Sullivan, Carson, Letterman, Leno, etc... Who was your favorite

[Pleeplus]

Steelyman's recent post got me thinking about the generations of late night talk show hosts we have grown up with. Tonight we get to see yet another when the torch gets passed from Jay Leno to Jimmy Fallon, who I think will do well in the role.

I have some really fond memories of staying up with my late father watching Carson and McMahon work their magic. Carson's ability to balance interviews and entertain us with his skits is why he is my favorite of the talk show hosts..... Although it might also have to do with the time I got to share with my father. Letterman is a close second for me and I truly enjoy some of the interviews he did with Jack Hannah. The one he did with the anteater that bit him still cracks me up. ( I tried to embed the link below but I am not sure if I did it correctly).

Jungle Jack Hanna on David Letterman - 02/05/2010 - Part 1 - YouTube

What say you, do you have a favorite?

 

[braumeister]

I really liked Jack Paar.

 

[steelyman]

Carson, hands down.

I don't even know if this post will go through with this crazy app.

 

[pb4uski]

Agree, Carson. He was hilarious.

I also like Leno. Letterman not so much.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Anyone remember Tom Snyder and David Frost? And I really loved Steve Allen in later things but never saw his Tonight Show hosting. Just read that Fallon hopes to emulate him the most. I like Letterman the best depending on the guest--sort of fun to have grown old with him.

 

[steelyman]

Anyone remember Tom Snyder and David Frost? And I really loved Steve Allen in later things but never saw his Tonight Show hosting. Just read that Fallon hopes to emulate him the most. I like Letterman the best depending on the guest--sort of fun to have grown old with him.

I remember Snyder, but he made me think I was up really late.

 

[MichaelB]

The only one I saw was Carson, and he was an improv genius, I see lots of his style influencing Jon Stewart.

 

[samclem]

Carson. Good monologue/skits and funny in a self-deprecating way that put guests at ease. A class act.

Of the current crop, I like Craig Furgeson best (okay, a little silly). I haven't seen Fallon's present show, but hope he does well. I like that he doesn't seem to have a mean streak, but without that "bite" he might not be as popular with current audiences.

 

[Pleeplus]

Of the current crop, I like Craig Furgeson best (okay, a little silly). I haven't seen Fallon's present show, but hope he does well. I like that he doesn't seem to have a mean streak, but without that "bite" he might not be as popular with current audiences.

Good call controversy sells in today's world.

 

[timo2]

In the future, someone will combine the traits of all these guys into a hologram host of the tonight show.

 

[Texas Proud]

I have to go with Carson....


Second for me was Letterman in the early years.... but got tired of him many years ago and stopped watching...

Never really got into Leno, but when I see him I would put him ahead of Letterman at this time...


The guy who they put into the Tonight show the last time was a joke... hated him every time I saw him.... but my nephew liked him, and I think they were going for his age group....

 

[chilkoot]

Carson.

But since retiring, I notice I've been watching Jimmy Kimmel pretty regularly (just the first half hour though). Craig Ferguson later.

But Carson was the master.

 

[easysurfer]

Should have made this a poll

I've watched Leno the most, so I'll say Leno.

Years back I sent in a headline and received an autographed picture back without even asking. This was when he was just filling in for Carson.

Carson is the gold standard..as Betty White said.

Though I'm more of a Leno guy, Letterman is funny too. I thought his "diary" when he was pursing to get Oprah on his show was really funny.

Ferguson is really funny with his accent and expressions.

 

[gcgang]

Fallon. He is everything Carson was and more, much, much more.

 

[6miths]

I have some really fond memories of staying up with my late father watching Carson and McMahon work their magic.

It's funny how the context in which you saw each of them plays a role. I was picking Carson as I read the title of the thread, before seeing this comment, and it is partly for this reason. Was a coming of age for me to watch these two with my late father. Fond memories indeed.

 

[robnplunder]

Carson. Somehow, he made me at ease. After him, I never really got warmed up to others and never saw their show consistently.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

I think Fallon will become the master of his time as Carson was the master of his time.

 

[Texas Proud]

I think Fallon will become the master of his time as Carson was the master of his time.

Fallon might be of his time, but the questions was of all time....


Since I have never seen Fallon, I cannot say where he will end up.... but of all the ones that I have seen it is Carson easily...


I also think it is telling that I do not watch any of the current programs... I did watch the last two of Leno and thought he was good, but still not up to Carson standards... he got the most of of his guests...

 

[Amethyst]

Letterman's is the only late-night show I ever saw, because I have always had to get up very early. During the early 90's, I was a shift chief working a particular kind of shiftwork that sometimes allowed us to tape his show and watch it afterward (there was a 2-hour period with basically nothing to do, and when the "Worldwide Pants" logo came on, we knew it was time to start scrambling again). I remember him at the Winter Olympics with his Mom. I thought he was hilarious, but as I say, I had no gauge.

 

[Midpack]

We're not often up that late anymore, but Carson was the best hands down IMO, watched him almost every night in college. Letterman over Leno (though Dave isn't as entertaining now as in his early years IOO), never warmed up to Conan. We think Fallon will do very well, good humor/improv and his musical impersonations are incredible (Neil Young especially), and we like The Roots. We really enjoy Fallon and The Roots "classroom instruments" segments, only four I know of - Robin Thicke, Mariah Carey, Carly Ray Jepson and these guys...I hope they keep "classroom instruments" on the new show (even if we only see them on youtube).

Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street & The Roots Sing "Sesame Street" Theme (w/ Classroom Instruments) - YouTube

 

[Idnar7]

I remember watching Jack Paar and Steve Allen with my GPa as a little kid. I liked Letterman when he was first starting when he did a lot of goofy stuff outside. Also like Fernwood Tonight. But Carson was number one. With his regulars Buddy Hackett, Don Rickles, and Jonathon Winters.

 

[Gatordoc50]

I liked Carson the best. Letterman was good when I was in my twenties but I find him to be an angry old man now. Leno was much more entertaining, IMO.

 

[Bikerdude]

Carson was the best IMO, skewering everyone equally . Leno has great delivery, one of the best. Letterman and Kimmel are too one way political for my taste. Fallon is funny but his interviewing skills need improvement for prime time.

 

[scrabbler1]

I liked Carson the best. Letterman was good when I was in my twenties but I find him to be an angry old man now. Leno was much more entertaining, IMO.

+1. It took me time to warm to Leno, as I did not start watching him regularly until about 10 years ago.

I attended a bunch of Letterman tapings at 30 Rock from 1982-1984 when he was with NBC. It was fascinating to see everything going on during the commercial breaks. I did spot myself on TV for a second or two during one March, 1982 episode which included guest Robert Klein appearing in a bathrobe.

Does anyone remember a short-lived TV series titled, "Carson Comedy Classics" from the mid-1980s? It was basically a 30-minute clips show which most of the time had a Carnac bit, my favorite Carson skit.

 

[hausfrau]

I always liked Carson when I was a girl, but I really like the quick wit of both Conan and Stephen Colbert.

I think Jimmy will do well. He has that gracious quality that I like too.