The Carson Podcast

Carol Leifer joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearance, auditioning for The Tonight Show 22 times, and writing for shows including Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders…

Danny Robinson joins Mark to discuss his parents, Bud and Cece Robinson, opening up for Johnny Carson on tour, the duo appearing on The Tonight…

Michael Stern talks to Mark about his teenage backstage adventures at the Tonight Show and NBC Burbank, his friendship with Lucille Ball, and being Johnny’s…

Former NBC President and TV legend, Herbert Schlosser, joins Mark to discuss negotiating Johnny’s first Tonight Show contract, personally welcoming Johnny when the show moved…

Charles Grodin returns! Actor Charles Grodin joins Mark for a second time to discuss his 27 Johnny appearances, filming Midnight Run, and his acclaimed work…

Ritch Shydner discusses his Johnny appearances, how a disastrous Merv set unexpectedly led to being booked on Carson, and opening up for The Ramones.

Brett Butler joins Mark to discuss her Johnny appearances, performing George Carlin routines as a child, and her friendship with Bill Hicks.

Wayne Cotter joins Mark to discuss his three Johnny appearances, going to Studio 6B as a kid to see Jerry Lewis guest host the Tonight…

Joan Embery discusses bringing nearly 500 animals on the Tonight Show, an elephant picking up Johnny into the air with her trunk, and Johnny spending…

Paul Williams joins Mark to discuss his numerous Johnny appearances, performing in Planet of the Apes makeup, and his friendship with Freddie Prinze.

Brian Haley discusses how his Carson debut changed his life, director John Hughes hiring him from his Tonight Show set, and owning Frank Sinatra’s booth…

Fred Willard joins Mark to discuss The Ace Trucking Company’s 50 plus Johnny Carson appearances, using Joe Garagiola as inspiration for his character in Best…

Don Novello, best known for Father Guido Sarducci, discusses his Carson appearances, writing for Saturday Night Live, and The Lazlo Letters.

Bobby Kelton discusses his 21 Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson appearances, Larry David and him being chased by museum security, and meeting a housewife in…

Mike Reiss joins Mark to discuss writing for Carson, Johnny’s guest appearance on The Simpsons, and writing for Gary Shandling.

Brooke Shields joins Mark to discuss her Carson appearances, deciding to surprise Johnny by doing the Carnac fall, and her friendship with the late Gary…

Elizabeth Ashley discusses her sixteen Johnny appearances, her friendship with Joan Rivers, and her amazing career including being directed by Mike Nichols in his Broadway…

Legendary manger, George Shapiro, joins Mark to discuss Jerry Seinfeld’s Johnny appearances, the brilliance and crazy antics Andy Kaufman, and Carson and Seinfeld deciding to…

Bob Nelson joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, Red Skelton wanting to meet him after seeing him perform on the Tonight Show, and being…

Frank Abagnale joins Mark to discuss the unexpected way he got booked on Carson, Steven Spielberg crediting Johnny for “Catch Me If You Can”, and…

Jennifer Tilly joins Mark to discuss her Carson appearances, Sam Simon advising her to stop appearing with Johnny, and inadvertently hurting Randy Travis’ feelings. …

Adam Shawn, son of Dick Shawn, talks to Mark about his father’s numerous Carson appearances, the acclaimed one-person show The Second Greatest Entertainer in The…

Former Tonight Show staffer, Barbara Meltzer, joins Mark to discuss being assistant to Fred deCordova, Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki’s wedding, and working with Jack…

Comedian Steve Mittleman joins Mark to discuss his Johnny appearances, writing for Gabe Kaplan, and working with Woody Allen in Radio Days.

Rick Ludwin, former NBC VP of late night and specials, joins Mark to discuss working with Johnny, trying to get Johnny back on TV after…

Paul Anka joins Mark to discuss composing Johnny Carson’s theme song, hiring Johnny pre-Tonight Show to write comedy material, and the lessons he learned from…

Pat Boone joins Mark to discuss his memorable Carson appearances, guest hosting the Tonight Show, and competing in a cow milking contest against Doc Severinsen.

Perry Cross, Johnny’s first executive producer of The Tonight Show, joins Mark to discuss running the Tonight Show, his relationship with Johnny, and producing for…

Former Tonight Show talent coordinator, Howard Papush, joins Mark to discuss his memorable dealings with legendary Tonight Show guests including Gregory Peck, Warren Beatty, Shelley…

Larry King joins Mark to discuss interviewing Johnny Carson, his thoughts on Ed and Johnny’s relationship, and Johnny’s love of the Larry King sketches on…

Pat Sajak joins Mark to discuss his Johnny Carson appearance, being asked to guest host the TonightShow, and his late night talk show on CBS.

Richard Benjamin joins Mark to discuss his 33 Johnny Carson appearances, guest hosting the Tonight Show, and why going on with Johnny was like being shot…

David Steinberg joins Mark to discuss his 130 plus Tonight Show appearances, Carson personally asking him to guest host, and his friendship with Johnny off camera.

Drew Carey joins Mark to discuss his Tonight Show standup debut, being called over to the couch by Johnny, and how his Carson debut changed his life.

Comedian David Sayh talks to Mark about Johnny Carson discovering him at Catch a Rising Star in New York, his Tonight Show debut, and the helpful advice David Brenner gave…

Former SNL cast member Victoria Jackson talks to Mark about her 17 appearances with Johnny Carson, being discovered by the Tonight Show’s art director which led to her…

Cathy Ladman joins Mark to discuss her four Johnny Carson appearances, being backstage for Roseanne Barr’s Tonight Show debut, and knowing Jerry Seinfeld before he got into…

Comedian Eddie Brill talks to Mark about being the artistic director of the Great American Comedy Festival which honors the legacy of Johnny Carson, his 17 years working…

Comedian Louie Anderson talks to Mark about his standup debut on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, being devastated after being repeatedly rejected by the Tonight Show, and the way Eddie Murphy…

Irving Davis joins Mark to discuss holding the famous curtain open for Johnny Carson for nearly twenty years, saving Johnny from a crazed fan charging the…

Larry Miller talks to Mark about the chaos backstage before his Johnny Carson debut. In addition he tells one of Johnny’s favorite all time jokes.

Ray Combs Jr. discusses his late father Ray Combs’ debut on the Tonight Show, Johnny discovering him while doing audience warm up on the sitcom Amen, and the details…

Yakov Smirnoff joins Mark to discuss Johnny calling him over to the couch following his Tonight Show debut, Johnny speaking Russian with him on the…

Tonight Show talent coordinator/segment producer Paul Block joins Mark to discuss the difficulties of booking Alfred Hitchcock, why Billy Preston was a hit with the…

TV critic Tom Shales talks to Mark about visiting Johnny Carson at his Malibu home, Johnny’s reaction to Steve Allen thinking he ripped off Carnac…

Performer/writer Kelly Carlin, daughter of George Carlin, talks to Mark about her father’s appearances with Johnny Carson, Fred de Cordova allowing her to drive his…

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talks to Mark about using Johnny Carson clips on Mad Men, comparisons between Johnny and Don Draper, and the impact Jon Hamm hosting…

Fred Stoller talks to Mark about his 1989 Johnny Carson appearance, the challenges of writing for Seinfeld, and sitcom tales detailed in his book Maybe We’ll Have…

Marc Shaiman joins Mark to discuss Bette Midler’s Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson appearance on May 21, 1992, his idea for Bette to sing One…

Dave Thomas talks to Mark about Johnny’s love of his Bob Hope impression, dreaming as a kid of appearing on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny…