The Johnny Carson Show Season 1, Episode 11: James Arness

Catch Up With the News

In the series premiere, Johnny imitates Edward R. Murrow in a spoof of Murrow's Person to Person program featuring Johnny's first wife Jody and their three children. In Catch Up With the News, Johnny plays a roving reporter.

30 min

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Johnny imitates Walter Cronkite, takes a look at the pitfalls of marriage, and parodies Goldilocks And The Three Bears and You Are There.

30 min

Life in the 80's

Sketches include a spoof of the Russian ballet, Catch Up With The News and a 1950s-style look at the future, as Johnny imagines what life will be like in 1980.

30 min

Dillinger, The Mental Wizard

Johnny plays Dillinger, The Mental Wizard, in a parody of Joseph Dunniger, the famous mind reader (This sketch is the early inspiration for Carson's most famous character from his Tonight Show years, Carnac The Magnificent). Another sketch finds Johnny playing tourist in Paris; we also get an idea of what might happen to your television reception near an airport.

30 min

Jack Albertson

Johnny takes care of unfinished business; Jack Albertson appears in sketches about Johnny's fan club and bachelor life. Then Johnny plays violinist Yasha Carson.

30 min

Dimitri Tiomkin

Legendary movie composer Dimitri Tiomkin appears in the Johnny's Record Collection sketch. Then Johnny salutes old time Vaudeville, and stars in an epic Greek-Trojan war sketch.

30 min

Ed Sullivan Impersonation

30 min

Stay-at-Home Husband

Johnny plays a stay-at-home husband whose wife has a very unusual job. Other sketches include the Giveaway Pet Parade, a precursor to the numerous segments Johnny would do with animals later in his career, and a look at what the detective show Dragnet might have been like during the time of Alexander the Great.

30 min