Jonathan Winters’ Funniest Moments NBC Almost Erased Forever

Jonathan Winters’ funniest moments with Johnny Carson survived one of television’s greatest losses — when NBC erased years of The Tonight Show tapes. From The Tonight Show to Hollywood Squares, these rare Jonathan Winters clips preserve comedy that almost disappeared forever. In this video, we revisit some of Jonathan Winters’ funniest and rarest television moments — including his unforgettable 1974 cat story with Johnny Carson, his memories of serving in the Marines, lightning-fast appearances on Hollywood Squares, and the legendary dead-body phone call that left Carson with nowhere to go. During the 1960s and early 1970s, NBC routinely erased and reused videotapes, wiping away countless hours of classic television history. Much of Jonathan Winters’ improvisational genius vanished with them. What survives today exists because certain broadcasts escaped the purge, syndication prints were preserved, and collectors kept recordings that networks once considered disposable. These are more than funny clips. They are fragments of a television legend we nearly lost forever. Which Jonathan Winters moment do you still remember? Share it in the comments. 0:00 The Lost Decade of Television History 1:47 The Cat Story That Defied Erasure 4:38 The Marine Who Narrated His Own Discomfort 7:47 Eight Seconds to Be Funny 13:33 The Infamous Dead Body Phone Call 18:28 Life in the Basement Studio #JonathanWinters #johnnycarson #TheTonightShow #classictv