips for tourists, including how to avoid California "weirdos"; the arrival of the Santa Ana winds; President Jimmy Carter's rising approval numbers and potential Nobel Peace Prize win (he would eventually receive the honor in 2002); former First Lady Betty Ford's new book, in which she notes her husband's "roving eye"; longtime California Governor Jerry Brown's latest challenger; and businessman Charlie Finley's attempts to sell the Oakland Athletics baseball team for $12 million. Next, Carson reads out several strange course offerings from the UCLA's fall 1978 catalog, and adds several ideas for a fictional Burbank school.
The first guest, Fowler, then joins Carson with a menagerie of animals, including a groundhog, one of the few animals with its own national holiday; a rufous hornbill; a great horned owl; a large Goliath beetle, which, to Fowler's surprise and Carson's alarm, can fly; a Jackson's chameleon; and a couple of hissing cockroaches.
Namath then takes the stage to chat about his new NBC comedy series "The Waverly Wonders," in which he plays a retired basketball star trying to bond with a group of teen students; whether he misses football since retiring from the Los Angeles Rams in 1977; similarities between his sports and acting careers; his bi-coastal life in both Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale; and whether he plans to marry and have children any time soon. A clip from "Waverly," which was cancelled after only three episodes, is shown.
Finally, Rogers performs "The Gambler" and then chats with Carson about his hectic schedule and upcoming 82-city tour; his love of tennis and plans to host a celebrity tournament; the pros and cons of traveling in a private airplane; and working with fellow singer West, who then joins him for "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight." Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: September 21, 1978 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:15:53
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:86697
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety; Animals; Music
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Bell System telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Betty Crocker Snackin' Cake mix
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's Chunky soups
- TV - Commercials - Corn Chex cereal
- TV - Commercials - Delta Airlines
- TV - Commercials - Jaymar apparel
- TV - Commercials - Kleenex tissues
- TV - Commercials - McGraw-Edison Speed Queen washing machines
- TV - Commercials - Parker Brothers Black Box board game
- TV - Commercials - Peak anti-freeze
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury Figurines diet bars
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury Poppin' Fresh Dough baked goods
- TV - Commercials - Revlon ColorFrost eyeshadow
- TV - Commercials - Rubbermaid storage containers
- TV - Commercials - Ty-D-Bol toilet bowl cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Vicks NyQuil cold medication
- TV - Commercials - Vidal Sassoon hair products
- TV - Promos - "The Eddie Capra Mysteries"
CREDITS
- NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
- Doc Severinsen … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Announcer
- Kenny Rogers … Guest, Performer
- Jim Fowler … Guest
- Joe Namath … Guest
- Dottie West … Guest
- Jerry Brown
- Jimmy Carter
- Charlie Finley
- Betty Ford