"The Tonight Show" w/ Johnny Carson Coming to DVD! (1 Viewer)

[Michael*K]

Don't recall seeing an earlier post about this, but there was a story in USA Today stating that episodes of "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson are making their first appearance on DVD on September 15th. Carson now has is own website and is selling previous episodes of his show directly. The details of the three disc set can be seen here: "The Tonight Show" DVD Collection . The set is selling for $89.99 ($79.99 for pre-orders prior to August 31st.) I assume that this is only being sold direct through the website, since I saw no information available from any of the regular video retailers I deal with.
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--Mike
Amazon Hot 100 DVD's

 

[David Lambert]

Hmmm. I may have to think about that one. Like The Muppet Show, this is a great candidate for making an exception to my "no best-of TV shows" rule. Variety shows like these are better kept to Best-Of moments. I grew up watching Johnny, and I wouldn't mind having this. I'll probably pre-order it when I get my paycheck.
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DAVE/Memphis
My 3-year-old enjoying Superman - The Movie in widescreen:

(Some of my DVD's are to the left side of the picture)

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This is a tough call.
I had been praying that Buena Vista release
the Johnny Carson set that has been available
on laserdisc and VHS.
Had Buena Vista done that, we would not be
taken for a ride in what blatantly appears to
be highway robbery.
$80 (+shipping) for a 3-disc set? This is
highway robbery!
Unfortunately, I am a big fan of Carson.
The laserdisc and VHS set that has been available
is terrific. I wish I didn't sell the laserdisc
off years ago.
This set appears to have even MORE material.
So, I guess I am going to shell out the money.
I am not happy about it.
...and get this....$9.95 for STANDARD 2-3 week delivery.
Is this company friggin' nuts?
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Ronald Epstein (pronounced like the English "Ronald Epstein")
Circa 2000
Home Theater Forum Administrator
All forum questions & to get on our private forum mailing list (new members)... Email: [email protected]
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[Michael*K]

As a big fan of the show, I'll likely get it as well, though I think even at $80.00 it's price gouging. But with Johnny not picking up $$$ off the lecture circuit, he has to make a living somehow.

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--Mike
Amazon Hot 100 DVD's

 

[alan halvorson]

I still have my Johnny Carson Collection on LD, which I view on a regular basis. It looks pretty good - I don't see where a dvd is going to be a huge improvement. While I would love to have this new set, the price is just too stiff for what you get. Now, at $40 or so, it would be a no-brainer. Think about it, Johnny.
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They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV
[Edited last by alan halvorson on August 23, 2001 at 05:02 PM]

 

[Glenn Overholt]

This is one where I wish somebody would put together all of the Carnac spots and issue them. I'd be in tears long before it ended!
Glenn

 

[Ahmed]

This is actually great news. I've been watching the infomercials for this and the Dean Martin Roasts for ages hoping for the DVDs. A couple of times, after a night of drinking, I've actually considered ordering the VHS.

 

[Jeff Reis]

Funny, I was just last night starting to convert my Johnny Carson collection LD to VCD. While it would be nice to have it on DVD and with all the extra stuff, it is a little steep to upgrade. For anyone who doesn't already have the set in another format and is a big Carson fan, it is a great set, it's loaded with vintage clips--but 80 bucks is on the high side in this age of cheap dvds. If I can ever find it for a low price I may pick it up, but after getting the LDs (for 12 bucks no less), I think I'll pass. Now if only those pinheads at NBC would release some vintage Letterman finally.
[Edited last by Jeff Reis on August 23, 2001 at 06:31 PM]
[Edited last by Jeff Reis on August 23, 2001 at 06:37 PM]

 

[David Lambert]

Wow. When I made my earlier post, I didn't realize it was only a 3-disc set for that $80 tag...nor did I realize that the S&H was so stiff, either!
Thanks for the heads-up, Ron.
Sooooo - I think not. I'm not sure that, with all the years Johnny was on the air, that 3 discs can contain enough of the good stuff that would make this a true "best of". And I don't love Johnny enough to just give my money away to him.
I'll wait to find this cheaper, somehow...someway. I'd pay that much for maybe a 5-disc set, but 3 is out of the question.
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DAVE/Memphis
My 3-year-old enjoying Superman - The Movie in widescreen:

(Some of my DVD's are to the left side of the picture)

 

[Brian-W]

Funny, I was just last night starting to convert my Johnny Carson collection LD to VCD.

Now why on earth would you want to do that? Going from a nice looking picture to a 352x240 overly compressed picture?
Just need to understand the reasoning for this.
$80 for the DVD set is a rip off. Hell, the LD (Best of Johnny Carson) was only $59.99 on LD, I'm trying to figure out where the other $20 is going?
I guess spending the $40-$50 on ebay for the LD is a better route.
-Brian

 

[Eric Paddon]

There is really not much to recommend about the "Best Of Carson" set. The clips are way too short, usually only about a minute or so, and the only way Carson could ever be enjoyed properly was to see the show in it's unedited original context. Not only that but background music was redone to avoid paying fees, and on the last show, the montage of music guest bits that was part of the original was dropped.

 

[alan halvorson]

Well, uh, Eric, Johnny Carson did his show for how many years? What do you think the chances are that every available show will be put on dvd so that we may enjoy each bit "in its unedited original context"? I sure got an opinion on this.
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They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[L. W. Cobb]

Carson on DVD! Finally. However, since I already own the excellent LD set, I see no reason to spring for an over-priced DVD set.

 

[MikeSerrano]

Hmm... let's take a look at their pricing:
The Carson Collection contains 5 videocassettes and is priced at $50. That's about $10 per tape--not bad.
The Ultimate Carson Collection contains 3 DVDs and is priced at $80. That's about $27 per disc--huh!?
Even though, like Ahmed above, I've actually considered purchasing the VHS set, I'll have to pass on the DVDs untill the price drops below $60.
-Mike
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.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o 0o.
void *: Finger to spiritual emptiness underlying everything
.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o 0o.

[Edited last by MikeSerrano on August 24, 2001 at 09:25 AM]

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I had been praying that Buena Vista release
the Johnny Carson set that has been available
on laserdisc and VHS.

Buena Vista's VHS release is now out of print. It looks like the rights must have reverted back to Carson productions.
Jeff

 

[Mark Booth]

I'm with Ron. This looks pretty much like the Carson Collection that was available on Laserdisc and VHS, with a few extras thrown in. I paid $45 for the LD set and, since I still have mine, there is no way in hell I'm shelling out $80+ for the DVDs. At half that price, I'd start to think about it.
BTW, for those that have never seen it.. The Carson Collection is absolutely a wonderful collection! Yes, it is mostly composed of short snippets from the show but..MAN.. are these snippets hilarious! Any true Carson fan needs this collection (in one form or another) in their library! You will watch it again and again!
Mark
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Our Home Theater
Our DVD Collection

 

[Jeff Reis]

Now why on earth would you want to do that? Going from a nice looking picture to a 352x240 overly compressed picture?
Just need to understand the reasoning for this.

Apologies for going somewhat ot...really don't want to turn this thread into a VCD discussion, but I'm sure Brian wasn't the only one thinking this.
a. My main LD player (side flipping CLD504) is on the blink and won't play discs. Not too thrilled about repair cost/hassle, though I plan to fix it or buy a new one sometime soon.
b. I'm really quite amazed at the quality I'm getting capturing VCDs w/ Radeon--yes it's not *great* but it was surprisingly acceptable to me, even on a 60" tv. And I can watch stuff on the laptop. Put them on rewritables and they make a very cheap, less cumbersome, acceptable alternative to tape for me.

 

[Larry Bevil]

I still have my laserdisc copies of the Best of Johnny Carson. While the DVD's may be a little more convenient, there is no way I'll spend $80.00 for that set. So, chalk me up to No Sale!

 

[Eric Paddon]

My complaint is that compared to the annunal anniversary shows (which thankfully I kept on tape) or the syndicated "Carson's Comedy Classics" repeats, the video set gave clips that were too short IMO and not worth the money unless you'd never bothered to tape any Carson shows or anniversary shows while he was still on the air. On the anniversary shows you'd get a full in-context clip of 3-5 minutes, whereas on the video set the clips were simply too short IMO. I bought the boxed set on VHS and after being disappointed with it after one viewing haven't looked at it since.
By contrast, Carson is now setting up his own version of a Columbia House video club where you can get new specially prepared VHS tapes of more clips that sounds like a better way of opening up more of his archive to collectors than this DVD set sounds like.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

As I stated...
I broke down and bought the DVD set
and I am not too proud of it.
I had the laserdiscs, but hastily sold
them to make a fst buck when the DVD format
first appeared.
It basically looks like the same anniversary
set that has been available on LD and VHS, with
a few extras thrown in.
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Ronald Epstein (pronounced like the English "Ronald Epstein")
Circa 2000
Home Theater Forum Administrator
All forum questions & to get on our private forum mailing list (new members)... Email: [email protected]
Problems with the webpage or site? Contact WEBMASTER
Email Packy [email protected]