This was pure comedy PLATINUM. Lily Tomlin didn't break character once and made her character so believable and real. Much applause, Lily. I have so much respect for this level of talent.

Wow! Lillie Tomlin OWNED this interview. Joan seemed nervous from the jump. And yes Lilly has some Great legs

I met Lily Tomlin in 1979/80 in LA. She is (was) taller than I expected. Very sweet and brilliant.

My Lord she’s so hilarious! Lilly Tomlin is a national treasure!

I was taught at Illinois Bell telephone back in the 1970’s. Yes on a switchboard with the black pulls. I loved it!! I was in high school. I was a telephone operator for a Hanes distributor for my first real job. Later in the 1980’s I worked as a receptionist/telephone operator. It had evolved so much to just a small console with push buttons. The first Halloween we had a dress up and yes I dressed up at Ernestine and snorted the entire day. I wore the big skirt and a wig. What a hoot that was. So it’s funny to know that it was still 1970 and that switchboard was still in use. Good times.

I love how when they went to the commercial break it was once again Joan 😆

Lily’s Ernestine character is insanely hilarious here - pure genius!

I love the Ernestines in the audience. She had some great characters.

Lily Tomlin is a National Treasure! Six decades of pure funny :)

6:27 Hits hand on boom mic... "You better learn your craft!" Best one-liner ever! LOL!

“Tapes on everybody” - just like today!😢 Lily was amazing - her characters were both outrageous and believable! So grateful to have been around to see her great acting and career.♥️

LOVE IT!!! We're so used to Joan "dissing" celebrities/guests, great to see Lily giving it to Joan. No mistaking who's got the floor during that interview. I'd love to hear Ernestine's take on everything today -- internet, cell phones, etc.

She is utterly brilliant! And timeless…she’s as relevant now as ever.

Lily and Joan - Two of my all time favorites! ❤️

RIP Joan & Michael & Gary. Lily only one still alive in 2023. 🎉🎉🕊🌈💔🙏🧨🙏💖❤️🌟👏💐🙌👍

The old Hollywood's at Betty Ford's!!!!!!!! Love it!

There is only ONE Lily Tomlin. I love her diversity and talent for days!!!

Just phenomenal, absolutely hysterical. I swear this has me laughing on the floor. I grew up watching Lily on Rowan & Martin 's Laugh In.

Lily Tomlin has always been an ace with zingers... some of her lines in "All Of Me" with Steve Martin are just timeless!

'If I revealed who I am seeing right now I think it would swing the election.' EXCELLENT! LMAO! I love the one leg warmer pushed to her ankle. It was 1986! Thanks for posting this.

never broke character

Did anyone notice Lilys legs? She got a rocking body here

Love how Ernestine (Lily) has total control of the interview. Poor Joan didn't stand a chance.

Joan was Magnificent. RIP Lily is Wonderful.

Yea she is finally able to marry her partner of 42 years!

Joan Rivers and Lilly Tomlin you are much loved by all. Two of the best!

One of my favorite Ernestine’s bits was when she called J. Edgar Hoover. She kept calling him Jedgar. She was edgy & brilliant.

this woman is class...so many funny responses..."you better learn your craft!!!"

I grew up watching Ernestine and I had no idea until this interview all these decades later she was such a diva!

I remember this show so clear. Joan and Michael has an awkward interview and Lilly comes out as Ernestine and made reference to the previous segment. Omg, it was hysterical. And when she hits the boom mic and blames the operator was a brilliant character reaction. Pure gold, Lilly!!

A lot of this is clearly improvised as you can see how Joan is cracking up.

How refreshing! She is a true original!

Did she just wing this?? She's brilliant!

This iconic, unforgettable, and immortal interview was one of 93 episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson guest hosted by Joan Rivers, and originally aired on Thursday, September 13, 1984.

Talented & delighting audiences for many years....Thank you Lily........

Joan Rivers was a very funny lady. Clearly she had a great knack for hosting. She’s gracious with perfect manners and enjoys playing along to make her guest shine. No ego to get in the way of a good bit. What a shame. NBC and Carson got it wrong. She was something truly special.

Lily Tomlin was absolutely genius doing that. Loved it, thanks for posting.

Awesome! I love both Lily and Joan. Lily could riff better than anyone!

Wow Lilly is a tour de force .. completely amazing .. almost uncomfortably talking over Joan. Fantastic.

“....you overestimate yourself.” I think I’ve just witnessed a MURDER

"you over estimate yourself" love her...so quick...

Lily Tomlin an Gilda Radner were the most insane comedians female in the tv shows in USA

Joan Rivers should have been Johnny Carson's successor. She would have made history, kept us entertained, and would have saved us from the whole Jay Leno debacle.

"Well let's not talk about anyone else, shall we?"

Two very funny Ladies. Very early jr stand up was great, not many lady stand up comedians were around when she started.LT’s characters over 50 years have been golden at times.

Lily Tomlin is one of the few who can make me laugh from my gut. She is marvelous, a national treasure.

I never realized she had such a great pair of legs!

This was a great interview. Quite surreal! Lily at her caustic best as Ernestine!

Did anyone notice that the ad in the middle was an MCI phone company ad!!! Lmao😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Love the many gay Ernestines in full drag! Too funny!

One of my favorite skits was when Ernestine called the Electric company, threatened to cut their phone service off, and they cut her lights off. 🎉😆📴

LOVE the special mention to the fans!! God, she makes it look so easy and natural...

Look how beautiful, Joan is. I miss her so much

I remember her on Laugh In as Ernestine and also as the little girl who always ended her little stories with "...and that's the truth- ppttttt!" She was the best!

“It’s about time for all of us, isn’t it?” One of the first televised celebrity coming out moments, or at least I think she was subtly doing so.

You go, Lily! I never saw this before - Joan Rivers interviewing "Ernestine", a Lily Tomlin character. Well done , Lily and Joan!

Lilyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

LILY at her best,sharp wit off the cuff humour..love it!!

Amazing talent!!!

tx for posting this - Lily Tomlin is brilliant

Thank you for sharing!!!! Two great comedians! RIP Joan Rivers-I

lily what a treat great comedian!!!

Joan didn't stand a chance with such a razor sharp Lilly

ATT used to have a monopoly on telephones and telephone service. The "divestiture" Ernestine refers to is when the Securities and Exchange Commission forced ATT to let other companies use their networks to compete with them. It's difficult these days to understand that this one company wielded a complete monopoly on phone service.

"You better learn your craft!" hilarious.

Rip Michael Landon. Gary Shandling and Joan RIvers

Simply the best!

Love Lilley and miss Joan.

Two comedy legends

@6:05, there's no biggie I haven't put on hold. ERNESTINE, the most hilarious caricature in show business.

Lily has ALWAYS reminded me of an American, female Peter Cook. Absolutely brilliant; smart and funny without being ostentatious.

One ringy dingy

Wish I was a fly on the wall in the Green Room with these four. 3 Emmy award-winning comedians and an Emmy award-winning actor director who had a hilarious sense of humor- Michael Landon

So talented a comedienne and actress. She made her role in "The West Wing" hi-sterical. Ringy-dingies forever.

Lilly Rocks!- I forgot I remember seeing this when it was on- this is when network TV was worth watching

This ranks with the 10 best minutes of television - ever.

Tomlin is a comic genius.

You really gotta LOVE Lily Tomlin! She's just far too hilarious! Edith Ann and Ernestine were my utmost favs! My best friend, Emily, reminded me sooooo MUCH of Edith Ann, it was SCARY!!

I just love her . Love Ernestine sharp as an arrow with her snort hahaha !

My grandmother had the record of one ringy-dingy. I loved it ❤️.

I heart Lilly Tomlin! Emy Nomination!

Omg...Lily Tomlin absolutely OWNS Joan Rivers in this! (And I wouldn't have believed anyone could, lol!) I once served Ms. Tomlin in a restaurant. She was so fun to talk to in the back and forth of serving her a meal. A nice lady. We were lucky enough to have her perform her one woman show at our local high school, as well.

A Lily tomlin fan always.

She's so amazing!!!

i remember her on Laugh In when I was just a kid. She was always talking about Mr. Veedle. It took me years to figure out that she was talking about Gore Vidal and "Myra Brekenridge" one of the best comic novels ever written. And, after "Orlando" and "The Christine Jorgensen Story", the third literary transsexual.

Fabulously funny. 😄🎬📽️👌📺

Absolute hilarity! Improve to the max!

Gary Shandling, Lily Tomlin and Joan Rivers?! Thank you for sharing.

I've got tapes on every one! The mind boggles if she did this act right now with all the tRumP tapes floating around. Whilst these replays are all classic gold, I'm sure if she had a special where she did Ernestine one more time she would top all her previous calls.

"Swing" She had not come out then but it was known she was gay. More power to her!

Ernestine and Gilbert Gottfried were separated at birth.

Lily Ruled with her hysteria!

LILY WAS/IS AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS AND VERY BEAUTIFUL 🙂🤍🙏🏻

She flipping always pulls it off..!

Love Lily and Joan..Funny, funny sketch.

Who knew Lily had such great legs??

"You overestimate yourself." LMAO

Both great looking!

RIP Joan Rivers

I think everyone must write to Melissa & say a terrific gift to the millions of Joan Rivers fans would be to get the rights to her mother's show and make all episodes public & broadcast quality. xoxo :) September 4th is the Anniversary of Joan's "Transcendence."