[.ca] The Ultimate Johnny Carson Collection - His Favorite ...

From Amazon.com:
Culled from 30 years of material, this collection of moments from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson contains some of most inspired bits of lunacy ever recorded. Whether cajoling with Hollywood's biggest stars or normal folk with special talents, Carson was a master of finding the right joke, with timing second to none. Along with bits of his opening monologues, skits, and early standup appearances from the likes of David Letterman and Eddie Murphy, there are many highlights with perhaps the perfect Carson guest--exotic animals that stole the show. This collection was released shortly after Carson's reign ended in 1992. Although most of the tapes from his first decade are lost, there are plenty of highlights from the '70s through the '90s. Also included is Carson's touching and historic "Final Show," which finds the host simply talking to his audience and showing highlights--or just the faces--from his years on the set. Although many followed--and a few have even succeeded--Carson's Midwest charm made him the king of TV in a period when America was defined by television. The DVD edition adds some superlative extras, including "Danger Johnny" segments from his first decade, short bits on the history of the show and the host, and more behind-the-scenes glances, including an intriguing way to watch the final show via unedited feeds from isolated studio cameras. Also included is the 1982 NBC special "Johnny Goes Home," which follows Carson on a tour of his rural Nebraska homeland, and a slightly edited version of the penultimate show, in which his last two guests, Robin Williams and Bette Midler, are on fire. These extras make the DVD, produced a decade after Carson left, a must-have piece of entertainment and pop history. --Doug Thomas

The 'almost' Ultimate Johnny Carson Collection...:
Despite the name, this DVD collection is not really the Ultimate Johnny Carson collection. For those of you old enough to remember, this collection was first released on VHS videocassette way back in the mid-1990's. However, something happened during the transition from VHS to DVD as there are some scenes that have been edited out of the DVD version. I find it ironic that on the box of the DVD collection, it mentions Madonna as being one of the guests, yet her clip never made it to the DVD version. However, she is in the VHS version. It fact, it appears that about 5 mins or so have been cut from each of the main shows (Best of the 60's & 70's; Best of the 70's & 80's; and Best of the 80's & 90's), to make room for some additional backstage footage. Or, what the footage that was cut out because Johnny no longer felt those scenes were some of his greatest moments? Or, maybe the scenes were cut because of the very lengthy intro each of the disc's have (just push the menu button on your DVD player's remote control to get to the main menu). For those of you lucky enough to have the VHS version don't throw out your VHS tapes just yet, as you actually will be missing out on some of the funniest scenes. Because of this, I did not give the overall collection a perfect 5 stars. Instead, I 'discounted' stars as a result of the editing. I found the bonus prime-time special "Johnny Goes Home" rather boring actually, and actually took away from the funny 'show' moments seen in each of the three main shows listed above. Also, when viewing some of the back-stage footage, my DVD player froze on me twice, to the point that I actually had to turn it off and re-boot the DVD player. Maybe this was just my collection, I am not sure if others also have had this problem. Despite these some of the shortcomings mentioned above, this is a good collection of Carson's work and unfortunately will probably only be the only collection every offered. But, most of the scenes are with Johnny and his guests, which really don't show Johnny shining at his best, and that of course would be when he was performing the monologue. Instead of the 'Johnny Goes Home' special, I wish the producers of this DVD collection instead put together some of Johnny's best monologue jokes over the years - because it was the monologue where Johnny really did shine. For those too young to really remember Johnny Carson, or believe that the current Leno/Letterman late night war is where it is at, really missed out on a good thing and an amazing entertainer. To paraphrase Letterman on his tribute show to Carson, it was actually very upsetting to the audience to tune into the Tonight Show and find out that there was actually a guest host on instead of Johnny. After I heard that statement from Letterman, I do remember that when I used to watch the show and sometimes would just turn off the TV set in disappointment because Carson himself - the real deal- was not hosting that night. I truly feel that Letterman's kind and truthful words just show what a late night monarch Carson was and how he will be so sadly missed in a world of late-night pretenders.

The Man Behind the Desk:
In today's era of David Letterman and Jay Leno, younger generations should remember that Johnny Carson (along with his "Tonight Show" predecessors Jack Paar and Steve Allen) defined the talk-show format which made late-night television an enduring and immensely profitable enterprise. From 1962 to 1992, Carson reigned supreme as a comedian and broadcaster. Unlike Letterman and Leno, Johnny did his homework when it came to nightly conversation. No matter who sat on the couch, he remained an astute and observant host. "The Ultimate Johnny Carson Collection" is an expanded three-DVD set of "Tonight Show" highlights selected by Johnny himself, with the welcome addition of his final two programs. The set also includes the 1982 NBC special "Johnny Goes Home" -- a nostalgic, affectionate look at Carson's return to his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska. Loaded with extras (and some recently discovered film clips from the early 1960s), the DVD collection provides first-rate material at a reasonable price. If this set leaves you wanting more, the six-DVD "Timeless Moments" series is highly recommended -- allowing viewers to see previously unavailable Carson monologues, interviews and sketches in their entirety.

Disappointed:
I was disappointed with this set. It doesn't give you a sense of what made you love Johnny, really. There is minimal development of the material. A couple of gags would be OK, but gag after gag left me feeling empty. Maybe Johnny is not the right person to toast with snippets; his charm came from watching an entire show, or was built up over months, years. Likewise his skill as an interviewer is lost in the short clips. Had I known, I would have taken on a pass on this purchase. Furthermore,the production is rushed and uncreative.

On target:
Just as diverse as there is peoples taste there will always be diverse views as to what is ultimate. Nothing short of the complete works will do justice to Johnny. However this package comes extremely close. If you expect lots of the funniest moments of Carson you will find them. However this is more than a collection or synopsis's of the program. You get the real feeling you know Johnny as you get everything from behind stage scenes to a view of Johnny's home town told by Johnny himself. The three DVD's are a little much to view in one sitting and are fun to rewatch. Everyone has their favorites. And most of them are here. Yet for those that just must have more there are other collections.

no way I'd consider this "ultimate" at all:
I actually found the "Johnny Goes Home" extra touching and a nice addition. What I was extremely disappointed in was the choice of clips. Don't get me wrong. There are some great ones in here but too many duff ones, too. Does anyone on the globe think Albert Brooks is remotely funny (he was like the Ray Romano of the '80s)? Anyway, where was more of Johnny--no Floyd R. Turbo, no "take the Slausen cutoff" guy, no Aunt Blabby. How about a clip of where Bob Hope suddenly appears and cuts into the show unannounced. That happened numerous times and is a classic. Or Stump the Band when Johnny goes into the audience and interacts with the "regular" folks. Or his stuff with Carol Wayne as his sidekick. There was some busty babe in a couple of routines but didn't look like Carol. There's overkill on animals and on bizarre people. Hey, the chip lady is fine but the accordian lady? And, sorry, I'm not interested in seeing obscure comics or ten seconds of Jay Leno's hair. Where were all the athletes he had on the show? Basically, there are none in this DVD set at all. I just don't get with all the fantastic stuff that was on the Tonight Show, this is the best they can come up with over three discs? All this does is give people a taste of what Johnny was like but no way is this the ultimate in Carson's genius.