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TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {ELIZABETH KING, MAUREEN STAPLETON, PETE FOUNTAIN, BOB SHAW, JONATHAN MILLER} (TV)

Summary

One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are gas-rig operator Elizabeth King, actress Maureen Stapleton, clarinetist Pete Fountain, comedian Bob Shaw and author/medical professional Jonathan Miller.

In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: the arrival of Passover; rising gas prices; the aftermath of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania; an upcoming "60 Minutes" piece about Carson; the return of the famed NBC peacock; President Carter's investigation into the oil companies; Governor Jerry Brown's trip to Africa with singer Linda Ronstadt; Vice-President Walter Mondale's trip to Iceland; a suspiciously inexpensive round-the-world airplane trip; and actress Kate Jackson's departure from "Charlie's Angels." Carson and co-host Ed McMahon then chat about a newspaper article describing Burbank as "the entertainment capital of the world," complete with droll quotes from Carson himself.

The first guest, King, takes the stage and discusses her complex duties as the first female supervisor on a gas platform 130 miles off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico; sexism from male employees and how she "nipped it in the bud"; her former role as a roustabout, a deckhand who does "all the dirty work," including heavy lifting; her rotating shift schedule and 12-hour workdays; her sense of "freedom" in the job despite the small living spaces and unpleasant weather; their frequent lack of access to television aboard the rig; and an upcoming movie about her life, hopefully starring Cloris Leachman.

Next, Fountain takes the stage and plays two numbers with the NBC Orchestra. Stapleton then sits down with Carson and discusses the audience's unfortunate habit of judging an actor by their most recent success or failure; her recent third Oscar loss for "Interiors" (1979); her lifelong fear of flying and preference for traveling by train; tips for avoiding boredom on long train trips, including books and card games with fellow passengers; and her recent decision to purchase a houseboat despite her lack of boating knowledge.

Shaw then performs a stand-up routine touching upon the following topics: the awkwardness of school-related lingo in the real world; some marijuana enthusiasts' habit of getting their pets high; and his memorable experiences working at an ice-cream parlor and serving intoxicated guests.

The final guest, Miller, then joins Carson to discuss his recent book, "The Body in Question," and how medicine is often "badly described" by doctors to laypeople; why a "stabbing pain" is not quite an accurate descriptor; the subjective nature of pain within different bodies; the phenomenon of "phantom limb"; why medical students often develop hypochondria for a brief period; the evolution of medical professionals' importance and knowledge about germs and the spread of disease; why mild head injuries can prove fatal if the cough reflex is involved; and the pros and cons of prolonging human life. Includes commercials and promos.

Details

  • NETWORK: NBC
  • DATE: April 12, 1979 11:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:15:47
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:86771
  • GENRE: Talk/Interview
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - Alpo beef-flavored dog food
    • TV - Commercials - Bryant heating machines
    • TV - Commercials - Delta Airlines
    • TV - Commercials - Final Net hair spray
    • TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
    • TV - Commercials - Fresca soft drinks
    • TV - Commercials - Garanimals young people's clothes
    • TV - Commercials - Jaymar apparel
    • TV - Commercials - Jontue Revlon perfume
    • TV - Commercials - Polariod SX70 Sonar cameras
    • TV - Commercials - Pond's Cream and cocoa butter lotion
    • TV - Commercials - Presto Fry Daddy cooker
    • TV - Commercials - Purina Puppy Chow dog food
    • TV - Commercials - Q-Tips cotton swabs
    • TV - Commercials - Underalls Slenderalls control pantyhose
    • TV - Commercials - Weber grills

CREDITS

  • NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
  • Doc Severinsen … Conductor
  • Johnny Carson … Host
  • Ed McMahon … Co-Host
  • Pete Fountain … Guest, Performer
  • Bob Shaw … Guest, Performer
  • Elizabeth King … Guest
  • Maureen Stapleton … Guest
  • Jonathan Miller … Guest
  • Jerry Brown
  • Jimmy Carter
  • Kate Jackson
  • Cloris Leachman
  • Walter Mondale
  • Linda Ronstadt