It seems like a big part of the reason Carson gets that reputation is his consistency and reliability and stuff like that. And another part of it, I think, is... well, it's not exactly simple boomer nostalgia, but rather that Carson did most of his work in a pre-cable-TV, pre-internet, pre-entertainment-industry-fragmentation era; and, just as much, that he mostly worked before the explosion of irony and snark and sarcasm as the default worldview.

I should say that I'm definitely no expert, that Carson was mostly before my time, and that none of this is meant to denigrate his work or achievements. The game's changed, that's all.

I don't think it's something you could truly capture with a YouTube link or two. As box said, his consistency is a large part of his legend. Carson had an incredible gift for making his guests comfortable and getting the best out of them. He knew when to let the guest dominate the segment and when to step in. That's something few hosts are even given the opportunity to do anymore. Today the format is very micromanaged to the point of not allowing much spontaneity.

And as a performer, Carson had impecable timing. He knew when to jump in with a zinger and when to ride the moment before capping it off with a joke. Cap that off with the fact that he was very likable and comforting and had the attention of a large portion of the country every night. There were other great hosts before him, but he somehow took the format to another level - and then he maintained that higher standard throughout his career.

Johnny has been one of my heroes since I was a little kid. I have the Carson best-of DVDs which I still enjoy and still laugh at many of the jokes I've laughed at for 30+ years. I really wish someone would show the full 90 minute episodes - because sometimes it was less obvious moments that made the show special.

Definitely before my time, but here are a few clips that came to mind...

The classic Ed Ames tomahawk toss. Carson gets his zinger in at the end.

This clip of Albert Brooks as a guest always cracked me up because of how of much Carson laughs at the end.

Also, all those animal guests.

This article seems to second what box said. Another take.

I'm not sure pointing to specific videos would really help. For every hilarious Carson bit I can find, anyone else can easily match with a Leno or Letterman one. I personally couldn't say anything about "greatest ever," especially since I rarely watch Leno or Letterman and don't think I've ever seen Conan, but I watched a lot of Carson while babysitting and I enjoyed the guest segments but disliked most of the comedy bits (Steve Allen was way funnier to me). What I liked best was the way Carson handled things when his monologue was bombing. Man was definitely a pro.

Here's a piece from one of his contemporaries that might shed some more light on the subject: Dick Cavett - "What's So Funny About Nebraska?"

I think Carson was an amazing host, but his shows were great not just because of him, but because of the guests and the culture.

Carson's show wasn't the assembly-line promotion device that we see today, where each guest only comes on for a few minutes to shill their latest show, movie or music. There was shilling, but you also had guests come on because they were damn interesting and funny. I love seeing someone like Peter O'Toole show up on Letterman because that kind of raconteur is so rare these days.

Here's a few Carson clips with guests we'll never see again. They may not be the best of Carson, but they give you an idea of how the show was presented and paced differently, especially when they had 90 minutes.

- Jack Benny and Mel Blanc
- Smoking and drinking with George Gobel, Dean Martin and and Bob Hope.
- Paul Lynde
- Frank Zappa on censoring "phonograph records"(1, 2)

Plus:
- Johnny deals with a bombed joke
- Johnny deals with animals and the famous mynah bird

Part of the Carson appeal is his unflagging enthusiasm for whatever was happening at the moment on the show. Kenneth Tynan's New Yorker piece is a must-read.

What maudlin says about the nature of the guests on Carson vs. today's shows. Half the time they used to book people because they were interesting and could talk; now talk shows are just one more stop on a book/movie/TV promotion tour. Tony Randell would come on and just shoot the shit about whatever he wanted to talk about and wasn't there to push a new show; it was more like hanging out with old friends than watching a thinly disguised infomercial.