Film Vault Friday: Simpler days of late night

Deep breath, fellow late night tv fans. As much as we’ve all been enjoying the sniping this week, it’s time for a bit of a pallate cleanser.

For those under 30, this may come as a shock, but once upon a time the world of late night television was a little more subdued. No politics, no backstabbing, no blame game, no hiding in closets during executive meetings (I know, I know — it doesn’t seem like much fun).

Here’s a glimpse into those days, courtesy of the incredible Youtube collection from user AllJohnnyAndDave. Two Tonight Show hosts – Johnny Carson and Jack Paar – reminiscing about the classier days of late night tv, during the classier days of late night tv. This is what bridges left intact look like.

Edit: I’d be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t point you towards this worthy honorable mention: Howard Stern predicted this mess, three years ago. Wow.

About the Author

Sharilyn Johnson is the author of the book Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z. Called "one of the city’s most discriminating comedy critics” by NOW Magazine, Sharilyn has been covering comedy for longer than she cares to admit. She served as the comedy reporter for Winnipeg's Uptown Magazine for five years, and was the host of the radio show Laugh Tracks for three seasons. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, the Winnipeg Free Press, The Apiary, and on CBC Radio's national comedy programs LOL and Definitely Not the Opera.