Joe Toplyn

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“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”

I was on staff from November 1993 through November 1995.

Joe Toplyn and other "Chevy Chase Show" writers behind the Hollywood sign

Behind the Hollywood sign in July 1993. Clockwise from me, with the football: Dave Rygalski, James Baldwin, Fred Wolf, and Andy Aaron.

 

Right before I joined The Tonight Show as co-head writer I held the same position on The Chevy Chase Show. Chevy’s show only lasted on the air five weeks but the writers and I had some fun. One day we went up to the Hollywood sign to explore the possibility of Chevy tossing a football through the D.

 

Joe Toplyn, Charlie Sheen, and "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" staff at the Hollywood sign

With Jay, Charlie Sheen, and other cast and crew at the Hollywood sign, February 1994

 

 

We never managed to produce the Hollywood sign comedy piece for Chevy’s show and it became my Great White Whale. I conquered the piece seven months later on The Tonight Show: I had Jay coach Charlie “Major League” Sheen in throwing a baseball through the D. See my blog post “5 Reasons To Do Field Pieces” for more photos.

 

 

 

 

Jay Leno and Joe Toplyn prepare for the LA Kings

Jay and I take to the ice with the LA Kings, March 1994.

 

 

Jay was always up for pretty much anything that might set him apart from the late-night competition. For example, for one comedy piece we went out to the rink where the Los Angeles Kings hockey team practiced. Jay suited up as a goalie and we taped the players nailing him with slap shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Toplyn with other writers in his office at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"

At my desk with writers (clockwise from me) Peter Sears, T Sean Shannon, and Mike Colasuonno, November 1995.

 

 

The other co-head writer, Joe Medeiros, and I shared an office next door to Jay’s. Jay’s door was literally always open, which made it easier for us to pitch comedy ideas and keep the show well-stocked with material.

 

 

Joe Toplyn with other "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" writers in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, November 1995. Writers L to R: Dave Rygalski, T Sean Shannon, me, and Mike Colasuonno.

 

Just before I left Tonight to relocate back East we did a week of shows in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. Vegas is always fertile ground for comedy, with plenty of relatable topics and colorful environments. I also did shows there on Late Night with David Letterman.

 

 

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Joe Toplyn 2 days ago

Recently a company in Japan introduced vending machines that sell whale meat. And most Japanese people are saying no thanks. The only thing they want to buy from a vending machine is a piping hot cup of squid ink.

Joe Toplyn 3 days ago

A U.S. tourist was fined for driving his rental car over a centuries-old, medieval Italian bridge. The Italians were waving their hands, swearing a mile a minute, gesturing wildly…and then they saw the car on the bridge.

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In an Oscar snub, Tom Cruise did not get an acting nomination for "Top Gun: Maverick." Insiders say he got a lot of votes but came up short.

Joe Toplyn 5 days ago

Today a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Malibu, California. The shaking was so hard that one lane of the Pacific Coast Highway was temporarily closed due to large chunks falling off Cher's plastic surgery.

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It's the Chinese New Year—the Year of the Rabbit. To celebrate, President Biden visited a third-grade classroom and showed the kids how to make little origami rabbits out of classified documents.

Joe Toplyn 7 days ago

Chase Bank announced that it's closing some ATM vestibules in New York City at 5 pm because of rising crime. The good news is, bank officials say that customers who need cash after hours can always do what other New Yorkers do and pick somebody's pocket.

Joe Toplyn 1 week ago

Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin just got married to his "longtime love." His astronaut friends say he's over the moon…in a nearly-circular, equatorial orbit with a period of 88 minutes.

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