The Carson Podcast

Shecky Greene joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, guest hosting The Tonight Show, Buddy Hackett, and his famous Frank Sinatra joke.

Dan Ford joins Mark to discuss working on The Tonight Show as a stage manager in Burbank, appearing as a guest with Johnny in 1979,…

Andrea McArdle joins Mark to discuss her 3 Johnny appearances, performing with Liberace on The Tonight Show, and originating the role of Annie on Broadway…

Louise Lasser joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearances, Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, hosting Saturday Night Live, and her various roles in Woody Allen films.Meet Louise Lasser…

Andy Friendly joins Mark to discuss working with Tom Snyder on Tomorrow, his friendship with Rick Carson, visiting Johnny’s home in Bel Air, booking David Letterman…

William Katz joins Mark to discuss his job as talent coordinator on The Tonight Show in NY, Johnny’s discipline, receiving a bizarre phone call from Gloria Swanson,…

Tom Moore joins Mark to discuss writing for Johnny in NY and Burbank, the backstory of Pat McCormick streaking during Johnny’s monologue, and an awkward…

Pat Bradford joins Mark to discuss working as a talent coordinator on The Tonight Show, the clever way she convinced Kirk Douglas to be a…

Jo Anne Worley joins Mark to discuss Johnny appearing with her on Laugh-In, her Tonight Show appearances, being discovered by Merv Griffin, and stories from…

Don Schiff joins Mark to discuss doing cue cards for Johnny Carson in New York and Burbank, going over cue cards with Johnny in his…

Hank Bradford joins Mark to discuss being Johnny’s head writer, doing standup on The Tonight Show, and his friendship with Pat McCormick.

Vikki Carr joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearances, guest hosting The Tonight Show, and opening up for Johnny on the road.

Joey D’Auria joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearance, winning The Gong Show, doing a remote with David Letterman, and his 17 years as Bozo…

Mac Davis joins Mark to discuss his 45 Tonight Show appearances, guest host Jerry Lewis not wanting him booked, the one time he upset Johnny on air,…

Ginny Stevenson joins Mark to discuss working at as talent coordinator on The Tonight Show, the unexpected way she first met Johnny, Johnny on air announcing her …

Michael Barrie returns! Longtime Johnny writer Michael Barrie discusses the New York era of The Tonight Show, working with the numerous guest hosts, and writing…

Joan Benny, daughter of Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone, joins Mark to discuss her childhood, her famous parents, and Johnny’s love for her father. Carson’s…

Barbara Bowen joins Mark to discuss working on The Tonight Show as a personal assistant to guest hosts Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, David Brenner, Billy Crystal, and…

Peter Bogdanovich joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, guest hosting The Tonight Show, and his friendship with Orson Welles.

Stan Zabka joins Mark to discuss working as associate director on The Tonight Show and appearing with Johnny as a guest. Chiz Schultz discusses Harry…

Hal Gurnee joins Mark to discuss directing the six months of guest hosts leading up to Johnny’s debut, directing Jack Paar, and his groundbreaking work…

Louisa Ermelino joins Mark to discuss working on The Tonight Show in New York. Neil Hickey then joins to discuss interviewing Johnny for his 1972…

Darrell Vickers joins Mark to discuss writing for Johnny, writing for guest hosts such as Garry Shandling, a sketch that upset Johnny, and producer Fred…

Tom Brokaw joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, encountering Johnny and Hollywood stars while in his twenties anchoring the local news at NBC Burbank,…

Singer Marilyn Maye talks to Mark about her 76 Tonight Show appearances, being discovered by Ed McMahon, and performing with Johnny on the road.

Carl Reiner joins Mark to discuss more Johnny appearances, Steve Allen urging him and Mel Brooks to record the 2000 Year Old Man as an…

Don Sweeney joins Mark to discuss his 17 years working on The Tonight Show, sneaking in as a teenager to see Johnny in Studio 6B…

Fritz Coleman joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, Fred deCordova, and saying goodbye to Johnny prior to his final show.

Tom Arnold joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearance in July 1990 with Roseanne, being in a greenroom with Johnny at NBC’s Bob Hope 90th…

Bob Shayne joins Mark to discuss working as a Tonight Show talent coordinator, convincing Johnny to book an unknown Steve Martin, and Monty Python’s appearance…

Ed Begley Jr. joins Mark to discuss Johnny asking him Trivial Pursuit questions, going on with guest host Garry Shandling, and his standup duo act…

Bob Einstein talks to Mark about his Johnny appearances, his second Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Shelly Cohen joins Mark to discuss his 30 years at The Tonight Show, conducting the NBC Orchestra, Ed McMahon’s nightclub act, and Johnny playing in…

Tom Green joins Mark to discuss studying Carson in preparation for his MTV late night show, his friendship with Ed McMahon, and guest hosting for…

Carol Siskind joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearances, why she was relieved at The Tonight Show the times she was “bumped”, and her role…

Singer Judy Collins chats with Mark about her Johnny Carson appearances, her love for David Letterman, her new book Cravings: How I Conquered Food, and…

John Davidson joins Mark to discuss his Carson appearances, guest hosting The Tonight Show 87 times, and Johnny being amused when he forgot his lyrics…

Actor Joel Grey joins Mark to discuss singing without pants on The Tonight Show, presenting Johnny with a life-sized poster invite to his Las Vegas…

Pete Barbutti joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, being banned from doing the show with Johnny for many years due to an incident involving…

Pianist/composer David Tolley joins Mark to discuss being in the Tonight Show audience when he was randomly chosen by Johnny to play piano, the phone…

Dr. Ruth Westheimer joins Mark to discuss her Johnny Carson appearances, Johnny playing Dr. Ruth in a Tonight Show sketch, and Late Night with David…

Michael J. Fox joins Mark to discuss his five Johnny appearances, his father being featured during “The Edge of Wetness”, and before he was famous…

Mark remembers the late Florence Henderson, followed by a rebroadcast of their interview conducted in April 2014.

John Landis joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearance for his debut film Schlock, Dom DeLuise advising him what to chat about with Johnny during…

Dick Cavett Returns! In celebration of the 100th episode Dick Cavett joins Mark and co-host Dan Pasternack. Cavett discusses Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Groucho Marx,…

Ed Asner joins Mark to discuss his Johnny Carson appearance, Carson doing a guest spot on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and his role as…

Jimmy Brogan and Mark a pay a visit to the former NBC Burbank studios. Jimmy discusses his Johnny appearances, originally turning down the chance to…

Singer Billy Vera talks to Mark about his 9 Tonight Show appearances, his dad working as a NBC announcer in New York, and his band…

Paula Poundstone joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearances, embarrassingly mistaking Johnny for a member of ZZ Top, and Robin Williams supporting her early on…

Kevin Pollak joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, teaching Johnny how to do Peter Falk, and originally turning down standup on The Tonight Show…