Late Night Last Century: George Lopez Crushes In First Tonight Show Set

Late Night Last Century is a weekly column highlighting some of the funniest and most unforgettable comedy from late night, talk shows, and variety shows of the 20th century that’s currently streaming on YouTube. This week, we look back on George Lopez’s debut performance on The Tonight Show.

My first introduction to late night television came on TBS. As I devoured reruns of my favorite sitcoms and movies, I started to stay up to watch one guy: George Lopez. And then later Conan O’Brien, who moved to the network following the whole NBC debacle. Sure, I loved Conan. But there was something about George’s presence that made each episode feel like it was an event. When Lopez Tonight was canceled in 2011 after two seasons, it didn’t make sense: how could bits like when Charles Barkley and Snoop Dogg took DNA tests to determine “Who’s Blacker” not secure that show a slot until the end of time? 

20 years before the end of Lopez Tonight, Lopez made his debut on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. At just 30 years old, Lopez crushes it on stage, making jokes about his Mexican heritage, family life, and offering some killer one liners about Taco Bell. “They have salsa in those little plastic packets,” he says, wiping tears from his face. “Just like my grandma used to make.” But with Lopez, it is not just what he says, but how he says it. His eyes, his hands, the way he sways back and forth, sometimes with his hand in his pocket, captivates. Poise from the beginning. At the end of the appearance, Carson and guest Bob Newhart can both be seen appreciatively clapping.