Johnny Carson: Director Discusses 'King Of Late Night' (VIDEO)

PBS will air "The King of Late Night," a documentary on Johnny Carson, a notoriously private celebrity.

Twenty years after he stepped down as host of The Tonight Show, PBS will premiere a documentary on Johnny Carson called "King of Late Night" as a part of its "American Masters" series. Peter Jones -- the documentary's director, producer, and writer -- appeared on CBS This Morning to discuss the project he's dreamed of for 15 years (he says he wrote Johnny a letter every year during that time, asking to collaborate on a documentary about the comedian).

Check out the video above for clips from the documentary, plus more on Carson's ability to "hide in plain sight" as a notoriously private celebrity, and what surprising fact Jones discovered about Johnny.

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Comments

[smart8001]

02:21 PM on 05/20/2012

I wonder why there was no mention of Carson's long-time producer, Fred deCordova- a relationship which ended badly. Still, he was in charge for mnost of those years

[akrazyrunner]

01:11 PM on 05/16/2012

One a year Carson would try a Lincoln joke, which would fail miserably
He'd turn and look into the camera and say, "What? still too soon?"

[JohnnyRivers]

04:45 PM on 05/15/2012

Johnny was television magic. He could take an iffy joke, fumble the delivery and still have everyone laughing sloppingly. Johnny Carson taught a generation of young people (living in homes with few restrictions) how to be charming. Johnny stayed on-air too long but his die-hard fans, like myself, never left his side. It became clear he was not changing with the times when he finally pulled the plug. Carson screwed-up by not giving the chair to Letterman and that is the only negative I attach to Johnny Carson. It was sad to see his ending transition be so rough and controversial. We loved he guy.

[trailerguy]

09:30 AM on 05/16/2012

It waas not his choice.

[JohnnyRivers]

12:13 PM on 05/16/2012

If that's a fact and Johnny Carson had absolutely nothing to do with the decision why did he say he did? I don't have "inside" NBC information. I was just a fan and viewer. It was a loud public controversy that shadows the recent Leno/Coco spectacle.

[Anne Siperek]

04:44 PM on 05/15/2012

I watched this last nite - wonderful. What a cool guy. I remember my mom letting me stay up one nite in the 60s to watch The Tonight Show with her and how even though I was about 10. I got a lot of his humor. Im sure my mom got the rest! I really, really miss him. He wasn't perfect, sometimes he wasn't even funny, but he had something very comforting about him. I can't watch anyone more then 2 nights in a row now. Its just not there.

[trailerguy]

09:40 AM on 05/17/2012

i alwaya saw Jiohnny as kind of a hip uncle, Not edgey or mean like some of the other people in his profession. He soke to severla generations at once

[mbpeters]

09:31 AM on 05/15/2012

I miss Johnny.

[NHBill]

04:21 AM on 05/15/2012

Outstanding warts and all documentary.

[themightyabealrd]

04:09 AM on 05/15/2012

We'll never see his like again. The gentleness of his humor would not sit well with today's audiences. Carson was apologetic about enjoying a joke involving Lincoln's assassination
("Aside from that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?") that's quite tame by today's standards. One of the things I admire most about him is that he knew when his era was past and
made a dignified exit...the polar opposite of Bob Hope, in other words.

[NHBill]

04:35 AM on 05/15/2012

Could not disagree with you more.

Carson pushed the boundaries at every chance he could with sexual innuendo and racy jokes for the 1960's and 70's!

The Lincoln joke was about his Old Girlfriend back in Lincoln Nebraska...everybody took a shot at her in the balcony!

His final shows were dignified but he stayed on too long and retired after NBC kept leaking unflattering stories about his flagging ratings and tired demographics. By the end he only worked 3 nights a week on the rare weeks he did work.

The PBS doc strongly hints that he "checked out" rather than fight his emphysema. Apparently he was too vain to live tied to an oxygen bottle.

Carson was the best at what he did but was not a very pleasant man off stage, a serial philanderer and an absentee father to his children. He did not divorce his 4th wife because he didn't want to be That guy.

Deeply flawed but very talented a freshly minted Carson would most likely struggle in our 500 channel, highly segmented, late night universe.

[trailerguy]

10:36 AM on 05/15/2012

I read a biography of him some years ago. There were also allegations of spuose abuse. granted, he was a fliwed man, but great entertainer. One thing you can say about Johhny, is that he had dignity. When he quit the Tonight show, he dropped out of sight.The last thin he did was a voice over on Simpsons. He could have hawked insurance or whatever. he also left the Tonight Show, before he became a joke. He quit while he was ahead, like Cronkite.

[themightyabealrd]

11:37 PM on 05/15/2012

I agree with the 'flawed but very talented' characterization. I have almost no interest in the personal lives of performers, but there's nothing wrong with folks who find such matters relevant to their enjoyment of a star.
I must take issue with your 'The Lincoln joke' business as it implies there can only be one. The one you list refers to Linocln the town or locale and I take you at your word, that it is one Carson told. I remember him talking about the joke involving Lincoln the president, so we are both correct.
Thanks for sharing your views-very interesting-and for doing so in a thoughtful, rancor-free manner. One grows so tired of fellow posters who feel personal attacks and sarcasm are obligatory or amusing.

[Robert Lee Harrington]

02:51 AM on 05/15/2012

Great Show...both of them!

[MichaelMcKLA]

02:49 AM on 05/15/2012

Carson was one of a kind. He was a delight to behold. I read that in the 1980s, his show alone brought it about 30% of NBC's profits...which was quite telling about his popularity.

[Siren Song]

02:37 AM on 05/15/2012

Beautifully done. It was bittersweet to relive those wonderful years when Mr. Carson tucked us into bed Monday through Friday. Gosh, I miss him.

[wheelsofsteel]

02:31 AM on 05/15/2012

Heeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr's Johnny!

[huffnotes]

02:05 AM on 05/15/2012

We love you, and miss you, Johnny.

[Fan Tastic]

01:50 AM on 05/15/2012

I knew Johnny Carson, and Jay Leno is no Johnny Carson!

[trailerguy]

10:37 AM on 05/15/2012

There is no Johnny. But in some ways johnny was product of his times.

[kentusm]

01:29 AM on 05/15/2012

There must be more to the story.. I watched JC every night. In watching the special tonight, neither of his two remaining boys were interviewed.. Either they were not asked or they refused.

[trailerguy]

11:49 AM on 05/15/2012

I understand he had a strained relationship with his sons, and was not much of a father. I also think he left all his money to charity,noble, but I sure that pissed off his sons.

[Maximum number of charac]

01:12 AM on 05/15/2012

Best of the best.

"What forms on your dippity in the morning?"

[Counterglow]

01:53 AM on 05/15/2012

It's obvious ;-)