Classic TV: If You Went To Work Bleery Eyed, You Were Probably Up Late Watching Johnny Carson

The word 'genius' is overused.  So is the world 'brilliant'.  You hear them so much these days that they've lost their meaning.

But they apply here.

Johnny Carson was a genius at his craft.  And was was brilliant at what he did.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson wasn't just a popular late night show.  It owned late night.  Oh I know, Letterman is great, Leno was awesome, Fallon is an up-and-comer, Kimmel is funny....but they're not Johnny.  And they'd probably be the first to tell you that.

In a time when there was basically 3 channel's (ABC,NBC,CBS)...and then through what I would call the 'beginning' of cable television, when 10:30 P.M. hit....well, there was really only one channel, NBC with 'The Tonight Show'.  The other networks?  Hmm..well, I guess they must have had something on, didn't they??

In this great classic video, 'Mr. Warmth', Don Rickles stops by to visit with Johnny.