The year was 1985. The best team in the National Football League was the Chicago Bears, who were just beginning their Super Bowl winning season under head coach Mike Ditka and quarterback Jim McMahon.
George Michael with ‘Careless Whisper’ and Madonna with ‘Like A Virgin’ dominated the music charts in 1985, just as the legendary Johnny Carson dominated late night television.
In 1985, Carson was in the midst, really towards the end, of possibly the most accomplished career in television that the industry has ever seen. He had turned the Tonight Show into the marquee television program in the United States.
The best interviews, guests, and entertainment were always on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and the ratings showed it. Carson dominated his era, and would even dominate today with the same exact numbers.
Stephen Colbert, the leader of the current late night ratings, only pulls in about a third of the audience that Mr. Carson and Ed McMahon pulled in on an average night.
At the time, nearly 4% of the Nation was tuning in to Johnny Carson on a nightly basis. For a program to have this effect today, they would need. nightly audience of 14 million.
It could be said that nobody since Johnny Carson has had the cultural effect from the position of a talk show host.
On October 18th, 1985, Carson welcomed ‘The Great One,’ Jackie Gleason onto the Tonight Show for his first and only appearance on the program.
Gleason, who is among the most popular television actors of all time, saw tremendous success through the 1970s with his film series ‘Smokey and the Bandit,’ starring alongside Burt Reynolds.
His work in ‘The Hustler,’ starring opposite of Paul Newman, is said to be one of the greatest film acting performances of its era, and still stands out today.
Gleason was as respected as an entertainer could possibly be, and it showed. Throughout Carson’s interview with Gleason, you get the feeling that you are watching a fan interviewing Gleason, which Carson rarely ever appeared to be.
His admiration and respect for Gleason shines, as the star discusses his legendary career and rise to prominence in showbusiness. Through Gleason’s stories, the audience gains an understanding of the vast differences between the early days of television, and today.
Watch Gleason’s full interview with Johnny Carson from the Tonight Show in 1985 in the clip below,
It’s sad to know that both of these legends are no longer with us. Rest in peace, Mr. Gleason and Mr. Carson.
