The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV Series)

Paul Reiser/Olivia d'Abo/Randy Travis (1989)

Ed McMahon: Self - Announcer

Quotes 

• Johnny Carson : [during the monologue]  Not much else happening in the news. On slow news days, you'll grab anything. There was a squib in the paper today. Did you know the first pay telephone went into service a hundred years ago to this day in the United States? First pay telephone. As I said, there's not a lot in the news. It was installed at the corner of 123rd Street in Amsterdam Avenue in New York City. And the very first caller was a Mrs. Mable Switlock, who opened the folding doors, stepped inside, and had her hat eaten by a humongous moth that was hovering around by the light.

  [mild audience laughter; Johnny turns to Doc Severinsen, who's talking to the band. Doc notices and turns around] 

  Johnny Carson : Wh-wh, now come on, let's hear it. It's like talking in class. Let's all hear it.

  Doc Severinsen : Well... we were just saying, if things don't pick up here in a minute, we'd have a little dance music for ya.

  [audience cheers] 

  Johnny Carson : [turns to Ed, who's talking to Fred de Cordova]  What are YOU two guys talking about? Now...

  Ed McMahon : I was just trying to explain that joke to Freddy. There's no way you can explain it to anybody. You can't explain it to anybody.

  Johnny Carson : Well, it just, it was just a silly-sounding joke. You try those things. I don't have a chance to take this crap on the road! You come out here...

  [the band starts playing "Tea For Two", and Johnny tap dances to audience applause/cheering] 

  Johnny Carson : There was this BIG moth.