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Ghost Canyon

'The Best of The Tonight Show'
(Johnny Carson, et al / 2-Disc DVD / NR / 2007 / Respond 2 / Carson Entertainment)

Overview: "The Best of The Tonight Show - Stand-Up Comedians" - Punchline. Zingers. Jokes. Insults. This hilarious new 2-disc configuration has them all! Featuring 20 of the funniest comics to ever appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, this collection includes the stand-up debut of many of America's most popular comics. Getting a laugh from a national audience is one thing, but standing on that famous Tonight Show stage and performing for the King of Late Night is a memory that would be hard to forget! Press play and get ready to laugh along with Johnny! Disc 1 includes Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Garry Shandling, Roseanne, and 5 other comics. Disc 2 includes Drew Carey, Louie Anderson, Steven Wright, Rita Rudner, Gallagher, and 5 other comics.

"The Best of The Tonight Show - King of Late Night" - Fan Favorites from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson! This new 2-disc configuration is a must-own for any classic TV Fan, as well as a perfect starter set for Johnny Carson fans. Features 4 top-selling Carson shows: (1) Johnny's Animal Hijinks Volume 1: When the King of Late Night meets the animal kingdom, the results are always hilarious! (2) Tonight Show Memories: 30 years of the funniest highlights and biggest stars with Ed, Doc, and Johnny. (3) Return to Studio One (3/6/69): This classic episode is regarded as one of the funniest shows in television history. Features Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and George Gobel. (4) The Final Show - America Says Farewell: A must for any fan, this is the most requested Carson Show ever!

DVD Verdict: Allow me to get nostalgic for a moment and just say that, for me and many others of my generation (that DMZ between baby boomers and generation X), The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson is television comfort food.

Growing up in the late Seventies, I officially knew that I had tempted the gods and stayed up too late whenever I heard Ed McMahon's familiar "Heeeere's Johnnnny!" booming from the Zenith set in the family room. There was an irresistibly conspiratorial sense to it all. When Carson sauntered out on stage from behind that huge multicolored curtain, I felt like I had crept into the forbidden land of grown-ups, where everyone was spry and funny and sophisticated and cool.

Luckily for all concerned, there are glimmers of nostalgic wonder to be had from both these wonderful 2-disc sets. First we have "The Best of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Stand-Up Comedians," which culls from a range of decades, yet focuses mainly on more recognizable (read that: more bankable) names; many of whom appear startlingly young on Carson's stage for their first-ever televised performances.

In truth it's a hit-or-miss assemblage, with plenty of obscure funny folks tucked in among the stars-on-the rise; as such, it's more of an archival release, something to have if you're either a huge fan of stand-up in general or perhaps very fanatical about the performers featured here. Carson fans should probably bypass this set, since the host is relegated strictly to introducing his guests and nothing else.

The first disc features performances from Roseanne Barr, Rich Shydner, Steve Wright, Brett Butler, Bill Kirchenbauer, Jerry Seinfeld, Louie Anderson, Ronnie Shakes, Kelly Monteith and Garry Shandling. The second disc houses clips of Drew Carey, Sean Morey, George Carlin, David Brenner, Gallagher, Daryl Sivad, Rita Rudner, Maureen Murphy, Rich Hall and Rodney Dangerfield.

"The Best of the Tonight Show: The King of Late Night," a two-disc set that ostensibly pays tribute to Johnny Carson's 30-year reign on The Tonight Show. Alas, this unimaginatively assembled package barely captures the charisma that made Johnny an American treasure. The four shows included here make for a pleasant stroll down memory lane, but the uninitiated might wonder what the fuss was all about.

Each disc features two shows, which are described above, but for most everybody it's 'The Final Show: America Says Farewell' that'll have you all tuned in once again. It's a milestone episode, with Johnny's swan song on May 22, 1992 clearly essential viewing. The show includes best-of clips, a behind-the-scenes vignette, a montage of guests and a genuinely choked-up Carson saying goodbye to his audience. These are both Full Screen Presentations (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, but don't come with any Special Features.

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