Best Former Late Night Host: Vintage Throw-Back Edition

• killdeer

  

  With all the late night TV talk, bring to mind some of the old talkers, and some brief, and somewhat more lengthy tenures behind the old desk-set. Obviously the subject begins and ends with Carson. What do you think about some of these oldtimers?
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Arsenio! Fist pump!
• Swamp Fox

  I would say that the vast majority of people from my era will be Carson supporters. The man could just look at you and make you laugh. Some of the funniest stuff of all time and not even a PG moment...unless you count the time Ed Ames was a little off when he tried to throw a tomahawk at a cardboard cut-out. The Matinee Lady, Karnac, Floyd R. Turbo , and a whole host of others. It was a riot every night. I've still not heard a monologue that could compare to his. A comic genius of monumental proportions.
• Darkon

  

  It is funny how we now have the late night compitition. Back in the day it was Carson dominated. Arsenio tried but Johnny still was the the best.
• killdeer

  

  wot...no love for Sajak?
• cat_lover

  Arsenio wasn't too bad but Johnny Carson has no equal.
• queencitybuckeye

  Carson was the king, and no one since has been in the same galaxy.
• pepperpot

  Never will be another Carson, he was great.
• Buckeye2B

  Carson..bar none.
• Sonofanump

  I did not find Ervin Johnson on the list...
• believer

  

  Johnny Carson...I miss those days.
• salto

  

  Carson
• SnotBubbles

  Carson no doubt. He was ahead of his time. That show could compete and would be #1 today.
  
  On a side note...Chevy Chase had a late night show? I would think this would have been hilarious.
• zambrown

  

  Carson for sure, but no love to Tom Snyder? I used to enjoy his show after Johnny Carson.
• killdeer

  

  Tom Snyder....good point...forgot about the Tomorrow show.
• killdeer

  

  SnotBubbles wrote: ...On a side note...Chevy Chase had a late night show? I would think this would have been hilarious.

  aired early 1990's....lasted just a few months if memory serves. Don't remember why it didn't have more success; he certainly has the comedy cred.
• Swamp Fox

  Tom Snyder was very good at what he did. Actually, when you think back, the night and day hosts were all pretty good. Jack Paar, Dave Garroway, Steve Allen, Arsenio a little later on, and so forth and so on...even the second fiddles were very good. I think Johnny would have been a lttle less funny as Karnac The Magnificent if it hadn't been for the wonderful assist he got from his right hand man, Ed McMahon. It was definitely a golden age of TV comedy.