TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {SUPER DAVE OSBORNE, POCO, RICHARD PRYOR, SVETLANA STARODOMSKAYA} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are comedian Bob Einstein, in character as stuntman "Super Dave" Osborne, musical group Poco, comedian Richard Pryor and Russian news anchor Svetlana Starodomskaya. In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: Doc Severinsen's trip to Detroit; the ongoing "Berlin Wall fever"; Barbara Walters' interview with former President and First Lady Reagan; recent goings-on on the CBS TV series "Beauty and the Beast"; why many Americans are beginning to learn Japanese; Congress' attempt to give its own members pay raises; and a strange scientific discovery about chickens.
"Super Dave," bearing gifts for Carson and McMahon, sits down to discuss the following: his recent experience training boxer Evander Holyfield with the help of a competitive computer program, including a clip of one of their sessions; a number of comical toys as invented by Osborne, including a children's book, "Zsa Zsa-Rella," about the notoriously dramatic Gabor sister; and his involvement with the "Singalong Society of North America," which is attempting to eradicate road-rage profanity via song. Super Dave is shown singing and playing the piano atop a moving bus, which unfortunately soon enters a low tunnel.
Poco performs "Call It Love" from their album "Legacy," and Pryor then joins Carson onstage to discuss the following: his Ferrari Testarossa and occasional love of speeding; his new film "Harlem Nights" (1989), written and directed by "Saturday Night Live" star Eddie Murphy; his early days at the Apollo Theater in Harlem; how his longtime desire to be a singer led to his comedy career; and his dislike of watching himself onscreen.
The final guest, Starodomskaya, then talks with Carson about the following: his "very strange" and decidedly "not Russian" jokes; why she "strongly protests" to being compared to Barbara Walters and the considerable difference in their salaries; her curiosity about Carson's "macho" emotions; Americans' biggest misconceptions about Russian people; Russian television and their "very bad" commercials; her positive and negative impressions of Los Angeles; Americans' preference for sports over art and literature; her observation that American talk shows do not show their audiences on-camera as Russian shows do; and how political humor can encourage important changes. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: November 17, 1989 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:24
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:43389
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; Talk/Interview; Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Acura automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Hershey's chocolate
- TV - Commercials - Kodak film
- TV - Commercials - Nissan automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Presto SaladShooter slicer-shredder
- TV - Commercials - Quaker Natural cereal
- TV - Commercials - Rice-A-Roni rice
- TV - Commercials - The Sugar Association, Inc.
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Commercials - United Ski Industries Association
- TV - Promo - "When Harry Met Sally" home video
- TV - Promos - "Friday Night Videos"
- TV - Promos - "Saturday Night Live"
CREDITS
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Co-Host
- Tommy Newsom … Conductor
- Poco … Guest, Performer
- Bob Einstein (see also: Super Dave Osborne) … Guest
- Richard Pryor … Guest
- Svetlana Starodomskaya … Guest
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
- Evander Holyfield
- Eddie Murphy
- Ronald Reagan
- Nancy Reagan
- Doc Severinsen
- Barbara Walters