Carson's Comedy Classics

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Carson's Comedy Classics was a stripped 1/2 hour syndicated television show that was first released to U.S. television stations in 1983.

The program was made from segments and sketches taken from The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson from 1962-1982. An interesting note about this program is that it sort of debunks the legend that many of the original Tonight Show episodes from the first two decades of Carson's reign no longer exist. When Carson would have his annual Tonight Show Anniversary show in prime time on NBC, the Anniversary shows were mainly flashback clip shows, and it was usually the same vintage sketches which got the showcase on the shows, but Carson's Comedy Classics show that there were many classic sketches and segments that have never been seen since the original airing, and many of the sketches and segments in Carson's Comedy Classics have never been released on DVD either.

Each segment was carefully edited to avoid any reference to "The Tonight Show" or "NBC". Recurring segments were classic Carnac The Magnificent, Aunt Blabby, Floyd R. Turbo, Stump The Band, Tea Time Movie and other sketches as well as vintage and memorable bits with animal trainers Jim Fowler and Joan Embry and the animals they brought on The Tonight Show. There are also moments where there are segments where Carson would do an activity, like learning karate (he broke a plywood board with his head on one episode), or gymnastics, volleyball, and even trying to start a campfire in a race to do so spearheaded by some boy scouts. Many clips also showcase celebrities with Carson, usually in sketches; George C. Scott, Juliet Prowse, Bob Hope and Don Rickles among others. The Tonight Show stock regulars who were unknowns but may have had a few lines here and there in certain sketches were referred to as The Carson Comedy Players in the opening credits of Carsons Comedy Classics.

The programs themselves had no real running order to it, and thus could be bicycled by any affliate who ran it, also allowing the station to run it whenever they chose, usually late in the evening.

The program was produced and directed by Kenneth J. Koerner. It was Executive produced by Carson Productions.

Ed McMahon narrated the opening credits.