So Johnny Carson makes a guest appearance in the DARK??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 10-21-2020, 03:05 PM

The storyline was Mary was throwing a big party and her building had a power outage. So she planned for Johnny Carson to show up and he did but he was in the dark. You only heard his voice

Definitely the most pointless guest appearance by a celebrity in TV history

PracTz · 10-27-2020, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The storyline was Mary was throwing a big party and her building had a power outage. So she planned for Johnny Carson to show up and he did but he was in the dark. You only heard his voice

Definitely the most pointless guest appearance by a celebrity in TV history

I think that's how Mr. Carson wanted it. As witty and urbane as he was when he was 'on' during 'The Tonight Show' tapings, he was notoriously shy the instant the camera's red eye would dim. I suppose he and the Tinkers had been social friends and he agreed to be on the show but his shyness was so daunting, this wound up being the only way this could have been pulled off.

Let's not forget that he virtually dropped out of sight altogether with only a very small number of public appearances thereafter once he retired from 'The Tonight Show'

TVFactFan · 10-27-2020, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

I think that's how Mr. Carson wanted it. As witty and urbane as he was when he was 'on' during 'The Tonight Show' tapings, he was notoriously shy the instant the camera's red eye would dim. I suppose he and the Tinkers had been social friends and he agreed to be on the show but his shyness was so daunting, this wound up being the only way this could have been pulled off.

Let's not forget that he virtually dropped out of sight altogether with only a very number of appearances thereafter once he retired from 'The Tonight Show'

I heard a lot of people didnt believe it was him at the time

PracTz · 10-27-2020, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

I heard a lot of people didnt believe it was him at the time

Not surprising but then they DID get First Lady Betty Ford to play herself so why not a cine noir appearance by Mr. Carson to boot for that last season?

OH Nuts! · 10-27-2020, 01:58 PM

They probably did it this way on purpose. It was a running gag that Mary’s parties tended to be disasters. And a famous celeb turning up, who couldn’t be seen, would certainly add to making a party a bummer.

It might have even been Rich Little, who does a killer impression of J.C.

icecream · 10-27-2020, 02:21 PM

This isn't the only time a celebrity has made a voice only cameo. Frasier had a bunch of celebrities who were unseen callers to Frasier's radio show. And Gracie Allen was heard but not seen on an episode of The Jack Benny Program I saw this past weekend on Antenna TV's marathon.

Willbo · 10-27-2020, 04:30 PM

It was actually Johnny Carson that "appeared" in the episode. There was quite a bit of publicity about it at the time.

LUNCH · 10-27-2020, 04:41 PM

I think they may have been also looking for some type of twist on the normal big celebrity guest appearances of the time. Here they had Johnny Carson who was a very big name back then. Then they announced he was going to make a guest appearance and then you wind up just hearing his voice in the dark. It was not what the audience expected. However even doing that, they really still should have shown him at least for a second or two.

TVFactFan · 10-27-2020, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUNCH

I think they may have been also looking for some type of twist on the normal big celebrity guest appearances of the time. Here they had Johnny Carson who was a very big name back then. Then they announced he was going to make a guest appearance and then you wind up just hearing his voice in the dark. It was not what the audience expected. However even doing that, they really still should have shown him at least for a second or two.

Or in the closing credits

CosmicCharlie · 01-16-2021, 11:31 PM

and it made it simple - Carson could just do a voice over recording from any studio and not have a cameo ... no need to show up ...

Wiseguy2 · 01-29-2021, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

They probably did it this way on purpose. It was a running gag that Mary’s parties tended to be disasters. And a famous celeb turning up, who couldn’t be seen, would certainly add to making a party a bummer.

It might have even been Rich Little, who does a killer impression of J.C.

Of course they did it on purpose. That was the whole point. Having Johnny Carson just appear on the show would have been pointless. Rich Little? Don't you (any others here) know how to read credits?

Wiseguy2 · 01-29-2021, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUNCH

I think they may have been also looking for some type of twist on the normal big celebrity guest appearances of the time. Here they had Johnny Carson who was a very big name back then. Then they announced he was going to make a guest appearance and then you wind up just hearing his voice in the dark. It was not what the audience expected. However even doing that, they really still should have shown him at least for a second or two.

Obviously, that would have ruined the joke. They did it right.

Wiseguy2 · 01-29-2021, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The storyline was Mary was throwing a big party and her building had a power outage. So she planned for Johnny Carson to show up and he did but he was in the dark. You only heard his voice

Definitely the most pointless guest appearance by a celebrity in TV history

Definitely the most pointless comment. Sorry if you don't understand comedy.

TVFactFan · 01-30-2021, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiseguy2

Definitely the most pointless comment. Sorry if you don't understand comedy.

I guess I dont since I didnt see him

opus · 01-30-2021, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

It might have even been Rich Little, who does a killer impression of J.C.

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10-21-2020, 03:05 PM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,950	So Johnny Carson makes a guest appearance in the DARK??? The storyline was Mary was throwing a big party and her building had a power outage. So she planned for Johnny Carson to show up and he did but he was in the dark. You only heard his voice Definitely the most pointless guest appearance by a celebrity in TV history

10-27-2020, 02:21 PM	#6
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,606	This isn't the only time a celebrity has made a voice only cameo. Frasier had a bunch of celebrities who were unseen callers to Frasier's radio show. And Gracie Allen was heard but not seen on an episode of The Jack Benny Program I saw this past weekend on Antenna TV's marathon.
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10-27-2020, 01:58 PM	#5
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	They probably did it this way on purpose. It was a running gag that Mary’s parties tended to be disasters. And a famous celeb turning up, who couldn’t be seen, would certainly add to making a party a bummer. It might have even been Rich Little, who does a killer impression of J.C.

10-27-2020, 04:30 PM	#7
Willbo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 10, 2012 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 859	It was actually Johnny Carson that "appeared" in the episode. There was quite a bit of publicity about it at the time.

10-27-2020, 04:41 PM	#8
LUNCH Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 23, 2010 Location: New York State Posts: 1,304	I think they may have been also looking for some type of twist on the normal big celebrity guest appearances of the time. Here they had Johnny Carson who was a very big name back then. Then they announced he was going to make a guest appearance and then you wind up just hearing his voice in the dark. It was not what the audience expected. However even doing that, they really still should have shown him at least for a second or two.

01-16-2021, 11:31 PM	#10
CosmicCharlie Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 14, 2019 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,416	and it made it simple - Carson could just do a voice over recording from any studio and not have a cameo ... no need to show up ...