MovieChat Forums > The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) Discussion > No musical performances on AntennaTV rer...

No musical performances on AntennaTV reruns?

posted 9 years ago by tmaj48
13 replies | jump to latest

I think this may have been brought up before. When I used to watch the show back in the '70s, I don't remember too many musical performances on the show (except that Pete Fountain guy), although there were sometimes brief interludes with Doc or Tommy Newsom and the band. There were sometimes "Stump the Band" segments with the audience, none of which I have seen in any of the reruns on Antenna TV. The opening theme is truncated, and there's a generic closing theme at the end of each show. I know this is related to some kind of copyright issue with the show's original music. But on last night's show, Carson mentioned at the end of his monologue that jazz vocalist Diane Schuur would be one of his guests that night.
She did not appear, and Carson didn't offer the standard "we ran out of time"
apology at the end of the show, so I assume her appearance was edited out. Does that mean that there will be no musical appearances, or even extended sequences of music, ever on these reruns?

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Hewwo.

[–] wordsatplaytoday 9 years ago

I've seen two classical types so far. One played the flute and the other the piano.
Seems like I may have seen another one but I can't remember right now.

As you pointed out, Carson didn't have music on that often. At least not as often as Jay and today's late night shows do which is every single fricken night and it gets boring real fast.

I think Carson was more into comedy and would rather have on a comedian than a music act and that's what I prefer as well.

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[–] RIP_IMDb 9 years ago

I love music, but on late-night talk shows I too prefer stand-up comics.

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[–] wordsatplaytoday 9 years ago

I love music, but on late-night talk shows I too prefer stand-up comics.

Did Johnny ever do stand up before hosting? I know he said he did magic.

Since the newest crop of late night hosts were stand up comedians, I just wonder if that's why they don't have comedians on as often as Johnny did.
Maybe they don't want to be outdone by others who are funnier than they are? 

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[–] RIP_IMDb 9 years ago

I have no idea if Johnny ever did stand-up, or not. Anyway most of the good stand-ups are way funnier than the late-night talk-show hosts. In-fact I've always thought that being lame was part of the requirement. They manage to make being lame seem funny. One of the writers and bit-part players (Brian Stack) who works on Conan's shows since the first and best one (Late Night) would play an audience member who say "Lametastic". They know it's lame, but that it's so lame it's actually funny in its lameness. So I'm sure being on the somewhat on the lame side is what the studio executives look for in a host.

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[–] MrBlondNYC 9 years ago

Johnny didn't do traditional stand-up until he became famous from The Tonight Show. He started doing club dates in the mid-60s and he stopped in 1980. But of course, as a young magician, he always incorporated jokes into his act.

The only current late-night host that formerly did stand-up is Jimmy Fallon. If you count cable, then Larry Wilmore and Trevor Noah. Seth Meyers does stand-up dates but only after he became famous from SNL. The rest never did stand-up.

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] RIP_IMDb 9 years ago

Thanks again for solving that 'SNL' episode! In answer to your question I'd say (type actually) that it would probably mean we won't see any musical performances on 'TTSSJC'. Unless the copyright issues can be solved. Or an agreement (arrangement) can be met.

I'll let you know when I come-up with a new signature, .

[–] MrDeltoid77 9 years ago

Its almost criminal to cut these musical acts and to cut the performances of Doc and the Orchestra.

I think what annoys me most is that they advertised that these shows would be aired in their entirety when clearly they are not.

I would pay for episodes with guys like Buddy Rich playing or Pete Barbutti doing his comedy routines at the piano.

Maybe someday they will release the entire collection on DVD... with the musical performances intact (like SNL did).

Until then we must satisfy ourselves with what they are giving us.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] Theoden_of_ODU 9 years ago

Wait, I don't think they've cut any, have they? I think it's more that they haven't aired any. At least based on the episodes I've seen, none of them have had a musical act associated with it beyond at least one or two classical musical performers or amateur musical guests.

I think one episode recently was supposed to have a performance by Doc and his Orchestra and Johnny even promised to include it, and the interview segments ran too long and it was cut from the broadcast.

Are there any episodes that come to mind where Johnny says at the end of his monologue that a musical guest will be on the show and they aren't? And if so, were they actually bumped because his interviews went too long?

And if they aren't airing them, it's hardly AntennaTV or even the current rights holders to the Carson episodes fault. Blame the musical special interest groups that make it very expensive to obtain the rights to air musical acts. It's expensive in many cases, not even worth the bother to secure them.

WKRP is a pretty good example of a show that has run into this problem.

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] RIP_IMDb 9 years ago

I too generally only watch late-night talk-shows for the monologues and not the guests, unless it's someone I'm really interested in. I do come back to see if a musical guest is any good, or if I like them. And for stand-ups to see if they're funny, or not.

I'll let you know when I come-up with a new signature, .

[–] 9 years ago

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