Dec 11, 2025
Mark Malkoff is a comedian, writer, and podcast host. He has
been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR's Weekend
Edition, and for eight years hosted the popular podcast The Carson
Podcast.
His new book, "Love Johnny Carson," is a wildly entertaining
account by one of the world's most obsessed and informed fans of TV
icon Johnny Carson, setting the record straight on Carson's legacy
and shining a light on the personality behind the legendary
comedian and talk show host.
Carson aficionado Mark Malkoff has amassed more Carson stories
from original sources than anyone in entertainment history,
speaking to over four hundred individuals, and now, in "Love Johnny
Carson," he sets the record straight in this comprehensive portrait
of Carson's life, career, legacy, and character.
The book covers the debuts of stand-up comics like David
Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres, the never-before-detailed reasons
why Johnny stopped talking to Joan Rivers, why he banned guests
like William Shatner and Orson Welles, the true origins of Carnac
the Magnificent (it wasn't stolen from Steve Allen), the part
Johnny played in getting Nixon elected president, the beloved
comedian who the Carson writers dreaded guest-hosting, and many
other behind-the-scenes stories of the funniest and most beloved
Carson moments of all time.
"ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones" is a podcast that
features smart, funny, and heartfelt conversations with
celebrities, innovators, and everyday heroes. The show is designed
to entertain, enlighten, and offer listeners new insights into the
world, others, and themselves.
The podcast is hosted by Randall Kenneth Jones, a bestselling
author, speaker, and creative communications consultant. The
announcer is the celebrated voice actor Susan Bennett, widely known
as the original voice of Siri.
The podcast offers a unique spin on knowledge and education,
emphasizing the importance of conversation, laughter, listening,
and critical thinking. It is often described as an "antidote to
today's anxiety-ridden media landscape."
Podcast Highlights:
• Based on Mark’s new book, this episode is an introduction to
Mark’s outstanding behind-the-scenes look at Johnny Carson’s 30
years as leader of The Tonight Show.
• Randy introduces a new “game show” entitled "Does Wikipedia
Lie?” to introduce Mark and the various comedy stunts he has pulled
off with Starbucks, Ikea, Netflix, & AirTran.
• Let the name-dropping begin (from both guest and host):
David Letterman, Michael J. Fox, Stephen Colbert, Joan Embery, Tiny
Tim, Tommy Newsome, Rodney Dangerfield, Merv Griffin, Joey Bishop,
Steve Lawrence, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Jennifer Tilly, William
Shatner, Diane Carroll, Lola Falana, Redd Foxx, Diana Ross, Gwen
Verdon, The Pope, Dick Cavett, Buddy Rich, Steve McQueen, Shirley
Jones, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Webb, Jimmy Cagney, Kate Capshaw, Jerry
Lewis, Richard Nixon, Joan Rivers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sammy
Davis, Jr.,
• Mark and Randy both share touching, personal anecdotes about
Regis Philbin.
• Mark credits Carson’s Midwest roots and his “likability” as
major contributors to his success.
• Randy's take-away from the book: “Carson is a combination of
ego, paranoia, compassion, and above all, loyalty.”
• Mark discusses Carson’s pet peeves (being corrected, someone
turning their back on him).
• The pair discusses the impact of being young white kids and
the benefit of being introduced to black entertainers via the
show.
• The pair discusses their definitions of “star quality.” Mark
talks about the power of someone’s “aura,” onstage and offstage.
Randy tells his personal story about interviewing Chita Rivera and
how she shaped his view of star quality.
Best Quotes:
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• Mark Malkoff: "For thirty years, Carson would become the one
man who could calm a nervous nation during those anxious moments
between wakefulness and sleep."
• Mark Malkoff: He could listen to the guest, anticipate what
he wanted to ask next, and, at the same time, scroll through the
joke Rolodex in his mind to find the right quip."
• Mark Malkoff: “That was Carson’s brilliance. He knew what
the audience wanted.”
• Mark Simone: "When you were a little kid growing up, Carson
taught you this is how to be an adult. This is how to have a
personality. This is how to conduct yourself in life."
ON THE KNOWS is produced and edited by Kevin Randall
Jones.
Mark Malkoff: www.MarkMalkoff.com
Randall Kenneth Jones: www.RandallKennethJones.com
Susan Bennett: www.SusanCBennett.com
Kevin Randall Jones: www.KevinRandallJones.com