This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

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 series is narrated by Ed McMahon, who, as a voiceover, introduces the program and each of the segments.

The program was made from segments and sketches taken from the first 20 years of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1982). Carson's full tenure on the program, which originally aired on the NBC Television Network, was from 1962-1992.

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 (examples being Ed Ames' classic miffed Tomahawk throw from 1965, Carson and Jack Webb doing a sketch about Copper Clappers from 1968, and John Twomey playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" with his hands from 1974; later anniversary shows would feature stand-up comedians, new sketches and clips from the previous year of Tonight Shows), but Carson's Comedy Classics show that there were many classic sketches and segments that have never been seen since the original airing that had at least still existed by 1982-1983 (when the show was put into production), and many of the sketches and segments in Carson's Comedy Classics have never been released on DVD either. Another note about the anniversary shows is that the popularity of them were probably the catalyst which spearheaded the creation of Carson's Comedy Classics, which is essentially a classic clip show edited down to a half an hour.

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 Embery 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 Carson's Comedy Classics (longtime Tonight Show stalwart Carol Wayne also appears in many Tea Time Movie sketches). And of course, Ed McMahon, who was Carson's sidekick and announcer, and stayed with Johnny for Carson's entire Tonight Show run (1962-1992), is prominently featured in Carsons Comedy Classics. McMahon also narrates the opening credits on the program as well. Final credits in each episode give mention to the staff of The Tonight Show and the producers and staff of Carson's Comedy Classics separately.

The programs themselves have no real running order to them, and thus could be broadcast in any order they chose by the station, usually late in the evening.

The program was produced and directed by Kenneth J. Koerner for Carson Productions and syndicated by Columbia Pictures Television.

Other appearances[link]

On October 1, 1996, the former Family Channel aired reruns of the show during its late-afternoon/early-evening and midnight time slots until September 27, 1997. Family Channel censored certain segments that contained racial, sexually lewd or "gay" jokes. This would often be noticeable when scenes "flip". This would happen mostly during the 'Carnac' segments when certain questions or "curses" would be censored by Family Channel.

In Australia, the show aired on the Nine Network throughout the 1980s and 1990s in various timeslots. Since then, reruns have aired on FOX Classics.

In 2008, the Chicago-based TV station Me-Too (WMEU-CA) began to air the show late at night. As of January 1, 2009, the station no longer airs the show.

Since the summer of 2009, ReelzChannel has aired reruns of the show during its 8:00 to 9:00 Monday thru Friday morning block [Source at Examiner.com: "Johnny Carson Now Reigns Supreme on Reelz Channel"]. Reruns have also aired on Comcast's Video on Demand.

Pop culture[link]

In The Simpsons episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious", Krusty the Clown hosted a similarly named program, Krusty's Komedy Klassics, live at the Apollo Theater.

Carson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is a chain of department stores that have been in business for over 150 years. Their product price points are targeted to the moderate-to-upscale shopper. The majority of the stores are located in the Chicago metropolitan area, with over 30 stores under the nameplate.

The Carson Pirie Scott name is strongly associated with the historic Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building designed by Louis Sullivan, built in 1899 for the retail firm Schlesinger & Mayer, and expanded and sold to Carson Pirie Scott in 1904. The building, located on State Street in Chicago's Loop, housed the chain's flagship store for more than a century before closing for good on February 21, 2007.

History[link]

Beginnings[link]

The chain began in 1854 when Samuel Carson opened a dry goods store in Amboy, Illinois, after he left Ireland. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed 60% of the store's stock. In 1961, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. greatly expanded in Illinois by purchasing the 20 unit Block & Kuhl chain headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

In 1980, to diversify its business, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. borrowed $108 million to buy Dobbs Houses, Inc., an airline caterer and owner of the Toddle House and Steak 'n Egg Kitchen restaurant chains. These were sold in 1988, as was the County Seat clothing chain.

In 1989, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. was acquired by P.A. Bergner & Co. (founded in Peoria, Illinois), who operated the Bergner's, Charles V. Weise, Myers Brothers and Boston Store chains.

Bankruptcy[link]

In 1991, P.A. Bergner & Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; upon emerging from bankruptcy in 1993, it became a NASDAQ publicly traded company, changing its operating name to Carson Pirie Scott & Co. One year later, the company commenced trading on the NYSE under the CRP symbol.

Acquisition by Proffitt's[link]

By 1998, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. ownership was held by Proffitt's, Inc., (later renamed Saks Incorporated to reflect the acquisition of Saks Fifth Avenue). The Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's, and Boston Store chains, along with Younkers and Herberger's nameplates, eventually operated as Saks' Northern Department Store Group (NDSG), based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In late 2005, however, the group was put up for sale as Saks Incorporated tried to refocus itself primarily on its core Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Sale to The Bon-Ton[link]

Carson's and its associated stores became part of The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. in a $1.1 billion deal completed on March 6, 2006.^[2] The group's base of merchandising and marketing operations remains in Milwaukee.

On August 25, 2006, the CEO of Bon-Ton announced that the landmark Carson Pirie Scott store in downtown Chicago would close after the 2006 holiday season. It will then be redeveloped by the building's owner, who purchased the property in 2001. As part of this redevelopment Target Corp. has announced that it will lease 12,400 square feet (1,150 m²) on two floors.^[3] It is expected that part of that space will be used to house a new smaller format urban Target store. The store closed February 21, 2007.^[4]

See also[link]

• Chicago architecture

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Siry, Joseph M. Carson Pirie Scott: Louis Sullivan and the Chicago Department Store. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1988. ISBN 0-226-76136-3

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carson Pirie Scott

• Carson Pirie Scott Official Website
• The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. investor relations home page