Which Tonight Show Host was the Best?

[TC Nole OX]

Steve Allen, Jack Paar or Johnny Carson?

1986

Jack Paar Returns to The Tonight Show | Carson Tonight Show

 

[TC Nole OX]

Jackie Gleason Makes His Only Appearance | Carson Tonight Show

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Ah, the good ol’ days!

 

[TC Nole OX]

1964-Steve Allen, Johnny Carson & Jack Paar

 

[goldmom]

Carson.
I vaguely remember Steve Allen having a live variety show that was hysterically funny. Steve couldn’t stop laughing at some of the stuff that happened and my Dad would never miss the show.

 

[TC Nole OX]

Lawrence Welk Leads The Tonight Show Band | Carson Tonight Show

 

[BrianNole777]

Johnny C.

 

[TC Nole OX]

Steve Allen interview with pro football player. Year unknown

 

[goldmom]

If you can find it the absolute funniest thing EVER on Steve’s show was the famous live ad for Timex watches.
“it takes a licking and keeps on ticking” failed when the watch got obliterated. Steve was laughing so hard I thought he’d pass out.
Live TV and no editing!

 

[F4Gary]

Carson over any of the Tonight Show hosts....ever.

 

[TC Nole OX]

First Tonight Show 9/27/54

 

[TC Nole OX]

Tommy Smothers dead-on imitation of Johnny Carson - Feb 20, 1992

 

[TC Nole OX]

BROKEN CIGARETTE BOX - Johnny Carson & Don Rickles - COMPLETE 1976/78

 

[rtpnole]

I’m not old enough to remember Jack Paar. Steve Allen was great but Johnny defined the show. Pull up Buddy Hackett and “The Duck Joke”. Never gets old.

 

[TC Nole OX]

I’m not old enough to remember Jack Paar. Steve Allen was great but Johnny defined the show. Pull up Buddy Hackett and “The Duck Joke”. Never gets old.

Buddy Hackett's Duck Joke | Carson Tonight Show

 

[Ohio1nole]

Unpopular opinion — I’ve never found the tonight show, letterman, Leno, SNL, etc funny..

They have had funny moments.. but on the whole, those shows are and have been way overrated.

 

[rtpnole]

Buddy Hackett's Duck Joke | Carson Tonight Show

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Hey thanks. It brings up memories of my late Father. Nothing and no one could make him crack up like Buddy Hackett😉

 

[Redfish Jim]

I vote Johnny Carson too. He IS the Tonight Show to me.

 

[GeddyLee09]

Unpopular opinion — I’ve never found the tonight show, letterman, Leno, SNL, etc funny..

They have had funny moments.. but on the whole, those shows are and have been way overrated.

Not so much now due to their politics but back in the day SNL was hilarious. Even some of the later stuff (pre 2016) was funny like Justin Timberlake and the junk in a box or the cow bell routine with Will Farrell. Eddie Murphy doing Mr. Rodgers and Buckwheat were rib busters. Debbie Downer and anything with Chris Farley are also funny.

 

[TC Nole OX]

Future murderer Robert Blake sitting next to Rickles in 1976


Don Rickles Lays Into Johnny as a Rhinestone Cowboy | Carson Tonight Show




1989

Don Rickles Doesn't Hold Back | Carson Tonight Show

 

[TC Nole OX]

Rodney Dangerfield Has Carson Hysterically Laughing (1979)

 

[TC Nole OX]

Tommy Newsom Upstages Johnny - Mar 14, 1991

 

[goldmom]

Not so much now due to their politics but back in the day SNL was hilarious. Even some of the later stuff (pre 2016) was funny like Justin Timberlake and the junk in a box or the cow bell routine with Will Farrell. Eddie Murphy doing Mr. Rodgers and Buckwheat were rib busters. Debbie Downer and anything with Chris Farley are also funny.

Agree on all those bits. Going back to the original days the first cast was funny or so it seemed to two new parents who were up late with a newborn. They were “so silly you had to laugh” funny if that makes sense,
Ackroyd and Steve Martin “We are here to see large American breasts” and Gilda Radner doing Roseanne Roseannadana (We were living in NY at the time, and the character was modeled after a WABC reporter so we thought it was spot on funny.
Farrell and Murphy came later and did some funny stuff. Buckwheat was epic.

 

[Nolebra Kai]

Carson is the gold standard. Post Carson era I have always preferred Conan.

 

[TC Nole OX]

Don Rickles - "Mr. Warmth" | Carson Tonight Show - September 19, 1975

 

[TC Nole OX]

Steve Allen on Later with Bob Costas, September 27, 1989