document_title: List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

question_text: where is lebron james on all time scoring list

text: Scoring leaders[edit]

text: The following is a list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season points scored.

text:
^
Active NBA player

*
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

†
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration [2]

§
1st time nominee for Hall of Fame in 2018 [3]

text:
Rank
Player
Position(s)
Team(s) played for (years)[4]
Total points
Games
played
Points
per game
average[5]
Field goals
made
Three-point
field goals
made[6]
Free
throws
made

1
Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[7]
C
Milwaukee Bucks (1969–1975)
Los Angeles Lakers (1975–1989)
38,387
1,560
24.6
15,837
1
6,712

2
Malone, KarlKarl Malone*
PF
Utah Jazz (1985–2003)
Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004)
36,928
1,476
25.0
13,528
85
9,787

3
Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant†
SG
Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2016)
33,643
1,346
25.0
11,719
1,827
8,378

4
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan*
SG
Chicago Bulls (1984–1993; 1995–1998)
Washington Wizards (2001–2003)
32,292
1,072
30.1
12,192
581
7,327

5
Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain*
C
Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959–1965)
Philadelphia 76ers (1965–1968)
Los Angeles Lakers (1968–1973)
31,419
1,045
30.1
12,681
0
6,057

6
Nowitzki, DirkDirk Nowitzki^
PF
Dallas Mavericks (1999–present)
30,757
1,435
21.4
10,878
1,848
7,153

7
James, LeBronLeBron James^
SF/PF
Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010; 2014–present)
Miami Heat (2010–2014)
29,874
1,101
27.1
10,839
1,544
6,652

8
O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal*
C
Orlando Magic (1992–1996)
Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004)
Miami Heat (2004–2008)
Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2009–2010)
Boston Celtics (2010–2011)
28,596
1,207
23.7
11,330
1
5,935

9
Malone, MosesMoses Malone*
C
Buffalo Braves (1976)
Houston Rockets (1976–1982)
Philadelphia 76ers (1982–1986; 1993–1994)
Washington Bullets (1986–1988)
Atlanta Hawks (1988–1991)
Milwaukee Bucks (1991–1993)
San Antonio Spurs (1994–1995)
27,409
1,329
20.6
9,435
8
8,531

10
Hayes, ElvinElvin Hayes*
PF/C
San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968–1972; 1981–1984)
Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972–1981)
27,313
1,303
21.0
10,976
5
5,356

11
Olajuwon, HakeemHakeem Olajuwon*[8]
C
Houston Rockets (1984–2001)
Toronto Raptors (2001–2002)
26,946
1,238
21.8
10,749
25
5,423

12
Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson*
PG
Cincinnati Royals (1960–1970)
Milwaukee Bucks (1970–1974)
26,710
1,040
25.7
9,508
0
7,694

13
Wilkins, DominiqueDominique Wilkins*
SF
Atlanta Hawks (1982–1994)
Los Angeles Clippers (1994)
Boston Celtics (1994–1995)
San Antonio Spurs (1996–1997)
Orlando Magic (1999)
26,668
1,074
24.8
9,963
711
6,031

14
Duncan, TimTim Duncan†
PF/C
San Antonio Spurs (1997–2016)
26,496
1,392
19.0
10,285
30
5,896

15
Pierce, PaulPaul Pierce†
SF/SG
Boston Celtics (1999–2013)
Brooklyn Nets (2013–2014)
Washington Wizards (2014–2015)
Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2017)
26,397
1,343
19.7
8,668
2,143
6,918

16
Havlicek, JohnJohn Havlicek*
SF/SG
Boston Celtics (1962–1978)
26,395
1,270
20.8
10,513
0
5,369

17
Garnett, KevinKevin Garnett†
PF/C
Minnesota Timberwolves (1995–2007, 2015–2016)
Boston Celtics (2007–2013)
Brooklyn Nets (2013–2015)
26,071
1,462
17.8
10,505
174
4,887

18
English, AlexAlex English*
SF
Milwaukee Bucks (1976–1978)
Indiana Pacers (1978–1980)
Denver Nuggets (1980–1990)
Dallas Mavericks (1990–1991)
25,613
1,193
21.5
10,659
18
4,277

19
Miller, ReggieReggie Miller*
SG
Indiana Pacers (1987–2005)
25,279
1,389
18.2
8,241
2,560
6,237

20
West, JerryJerry West*
PG/SG
Los Angeles Lakers (1960–1974)
25,192
932
27.0
9,016
0
7,160

21
Anthony, CarmeloCarmelo Anthony^
SF
Denver Nuggets (2003–2011)
New York Knicks (2011–2017)
Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–present)
24,843
1,015
24.5
8,872
1,255
5,844

22
Ewing, PatrickPatrick Ewing*
C
New York Knicks (1985–2000)
Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2001)
Orlando Magic (2001–2002)
24,815
1,183
21.0
9,702
19
5,392

23
Carter, VinceVince Carter^
SG/SF
Toronto Raptors (1999–2004)
New Jersey Nets (2004–2009)
Orlando Magic (2009–2010)
Phoenix Suns (2010–2011)
Dallas Mavericks (2011–2014)
Memphis Grizzlies (2014–2017)
Sacramento Kings (2017–present)
24,649
1,371
18.0
8,913
2,065
4,758

24
Allen, RayRay Allen§
SG
Milwaukee Bucks (1996–2003)
Seattle SuperSonics (2003–2007)
Boston Celtics (2007–2012)
Miami Heat (2012–2014)
24,505
1,300
18.9
8,567
2,973
4,398

25
Iverson, AllenAllen Iverson*
SG/PG
Philadelphia 76ers (1996–2006, 2009–2010)
Denver Nuggets (2006–2008)
Detroit Pistons (2008–2009)
Memphis Grizzlies (2009)
24,368
914
26.7
8,467
1,059
6,375

26
Barkley, CharlesCharles Barkley*
PF
Philadelphia 76ers (1984–1992)
Phoenix Suns (1992–1996)
Houston Rockets (1996–2000)
23,757
1,073
22.1
8,435
538
6,349

27
Parish, RobertRobert Parish*
C
Golden State Warriors (1976–1980)
Boston Celtics (1980–1994)
Charlotte Hornets (1994–1996)
Chicago Bulls (1996–1997)
23,334
1,611
14.5
9,614
0
4,106

28
Dantley, AdrianAdrian Dantley*
SF
Buffalo Braves (1976–1977)
Indiana Pacers (1977)
Los Angeles Lakers (1977–1979)
Utah Jazz (1979–1986)
Detroit Pistons (1986–1989)
Dallas Mavericks (1989–1990)
Milwaukee Bucks (1991)
23,177
955
24.3
8,169
7
6,832

29
Baylor, ElginElgin Baylor*
SF
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958–1971)
23,149
846
27.4
8,693
0
5,763

30
Drexler, ClydeClyde Drexler*
SG
Portland Trail Blazers (1983–1995)
Houston Rockets (1995–1998)
22,195
1,086
20.4
8,335
827
4,698

31
Payton, GaryGary Payton*
PG
Seattle SuperSonics (1990–2003)
Milwaukee Bucks (2003)
Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004)
Boston Celtics (2004–2005)
Miami Heat (2005–2007)
21,813
1,335
16.3
8,708
1,132
3,265

32
Bird, LarryLarry Bird*
SF/PF
Boston Celtics (1979–1992)
21,791
897
24.3
8,591
649
3,960

33
Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade^
SG
Miami Heat (2003–2016)
Chicago Bulls (2016–2017)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2017–present)
21,734
952
22.8
7,899
450
5,486

34
Greer, HalHal Greer*
SG/PG
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1958–1973)
21,586
1,122
19.2
8,504
0
4,578

35
Bellamy, WaltWalt Bellamy*
C
Chicago Packers/Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets (1961–1965)
New York Knicks (1965–1968)
Detroit Pistons (1968–1970)
Atlanta Hawks (1970–1974)
New Orleans Jazz (1974)
20,941
1,043
20.1
7,914
0
5,113

36
Pettit, BobBob Pettit*
PF/C
Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965)
20,880
792
26.4
7,349
0
6,182

37
Robinson, DavidDavid Robinson*
C
San Antonio Spurs (1989–2003)
20,790
987
21.1
7,365
25
6,035

38
Gervin, GeorgeGeorge Gervin*
SG/SF
San Antonio Spurs (1976–1985)
Chicago Bulls (1985–1986)
20,708
791
26.2
8,045
77
4,541

39
Richmond, MitchMitch Richmond*
SG
Golden State Warriors (1988–1991)
Sacramento Kings (1991–1998)
Washington Wizards (1999–2001)
Los Angeles Lakers (2001–2002)
20,497
976
21.0
7,305
1,326
4,561

40
Gasol, PauPau Gasol^
C/PF
Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2008)
Los Angeles Lakers (2008–2014)
Chicago Bulls (2014–2016)
San Antonio Spurs (2016–present)
20,425
1,159
17.6
7,809
163
4,644

41
Johnson, JoeJoe Johnson^
SG/SF
Boston Celtics (2001–2002)
Phoenix Suns (2002–2005)
Atlanta Hawks (2005–2012)
Brooklyn Nets (2012–2016)
Miami Heat (2016)
Utah Jazz (2016–present)
20,166
1,240
16.3
7,731
1,949
2,755

42
Chambers, TomTom Chambers
PF
San Diego Clippers (1981–1983)
Seattle SuperSonics (1983–1988)
Phoenix Suns (1988–1993)
Utah Jazz (1993–1995)
Charlotte Hornets (1997)
Philadelphia 76ers (1997)
20,049
1,107
18.1
7,378
227
5,066

43
Jamison, AntawnAntawn Jamison
PF/SF
Golden State Warriors (1999–2003)
Dallas Mavericks (2003–2004)
Washington Wizards (2004–2010)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2010–2012)
Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2013)
Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)
20,042
1,083
18.5
7,679
1,163
3,521

44
Durant, KevinKevin Durant^
SF/SG
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–2016)
Golden State Warriors (2016–present)
19,975
736
27.1
6,770
1,340
5,095

45
Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton*
PG
Utah Jazz (1984–2003)
19,711
1,504
13.1
7,039
845
4,788

46
King, BernardBernard King*
SF
New Jersey Nets (1977–1979; 1993)
Utah Jazz (1979)
Golden State Warriors (1980–1982)
New York Knicks (1982–1985; 1987)
Washington Bullets (1987–1991)
19,655
874
22.5
7,830
23
3,972

47
Robinson, CliffordClifford Robinson
PF/SF
Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1997)
Phoenix Suns (1997–2001)
Detroit Pistons (2001–2003)
Golden State Warriors (2003–2005)
New Jersey Nets (2005–2007)
19,591
1,380
14.2
7,389
1,253
3,560

48
Davis, WalterWalter Davis
SG/SF
Phoenix Suns (1977–1988)
Denver Nuggets (1988–1991; 1991–1992)
Portland Trail Blazers (1991)
19,521
1,033
18.9
8,118
157
3,128

49
Cummings, TerryTerry Cummings
PF
San Diego Clippers (1982–1984)
Milwaukee Bucks (1984–1989; 1995–1996)
San Antonio Spurs (1989–1995)
Seattle SuperSonics (1996–1997)
Philadelphia 76ers (1997–1998)
New York Knicks (1998)
Golden State Warriors (1999–2000)
19,460
1,183
16.4
8,045
44
3,326

50
Lanier, BobBob Lanier*
C
Detroit Pistons (1970–1980)
Milwaukee Bucks (1980–1984)
19,248
959
20.1
7,761
2
3,724

text: Progressive list of scoring leaders[edit]

text: This is a progressive list of scoring leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[1]

text:
^
Active NBA player

*
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

†
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[2]

text:
Team abbreviations
Team(s) listed is the one player was on when he established the record.

ATL
Atlanta Hawks
DET
Detroit Pistons
MIL
Milwaukee Bucks
PHX
Phoenix Suns

BOS
Boston Celtics
FTW
Fort Wayne Pistons
MIN
Minnesota Timberwolves
PHW
Philadelphia Warriors

BUF
Buffalo Braves
GSW
Golden State Warriors
MNL
Minneapolis Lakers
SAS
San Antonio Spurs

CHI
Chicago Bulls
HOU
Houston Rockets
NOJ
New Orleans Jazz
SDR
San Diego Rockets

CHS
Chicago Stags
IND
Indiana Pacers
NOP
New Orleans Pelicans
SFW
San Francisco Warriors

CLE
Cleveland Cavaliers
KCO
Kansas City-Omaha Kings
OKC
Oklahoma City Thunder
STL
St. Louis Hawks

DAL
Dallas Mavericks
LAL
Los Angeles Lakers
ORL
Orlando Magic
SYR
Syracuse Nationals

DEN
Denver Nuggets
MIA
Miami Heat
PHI
Philadelphia 76ers
UTA
Utah Jazz

text:
Scoring Leader at the end of every season

Season
Year-by-year leader
Points
Active player points leader
Total points
Career points record
Total points
Single-season points record
Points
Season

1946–47
Joe Fulks*000PHW
1,389
Joe Fulks*000PHW
1,389
Joe Fulks*000PHW
1,389
Joe Fulks*000PHW
1,389
1946–47

1947–48
Max Zaslofsky000CHS
1,007
2,338
2,338
1947–48

1948–49
George Mikan*000MNL
1,698
3,898
3,898
George Mikan*000MNL
1,698
1948–49

1949–50
1,865
4,863
4,863
1,865
1949–50

1950–51
1,932
6,099
6,099
1,932
1950–51

1951–52
Paul Arizin*000PHW
1,674
7,021
7,021
1951–52

1952–53
Neil Johnston*000PHW
1,564
George Mikan*000MNL
8,460
George Mikan*000MNL
8,460
1952–53

1953–54
1,759
9,766
9,766
1953–54

1954–55
1,631
Max Zaslofsky000FTW
7,902
1954–55

1955–56
Bob Pettit*000STL
1,849
George Mikan*000MNL
10,156
10,156
1955–56

1956–57
Paul Arizin*000PHW
1,817
Ed Macauley*000STL
10,150
1956–57

1957–58
George Yardley*000DET
2,001
Dolph Schayes*000SYR
11,764
Dolph Schayes*000SYR
11,764
George Yardley*000DET
2,001
1957–58

1958–59
Bob Pettit*000STL
2,105
13,298
13,298
Bob Pettit*000STL
2,105
1958–59

1959–60
Wilt Chamberlain*
000PHW 1959–62
000SFW 1962–65
000PHI 1965–66
2,707
14,987
14,987
Wilt Chamberlain*000PHW
2,707
1959–60

1960–61
3,033
16,855
16,855
3,033
1960–61

1961–62
4,029
17,677
17,677
4,029
1961–62

1962–63
3,586
18,304
18,304
1962–63

1963–64
2,948
Bob Pettit*000STL
19,756
Bob Pettit*000STL
19,756
1963–64

1964–65
2,534
20,880
20,880
1964–65

1965–66
2,649
Wilt Chamberlain*
000PHI 1965–68
000LAL 1968–73
21,486
Wilt Chamberlain*
000PHI 1965–68
000LAL 1968–73
21,486
1965–66

1966–67
Rick Barry*000SFW
2,775
23,442
23,442
1966–67

1967–68
Dave Bing*000DET
2,142
25,434
25,434
1967–68

1968–69
Elvin Hayes*000SDR
2,327
27,098
27,098
1968–69

1969–70
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*000MIL
2,361
27,426
27,426
1969–70

1970–71
2,596
29,122
29,122
1970–71

1971–72
2,822
30,335
30,335
1971–72

1972–73
Tiny Archibald*000KCO
2,719
31,419
31,419
1972–73

1973–74
Bob McAdoo*000BUF
2,261
Oscar Robertson*000MIL
26,710
1973–74

1974–75
2,831
John Havlicek*000BOS
22,389
1974–75

1975–76
2,427
23,678
1975–76

1976–77
Pete Maravich*000NOJ
2,273
25,073
1976–77

1977–78
George Gervin*000SAS
2,232
26,395
1977–78

1978–79
2,365
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*
000LAL
22,141
1978–79

1979–80
2,585
24,175
1979–80

1980–81
Adrian Dantley*000UTA
2,452
26,270
1980–81

1981–82
George Gervin*000SAS
2,551
28,088
1981–82

1982–83
Alex English*000DEN
2,326
29,810
1982–83

1983–84
Adrian Dantley*000UTA
2,418
31,527
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*000LAL
31,527
1983–84

1984–85
Michael Jordan*000CHI
2,313
33,262
33,262
1984–85

1985–86
Alex English*000DEN
2,414
35,108
35,108
1985–86

1986–87
Michael Jordan*000CHI
3,041
36,474
36,474
1986–87

1987–88
2,868
37,639
37,639
1987–88

1988–89
2,633
38,387
38,387
1988–89

1989–90
2,753
Moses Malone*
000ATL 1989–91
000MIL 1991–93
000PHI 1993–94
000SAS 1994–95
24,868
1989–90

1990–91
2,580
25,737
1990–91

1991–92
2,404
27,016
1991–92

1992–93
2,541
27,066
1992–93

1993–94
David Robinson*000SAS
2,383
27,360
1993–94

1994–95
Shaquille O'Neal*000ORL
2,315
27,409
1994–95

1995–96
Michael Jordan*000CHI
2,491
Michael Jordan*000CHI
24,489
1995–96

1996–97
2,431
26,920
1996–97

1997–98
2,357
29,277
1997–98

1998–99
Shaquille O'Neal*000LAL
1,289
Karl Malone*
000UTA 1998–2003
000LAL 2003–04
28,946
1998–99

1999–00
2,344
31,041
1999–00

2000–01
Jerry Stackhouse00DET
2,380
32,919
2000–01

2001–02
Paul Pierce†000BOS
2,144
34,707
2001–02

2002–03
Kobe Bryant†000LAL
2,461
36,374
2002–03

2003–04
Kevin Garnett†000MIN
1,987
36,928
2003–04

2004–05
Allen Iverson*000PHI
2,302
Reggie Miller*000IND
25,279
2004–05

2005–06
Kobe Bryant†000LAL
2,832
Shaquille O'Neal*
000MIA 2005–08
000PHO 2008–09
000CLE 2009–10
000BOS 2010–11
24,764
2005–06

2006–07
2,430
25,454
2006–07

2007–08
2,323
26,286
2007–08

2008–09
Dwyane Wade^000MIA
2,386
27,619
2008–09

2009–10
Kevin Durant^000OKC
2,472
28,255
2009–10

2010–11
2,161
28,596
2010–11

2011–12
1,850
Kobe Bryant†
000LAL
29,484
2011–12

2012–13
2,280
31,617
2012–13

2013–14
2,593
31,700
2013–14

2014–15
James Harden^000HOU
2,217
32,482
2014–15

2015–16
2,376
33,643
2015–16

2016–17
Russell Westbrook^000OKC
2,558
Dirk Nowitzki^000DAL
30,260
2016–17

2017–18
James Harden^000HOU
801
30,564
Abdul-Jabbar*0 35 yrs
38,387
Chamberlain*059 yrs
4,029
2017–18

Season
Year-by-Year Leader
Points
Active Player Points Leader
Total points
Career Points Record
Total points
Single Season Points Record
Points
Season


document_title: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

question_text: who had the most appearances on the tonight show

root

text: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

text: Format[edit]

text: Johnny Carson's Tonight Show established the modern format of the late-night talk show:[5] a monologue sprinkled with a rapid-fire series of 16 to 22 one-liners (Carson had a rule of no more than three on the same subject) was followed by sketch comedy, then moving on to guest interviews and performances by musicians and stand-up comedians. During the early years of Carson's tenure, his guests included politicians such as former U.S. Vice President (and future U.S. President) Richard M. Nixon, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, but by 1970, Carson primarily interviewed as guests people that had a book, movie, television show, or stage performance to promote. Other regulars were selected for their entertainment or information value, in contrast to those who offered more cerebral conversation;[6] Carson refused to discuss politics on The Tonight Show out of concern it might alienate his audience.[7]

tag: p

text: Carson's preference for access to Hollywood stars caused the show's move to the West Coast on May 1, 1972.[8] When asked about intellectual conversation on Tonight, Carson and his staff invariably cited "Carl Sagan, Paul Ehrlich, Margaret Mead, Gore Vidal, Shana Alexander, Madalyn Murray O'Hair" as guests;[6] one television critic stated, however, "he always presented them as if they were spinach for your diet when he did [feature such names]".[9] Family therapist Carlfred Broderick appeared on the show ten times,[10] and psychologist Joyce Brothers was one of Carson's most frequent guests. Carson, in general, did not feature prop comedy acts (Carson was not averse to using prop comedy himself); such acts, with Gallagher being a prominent example, more commonly appeared when guest hosts helmed the program.[11]

text: Carson almost never socialized with guests before or after the show; frequent interviewee Orson Welles recalled that Tonight employees were astonished when Carson visited Welles's dressing room to say hello before a show. Unlike his avuncular counterparts Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and Dick Cavett, Carson was a comparatively "cool" host who only laughed when genuinely amused and abruptly cut short monotonous or embarrassingly inept interviewees. Mort Sahl recalled, "The producer crouches just off camera and holds up a card that says, 'Go to commercial.' So Carson goes to a commercial and the whole team rushes up to his desk to discuss what had gone wrong, like a pit stop at Le Mans." Actor Robert Blake once compared being interviewed by Carson to "facing the death squad" or "Broadway on opening night." The publicity value of appearing on Tonight was so great, however, that most guests were willing to subject themselves to the risk.[6]

text: Show regulars[edit]

text: Ed McMahon[edit]

text: The show's announcer and Carson's sidekick was Ed McMahon, who from the very first show would introduce Carson with a drawn-out "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" (something McMahon was inspired to do by the overemphasized way he had introduced reporter Robert Pierpoint on the NBC Radio Network program Monitor). The catchphrase was heard nightly for 30 years, and ranked top of the TV Land poll of U.S. TV catchphrases and quotes in 2006;[12] it has been referenced in all media going from The Shining to Johnny Bravo to a "Weird Al" Yankovic album cut; it was even used for the character Johnny Cage in the video game series Mortal Kombat.

text: McMahon, who held the same role in Carson's ABC game show Who Do You Trust? for five years previously, would remain standing to the side as Carson did his monologue, laughing (sometimes obsequiously) at his jokes, then join him at the guest chair when Carson moved to his desk. The two would usually interact in a comic spot for a short while before the first guest was introduced.

text: McMahon stated in a 1978 profile of Carson in The New Yorker that "the ‘Tonight Show’ is my staple diet, my meat and potatoes—I’m realistic enough to know that everything else stems from that". After a 1965 incident in which he ruined Carson's joke on the air McMahon was careful to, as he said, "never to go where [Carson]'s going".[6] He wrote in his 1998 autobiography:

text: My role on the show never was strictly defined. I did what had to be done when it had to be done. I was there when he needed me, and when he didn't I moved down the couch and kept quiet. ... I did the audience warm-up, I did commercials, for a brief period I co-hosted the first fifteen minutes of the show..., and I performed in many sketches. On our thirteenth-anniversary show Johnny and I were talking at his desk and he said, "Thirteen years is a long time." He paused long enough for me to recognize my cue, so I asked, "How long is it?" "That's why you're here," he said, probably summing up my primary role on the show perfectly... I had to support him, I had to help him get to the punch line, but while doing it I had to make it look as if I wasn't doing anything at all. The better I did it, the less it appeared as if I was doing it....If I was going to play second fiddle, I wanted to be the Heifetz of second fiddlers....The most difficult thing for me to learn how to do was just sit there with my mouth closed. Many nights I'd be listening to Johnny and in my mind I'd reach the same ad lib just as he said it. I'd have to bite my tongue not to say it out loud. I had to make sure I wasn't too funny—although critics who saw some of my other performances will claim I needn't have worried. If I got too many laughs, I wasn't doing my job; my job was to be part of a team that generated the laughs.[13]

text: Bandleaders and others[edit]

text: The Tonight Show had a live big band for nearly all of its existence. The NBC Orchestra during Carson's reign was originally led by Skitch Henderson (who had previously led the band during Tonight Starring Steve Allen), followed briefly by Milton DeLugg. Starting in 1967 and continuing until Jay Leno took over, the band was led by Doc Severinsen, with Tommy Newsom filling in for him when he was absent or filling in for McMahon as the announcer (this usually happened when a guest host substituted for Carson, which generally gave McMahon the night off as well). The show's instrumental theme music, "Johnny's Theme", was a re-arrangement of the Paul Anka composition "Toot Sweet", which Anka and Annette Funicello had separately recorded, with lyrics, as "It's Really Love".[14] During shows when Newsom filled in for Severinsen, the band played a slightly truncated version of the theme that transitioned from the bridge to the closing phrase without reprising the first few notes of the main melody. The NBC Orchestra was the last in-house studio orchestra to perform on American television.

text: Behind the scenes, motion picture director/producer Fred de Cordova joined The Tonight Show in 1970 as producer, graduating to executive producer in 1984. Unlike many people of his position, de Cordova often appeared on the show, bantering with Carson from his chair off-camera (though occasionally a camera would be pointed in his direction).

text: Recurring segments and skits[edit]

text: Characters[edit]

text:
Carnac the Magnificent, in which Carson played a psychic who clairvoyantly divined the answer to a question contained in a sealed envelope. This was to some degree a variation on Steve Allen's recurring "The Question Man" sketch. The answer was always an outrageous pun. "Carnac" examples:

"Debate" ... "What do you use to catch de fish?"
"Baja" ... "What sound does a sheep make when it laughs?"
"Ben-Gay" ... "Why didn't Mrs. Franklin have any kids?"
"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou" ... "Name three things that have yeast."
"Three Dog Night" ... "What's a bad night for a tree?"
"Sis boom bah" ... "Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes." (Ed McMahon's personal favorite)[15]

tag: ul

text: If the laughter fell short when a line bombed (as it often did), "Carnac" would face the audience with mock seriousness and bestow a comic curse: "May a diseased yak befriend your sister!" or "May a rabid holy man bless your nether regions with a power tool!"

text:
"Floyd R. Turbo", a dimwitted yokel responding to a TV station editorial. Floyd always spoke haltingly, as though reading from cue cards, and railed against some newsworthy topic, like Secretaries' Day: "This raises the question: Kiss my Dictaphone!"
"Art Fern", the fast-talking host of a "Tea Time Movie" program, who advertised inane products, assisted by the attractive Matinee Lady, played by Paula Prentiss (late 1960s), Carol Wayne (the most familiar Matinee Lady, 1971–82), Danuta Wesley (1984), and Teresa Ganzel (1985–92). The fake movies Art would introduce usually had eclectic casts ("Ben Blue, Red Buttons, Jesse White, and Karen Black") and nonsensical titles ("Rin-Tin-Tin Gets Fixed Fixed Fixed"). This would be followed by a four-second stock film clip before coming back for another commercial, usually catching Art and the Matinee Lady in a very compromising position. On giving directions to a fake store he was touting, Fern would show a spaghetti-like road map, sometimes with a literal "fork in the road", other times making the joke, "Go to the Slauson Cutoff...", and the audience would recite with him, "...cut off your Slauson!" The character was previously named "Honest Bernie Schlock" and then "Ralph Willie" when the Tea Time sketches first aired in the mid-to-late 1960s. At least one surviving pre-1972 Art Fern sketch that originated from New York had its movie show title as "The Big Flick", an amalgam of two movie show titles in use at the time by New York station WOR-TV, The Big Preview and The Flick. On that sketch Lee Meredith was the Matinee Lady. Carson's Comedy Classics features an episode where Juliet Prowse is in the role of Matinee Lady, from 20 August 1971.
"Aunt Blabby", an old woman whose appearance and speech pattern bore more than a passing resemblance to comedian Jonathan Winters' character "Maude Frickert". A frequent theme would be McMahon happening to mention a word or phrase that could suggest death, as in "What tourist attractions did you check out?," to which Aunt Blabby would respond, "Never say check out to an old person!"
"El Mouldo", mysterious mentalist. He would announce some mind-over-matter feat and always fail, although triumphantly shouting "El Mouldo has done it again!" Ed McMahon would take exception, noting El Mouldo's failure. "Did I fail before?" asked El Mouldo. "Yes!," replied McMahon, to which El Mouldo said, "Well, I've done it again!" El Mouldo was in large part a continuation of Carson's mentalist character Dillinger, which he had performed on The Johnny Carson Show in 1955 on CBS-TV; Dillinger was an obvious spoof of Dunninger, leading to complaints and threats of lawsuits against Carson and CBS.
"David Howitzer, Consumer Supporter", a thinly veiled satire of consumer reporter David Horowitz. Howitzer's segments (in a rare example of prop comedy for the show) usually featured purported counterfeit consumer goods (usually gag props) that unscrupulous mail-order companies had sent his unsuspecting viewers (for example, a woman who spent thousands of dollars on an oriental rug instead received a cheap toupee made in Taiwan).
"Ronald Reagan". During President Reagan's term in office, Carson developed an impersonation of the president that was featured regularly in Mighty Carson Art Players segment.[16] Carson also did a less memorable impersonation of Jimmy Carter during his term as President.

text: Bits[edit]

text: "Stump the Band", where studio audience members ask the band to try to play obscure songs given only the title. Unlike when this routine was done during the Jack Paar years with the Jose Melis band, Doc's band almost never knew the song, but that did not stop them from inventing one on the spot. Example:

text: "The Mighty Carson Art Players"[16] (depending on one's point of view, the name was an obvious tribute to or ripoff of radio legend Fred Allen's Mighty Allen Art Players). While Carson's show was primarily a talk show, with performances by guests, periodically Carson and a group of stock performers would perform skits that spoofed news, movies, television shows, commercials, and past events. A Mighty Carson Art Players appearance would usually be announced along with that night's guests during McMahon's introduction.

text:
"The Edge of Wetness", in which Johnny would read humorous plot summaries of a fictional soap opera (such as The Edge of Night) while the camera randomly chose an unsuspecting audience member whom Carson claimed was, for example, the butler from the soap.
"Headlines", developed by Jay Leno, and seen only during nights when he guest-hosted beginning in 1986, featured humorous stories and typos from newspaper clippings. This carried over when Leno became permanent host in 1992.
"How ___ was it?", a recurring call-and-response during Carson's monologues. Carson would set up the joke with a passing comment about, for instance, the weather with the phrase "It was so hot..." prompting the audience to respond "HOW HOT WAS IT?" Carson would then follow with several punch lines (e.g. "I heard Burger King singing, 'If you want it made your way, cook it yourself!'"). Carson would occasionally throw the audience off with an anti-joke (such as "it was worth the trip in, wasn't it?").

text: Programming history[edit]

text: October 1, 1962 – December 30, 1966: Monday–Friday 11:15 p.m.–1:00 a.m.

text: Jack Paar's last appearance was on March 29, 1962, and due to Carson's previous contracts, Carson did not take over until October 1. His first guests were Rudy Vallée, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks, and Joan Crawford.[17] Carson inherited from Paar a show that was 1 3/4 hours (105 minutes) long.[6] The show broadcast two openings, one starting at 11:15 p.m. and including the monologue, the other that listed the guests and re-announced the host, starting at 11:30. The two openings gave affiliates the option of screening either a fifteen-minute or thirty-minute local newscast preceding Carson. Since 1959, the show had been videotaped earlier the same broadcast day.

text: As more affiliates introduced thirty minutes of local news, Carson's monologue was being seen by fewer people. To rectify this situation, Ed McMahon and Skitch Henderson co-hosted the first fifteen minutes of the show between February 1965 and December 1966 without Carson, who then took over at 11:30. Finally, because he wanted the show to start when he came on, at the beginning of January 1967 Carson insisted the 11:15 segment be eliminated (which, he claimed in a monologue at the time, "no one actually watched except the Armed Forces and four Native Americans in Gallup, New Mexico").

text:
January 1965 – September 1966: Saturday or Sunday 11:15–1:00 a.m. (reruns, initially billed as The Saturday Tonight Show)
September 1966 – September 1975: Saturday or Sunday 11:30–1:00 a.m. (reruns, now identified as The Saturday/Sunday Tonight Show; The Weekend Tonight Show by 1973)
January 2, 1967 – September 12, 1980: Monday–Friday 11:30 p.m.–1:00 a.m.

text: By the mid-1970s Tonight was the most profitable show on television, making NBC $50 to $60 million ($180 to $220 million in 2016) each year.[6] Carson influenced the scheduling of reruns (which typically aired under the title The Best of Carson) in the mid-1970s and, in 1980, the length of each evening's broadcast, by threatening NBC with, in the first case, moving to another network, and in the latter, retiring altogether.

text: In order to work fewer days each week, Carson began to petition network executives in 1974 that reruns on the weekends be discontinued, in favor of showing them on one or more nights during the week.[18] In response to his demands, NBC created a new comedy/variety series to feed to affiliates on Saturday nights that debuted in October 1975, Saturday Night Live, which is now in its 43rd season.

text: In 1980, Carson renewed his contract with the stipulation that the show lose its last half-hour. On the last 90-minute show (September 12, 1980), Carson explained that by going to an hour, the show would feel more fast-paced, and have a greater selection of guests.

text: For a year, Tom Snyder's existing talk show, Tomorrow, was expanded to 90 minutes and forced to change its format, adding gossip reporter Rona Barrett as a co-host and taking on the name Tomorrow Coast to Coast. This was short-lived as a year and a half later, Snyder had quit and Tomorrow Coast to Coast had been canceled. Carson was given authority to fill the vacant time slot and used it to create Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993). Today, The Tonight Show remains one hour in length and is still followed by Late Night, currently under the title Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014-).

text:
September 15, 1980 – August 30, 1991: Monday–Friday 11:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
September 2, 1991 – May 22, 1992: Monday–Friday 11:35 p.m.–12:35 a.m.[19]

text: The show's start time was delayed by five minutes to allow NBC affiliates to include more commercials during their local newscasts.

text: In an onscreen eulogy to Carson in 2005, David Letterman said that every talk show host owes his livelihood to Johnny Carson during his Tonight Show run.[20]

text: 1979–1980 contract battle[edit]

text: In 1979, when Fred Silverman was the head of NBC, Carson took the network to court, claiming that he had been a free-agent since April of that year because his most recent contract had been signed in 1972. Carson cited a California law barring certain contracts from lasting more than seven years. NBC claimed that it had signed three agreements since then and Carson was bound to the network until April 1981.[21] While the case was settled out of court,[22] the friction between Carson and the network remained and Carson was actively courted by rival network ABC, which was willing to double Carson's salary and offer him a lighter work schedule and ownership of the show. Eventually, Carson reached an agreement that paid $25 million a year while reducing his workload from 90 to 60 minutes, with new shows airing only three nights a week 37 weeks a year (a guest host would appear Monday nights and for most of Carson's 15 weeks of vacation and "Best of Carson" reruns would air Tuesdays) and also give him ownership of the show, as well as its back catalog, and of the time slot following the Tonight Show which became Late Night with David Letterman produced by Carson Productions.[23][24] In September 1980, Carson's eponymous production company gained ownership of the show.[25][26] after owning it from 1969 to the early 1970s.[6]

text: Tape archives[edit]

text: Only 33 complete episodes of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show that had originally aired prior to May 1, 1972 are known to exist.[27] All other shows during this period, including Carson's debut as host, are now considered lost because of wiping.[6] Following the standard procedure for most television production companies of that era, NBC reused The Tonight Show videotapes for recording other programs. Carson himself encouraged the erasure of his archives, once humorously quipping that NBC should "make guitar picks" out of them, and did not believe they were of any value.[28] It was rumored that many other episodes were lost in a fire, but NBC has denied this.[citation needed] Other surviving material from the era has been found on kinescopes held in the archives of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, or in the personal collections of guests of the program, while a few moments such as Tiny Tim's wedding, were preserved. New York meteorologist Dr. Frank Field, an occasional guest during the years he was weather forecaster for WNBC-TV, showed several clips of his appearances with Carson in a 2002 career retrospective on WWOR-TV; Field had maintained the clips in his own personal archives.[citation needed] There are also two appearances by Judy Garland in 1968 that still survive.

text: The program archive is virtually complete from 1973 to 1992.[29] The New York Post reported in May 2011 that 250 of Carson's monologues and sketches spanning a 20-year period are on the Memory Lane website.[30] Carson Productions has also made clips available on YouTube and Antenna TV.[31]

text: Although no footage is known to remain of Carson's very first broadcast as host of The Tonight Show on October 1, 1962, photographs taken that night survive, including Carson being introduced by Groucho Marx, as does an audio recording of Marx's introduction and Carson's first monologue[citation needed]. One of his first jokes upon starting the show (after receiving a few words of encouragement from Marx, one of which was, "Don't go to Hollywood!") was to pretend to panic and say, "I want my nana!" (This recording was played at the start of Carson's final broadcast on May 22, 1992.)[citation needed] The oldest surviving video recording of the show is dated November 1962, while the oldest surviving color recording is from April 1964, when Carson interviewed Jake Ehrlich, Sr., as his guest.[32]

text: The 30-minute audio recordings of many of the "missing" episodes are contained in the Library of Congress in the Armed Forces Radio collection. Many 1970s-era episodes have been licensed to distributors that advertise mail-order offers on late-night TV.[citation needed] The later shows are stored in an underground salt mine outside Hutchinson, Kansas.[33]

text: Rebroadcasts[edit]

text: A large amount of material from Carson's first two decades of The Tonight Show (1962–1982), much of it not seen since it had first aired, appeared in a half hour "clip/compilation" syndicated program known as Carson's Comedy Classics that aired in 1983. Audio clips from the show were featured nightly on WHO-AM in Des Moines, Iowa in the mid-2000s. In 2014, Turner Classic Movies would begin rerunning select interviews from the program for a new series called "Carson on TCM" presented by Conan O'Brien, who himself hosted The Tonight Show briefly.[34]

text: The digital multicast network Antenna TV acquired rerun rights to whole episodes of the series in August 2015. Unlike the previous clip shows, Antenna TV's airings feature full broadcasts as they were originally seen, with the only edits being removal of The Tonight Show name, with the show being renamed simply as Johnny Carson (the broadcasts air partially opposite the current edition of The Tonight Show in much of the United States, and NBC still owns the trademark on that name), and with bumpers, walk-on music and the closing theme being replaced by generic music cues. Most musical guest segments are also removed. Antenna TV began airing the show seven days a week beginning January 1, 2016, with the 60-minute episodes (from September 1980-May 1992) airing from Sunday-Thursday Nights and ninety-minute episodes (from 1972-September 12, 1980) on Fridays and Saturday Nights.[35]

text: Guest hosts[edit]

text: Jack Paar had often asked Carson to guest-host Tonight in its earliest years and repeatedly claimed he had been responsible for NBC's selection of Carson in 1962 as his replacement. Steve Allen also utilized guest hosts, including Carson and Ernie Kovacs, particularly after he began hosting The Steve Allen Show in prime time in 1956 and needed to reduce his workload on Tonight.[citation needed]

text: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson had guest hosts for entire weeks during Carson's vacations and other nights he had off. Many guest hosts were already large names in their own right, among them Frank Sinatra, Burt Reynolds and Don Rickles. The following is a list of those who guest-hosted at least fifty times during the first 21 years of the show's run:

text:
Joey Bishop (177 times,[36] mostly in the 1960s)
Joan Rivers (93,[36] during the 1970s and 1980s[37])
John Davidson (87)[36]
Bob Newhart (87)[36]
David Brenner (70)[36]
McLean Stevenson (58)[36]
Jerry Lewis (52,[36] mostly in the 1960s)
David Letterman (51, mostly between 1980 and 1981)[36]

text: Harry Belafonte guest hosted for a week in February 1968, becoming the first African-American to host a talk show. Among Belafonte's guests were Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.[38] On April 2, 1979, Kermit the Frog was guest host.[39] In addition, many other Muppets appeared for skits and regular segments: Frank Oz voiced Fozzie Bear and Animal, while Jerry Nelson performed Uncle Deadly, a Vincent Price-inspired Muppet during a segment with the real Price.

text: Carson's contract, that took effect in 1981, reduced his work schedule to three nights a week, 37 weeks a year. "Best of Carson" reruns aired on Tuesdays in the weeks that Carson was hosting new shows. Monday night shows and shows for most of the 15 weeks that Carson had off were hosted by guest hosts. Due to the frequent need for substitutes, starting in 1983 permanent guest hosts were hired in order to give the program more stability. The permanent guest hosts were Joan Rivers (1983–86),[36] then, after about a year where a wide range of guest hosts were used, Garry Shandling alternating with Jay Leno (1987-88) and finally Leno alone (1988–92) after Shandling left to focus on his Showtime series It's Garry Shandling's Show.[36] Though the concept of using "permanent" guest hosts was fairly strictly adhered to, occasionally illness or some other situation necessitated a substitute guest host, as when David Brenner filled in for Joan Rivers on October 31 and November 1, 1985, when Rivers' husband was briefly hospitalized.

text: Joan Rivers[edit]

text: In September 1983, Joan Rivers was designated Carson's permanent guest host, a role she had been essentially filling for the previous year. In 1986, she left the program for her own show on the then-new Fox Network. According to Carson, Rivers never personally informed him of the existence of her show. Rivers, on the other hand, disagreed.[40] Nevertheless, Rivers' new show was quickly canceled, and she never again appeared on The Tonight Show with Carson. She also never appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, a ban instigated by Leno out of respect for Carson.[41] She also never appeared during Conan O'Brien's seven-month run. After Carson's death in 2005, Rivers told CNN that Carson never forgave her for leaving, and never spoke to her again, even after she wrote him a note following the accidental death of Carson's son Ricky in June 1991.[37] On February 17, 2014, Rivers returned to the Tonight Show as part of a skit in which numerous celebrities paid new host, Jimmy Fallon, after having lost the bet that he would never become the host of the program. Rivers appeared for a full-length interview segment on March 27, 2014.[42]

text: The program of July 26, 1984, with guest host Joan Rivers, was the first MTS stereo broadcast in U.S. television history,[43] though not the first television broadcast with stereophonic sound. Only NBC's flagship local station in New York City, WNBC, had stereo broadcast capability at that time.[44] NBC transmitted The Tonight Show in stereo sporadically through 1984 and on a regular basis beginning in 1985.[citation needed]

text: Consequential appearances[edit]

text: Scientific skepticism|skeptical activist]] James Randi says that “Johnny had been a magician himself and was skeptical” of Geller’s claimed paranormal powers, so prior to the date of taping, Randi was asked "to help prevent any trickery.” Per Randi's advice, the show prepared their own props without informing Geller, and did not let Geller or his staff "anywhere near them.” When Geller joined Carson on stage, he appeared surprised that he was not going to be interviewed, but instead was expected to display his abilities using the provided articles. Geller said “This scares me.” and “I’m surprised because before this program your producer came and he read me at least 40 questions you were going to ask me.” Geller was unable to display any paranormal abilities, saying “I don’t feel strong” and he expressed his displeasure at feeling like he was being “pressed” to perform by Carson.[45]:8:10 According to Adam Higginbotham's Nov. 7, 2014 article in the New York Times:

text: The result was a legendary immolation, in which Geller offered up flustered excuses to his host as his abilities failed him again and again. “I sat there for 22 minutes, humiliated,” Geller told me, when I spoke to him in September. “I went back to my hotel, devastated. I was about to pack up the next day and go back to Tel Aviv. I thought, That’s it — I’m destroyed.” [46]

text: However, this appearance on The Tonight Show, which Carson and Randi had orchestrated to debunk Geller's claimed abilities, backfired. According to Higginbotham,

text: To Geller’s astonishment, he was immediately booked on The Merv Griffin Show. He was on his way to becoming a paranormal superstar. “That Johnny Carson show made Uri Geller,” Geller said. To an enthusiastically trusting public, his failure only made his gifts seem more real: If he were performing magic tricks, they would surely work every time.[46]

text: Carson's last shows[edit]

text: As his retirement approached, Carson tried to avoid sentimentality but would periodically show clips of some of his favorite moments and again invited some of his favorite guests. He told his crew, "Everything comes to an end; nothing lasts forever. Thirty years is enough. It's time to get out while you're still working on top of your game, while you're still working well."[47]

text: Carson hosted his penultimate show, featuring guests Robin Williams and Bette Midler, on May 21, 1992.[48] Once underway, the atmosphere was electric and Carson was greeted with a sustained, two-minute intense standing ovation.[49] Williams was especially uninhibited with his trademark manic energy and stream-of-consciousness lunacy.[47][50] Midler was more emotional.[50] When the conversation turned to Johnny's favorite songs, "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Here's That Rainy Day", Midler mentioned that she knew a chorus of the latter. She began singing the song, and after the first line, Carson joined in and turned it into an impromptu duet. Midler finished her appearance from center stage, where she slowly sang the pop standard "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)". Carson became unexpectedly tearful, and a shot of the two of them was captured by a camera angle from across the set that has never been broadcast.[51] The audience became tearful as well and called the three performers out for a second bow after the taping was completed.[49] This show was immediately recognized as a television classic that Midler considered one of the most emotional moments of her life and eventually won an Emmy for her role in it.[50][51][52]

text: Carson had no guests on his final episode of The Tonight Show on May 22, 1992, which was instead a retrospective show taped before an invitation-only studio audience of family, friends, and crew.[47][48] More than fifty million people tuned in for this finale, which ended with Carson sitting on a stool alone at center stage, similar to Jack Paar's last show. He said these final words in conclusion:

text:
“
And so it has come to this: I, uh... am one of the lucky people in the world; I found something I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. I want to thank the people who've shared this stage with me for thirty years. Mr. Ed McMahon, Mr. Doc Severinsen, and you people watching. I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you. And I hope when I find something that I want to do and I think you would like and come back, that you'll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night.
”

tag: table

text: A few weeks after the final show aired, it was announced that NBC and Carson had struck a deal to develop a new series. Ultimately, however, Carson chose not to return to television. He gave only two major interviews after his retirement: one to the Washington Post in 1993, and the other to Esquire magazine in 2002. Carson hinted in his 1993 interview that he did not think he could top what he had already accomplished. He rarely appeared elsewhere after retiring, providing only a guest voice on an episode of The Simpsons, which included him performing feats of strength, and a cameo on the May 13, 1994, Late Show with David Letterman where he delivered a Top 10 List and sat in Dave's chair for a minute.

text: In 2005, after Carson's death, it was revealed that he had made a habit of sending jokes to Dave Letterman via fax machine which Letterman would then sometimes incorporate into his monologues. The January 31, 2005, episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, which featured a tribute to Carson, began with a monologue by Letterman composed entirely of jokes written by Carson himself after his retirement.[53][54]

text: In 2011, the last Carson Tonight show was ranked No. 10 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.[55]


document_title: Beagle

question_text: what is the average weight of a beagle

question_tokens: what is the average weight of a beagle

text: Beagle

text: History[edit]

text: Dogs of similar size and purpose to the modern beagle[a] can be traced in Ancient Greece[2] back to around the 5th century BC. Xenophon, born around 430 BC, in his Treatise on Hunting or Cynegeticus refers to a hound that hunted hares by scent and was followed on foot. Small hounds are mentioned in the Forest Laws of Canute which exempted them from the ordinance which commanded that all dogs capable of running down a stag should have one foot mutilated.[3] If genuine, these laws would confirm that beagle-type dogs were present in England before 1016, but it is likely the laws were written in the Middle Ages to give a sense of antiquity and tradition to Forest Law.[4]

text: In the 11th century, William the Conqueror brought the Talbot hound to Britain. The Talbot was a predominantly white, slow, deep-throated, scent hound derived from the St. Hubert Hound which had been developed in the 8th century. At some point the English Talbots were crossed with Greyhounds to give them an extra turn of speed.[5] Long extinct, the Talbot strain probably gave rise to the Southern Hound which, in turn, is thought to be an ancestor of the modern-day beagle.[b]

text: From medieval times, beagle was used as a generic description for the smaller hounds, though these dogs differed considerably from the modern breed. Miniature breeds of beagle-type dogs were known from the times of Edward II and Henry VII, who both had packs of Glove Beagles, so named since they were small enough to fit on a glove, and Queen Elizabeth I kept a breed known as a Pocket Beagle, which stood 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) at the shoulder. Small enough to fit in a "pocket" or saddlebag, they rode along on the hunt. The larger hounds would run the prey to ground, then the hunters would release the small dogs to continue the chase through underbrush. Elizabeth I referred to the dogs as her singing beagles and often entertained guests at her royal table by letting her Pocket Beagles cavort amid their plates and cups.[6] 19th-century sources refer to these breeds interchangeably and it is possible that the two names refer to the same small variety. In George Jesse's Researches into the History of the British Dog from 1866, the early 17th-century poet and writer Gervase Markham is quoted referring to the beagle as small enough to sit on a man's hand and to the:

text: little small mitten-beagle, which may be companion for a ladies kirtle, and in the field will run as cunningly as any hound whatere, only their musick is very small like reeds.[7]

text: Standards for the Pocket Beagle were drawn up as late as 1901; these genetic lines are now extinct, although modern breeders have attempted to recreate the variety.[8]

text: By the 18th century two breeds had been developed for hunting hare and rabbit: the Southern Hound and the North Country Beagle (or Northern Hound). The Southern Hound, a tall, heavy dog with a square head, and long, soft ears, was common from south of the River Trent and probably closely related to the Talbot Hound. Though slow, it had stamina and an excellent scenting ability. The North Country Beagle, possibly a cross between an offshoot of the Talbot stock and a Greyhound, was bred chiefly in Yorkshire and was common in the northern counties. It was smaller than the Southern Hound, less heavy-set and with a more pointed muzzle. It was faster than its southern counterpart but its scenting abilities were less well developed.[9] As fox hunting became increasingly popular, numbers of both types of hound diminished. The beagle-type dogs were crossed with larger breeds such as Stag Hounds to produce the modern Foxhound. The beagle-size varieties came close to extinction but some farmers in the South ensured the survival of the prototype breeds by maintaining small rabbit-hunting packs.

text: Development of the modern breed[edit]

text: Reverend Phillip Honeywood established a beagle pack in Essex in the 1830s and it is believed that this pack formed the basis for the modern breed. Although details of the pack's lineage are not recorded it is thought that North Country Beagles and Southern Hounds were strongly represented; William Youatt suspected that Harriers formed a good majority of the beagle's bloodline, but the origin of the Harrier is itself obscure.[10] Honeywood's Beagles were small, standing at about 10 inches (25 cm) at the shoulder, and pure white according to John Mills (writing in The Sportsman's Library in 1845). Prince Albert and Lord Winterton also had Beagle packs around this time, and royal favour no doubt led to some revival of interest in the breed, but Honeywood's pack was regarded as the finest of the three.[11]

text: Although credited with the development of the modern breed, Honeywood concentrated on producing dogs for hunting and it was left to Thomas Johnson to refine the breeding to produce dogs that were both attractive and capable hunters. Two strains were developed: the rough- and smooth-coated varieties. The rough-coated beagle survived until the beginning of the 20th century, and there were even records of one making an appearance at a dog show as late as 1969, but this variety is now extinct, having probably been absorbed into the standard beagle bloodline.[12]

text: In the 1840s, a standard beagle type was beginning to develop; the distinction between the North Country Beagle and Southern Hound had been lost, but there was still a large variation in size, character, and reliability among the emerging packs.[13] In 1856, "Stonehenge" (the pseudonym of John Henry Walsh), writing in the Manual of British Rural Sports, was still dividing beagles into four varieties: the medium beagle; the dwarf or lapdog beagle; the fox beagle (a smaller, slower version of the Foxhound); and the rough-coated or terrier beagle, which he classified as a cross between any of the other varieties and one of the Scottish terrier breeds.[14] Stonehenge also gives the start of a standard description:

text: In size the beagle measures from 10 inches, or even less, to 15. In shape they resemble the old southern hound in miniature, but with more neatness and beauty; and they also resemble that hound in style of hunting.[14]

text: By 1887 the threat of extinction was on the wane: there were 18 beagle packs in England.[15] The Beagle Club was formed in 1890 and the first standard drawn up at the same time.[16] The following year the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed. Both organisations aimed to further the best interests of the breed, and both were keen to produce a standard type of beagle.[17] By 1902, the number of packs had risen to 44.[15]

text: Export[edit]

text: Beagles were in the United States by the 1840s at the latest, but the first dogs were imported strictly for hunting and were of variable quality. Since Honeywood had only started breeding in the 1830s, it is unlikely these dogs were representative of the modern breed and the description of them as looking like straight-legged Dachshunds with weak heads has little resemblance to the standard. Serious attempts at establishing a quality bloodline began in the early 1870s when General Richard Rowett from Illinois imported some dogs from England and began breeding. Rowett's Beagles are believed to have formed the models for the first American standard, drawn up by Rowett, L. H. Twadell, and Norman Ellmore in 1887.[18] The beagle was accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1885.[19] In the 20th century the breed has spread worldwide.

text: Popularity[edit]

text: On its formation, the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles took over the running of a regular show at Peterborough that had started in 1889, and the Beagle Club in the UK held its first show in 1896.[16] The regular showing of the breed led to the development of a uniform type, and the beagle continued to prove a success up until the outbreak of World War I when all shows were suspended. After the war, the breed was again struggling for survival in the UK: the last of the Pocket Beagles was probably lost during this time, and registrations fell to an all-time low. A few breeders (notably Reynalton Kennels) managed to revive interest in the dog and by World War II, the breed was once again doing well. Registrations dropped again after the end of the war but almost immediately recovered.[20]

text: As purebred dogs, beagles have always been more popular in the United States and Canada than in their native country England. The National Beagle Club of America was formed in 1888 and by 1901 a beagle had won a Best in Show title. As in the UK, activity during World War I was minimal, but the breed showed a much stronger revival in the U.S. when hostilities ceased. In 1928 it won a number of prizes at the Westminster Kennel Club's show and by 1939 a beagle – Champion Meadowlark Draughtsman – had captured the title of top-winning American-bred dog for the year.[21] On 12 February 2008, a beagle, K-Run's Park Me In First (Uno), won the Best In Show category at the Westminster Kennel Club show for the first time in the competition's history.[22] In North America they have been consistently in the top-ten most-popular breeds for over 30 years. From 1953 to 1959 the beagle was ranked No. 1 on the list of the American Kennel Club's registered breeds;[23] in 2005 and 2006 it ranked 5th out of the 155 breeds registered.[24] In the UK they are not quite so popular, placing 28th and 30th in the rankings of registrations with the Kennel Club in 2005 and 2006 respectively.[25] In the United States the beagle ranked 4th most popular breed in 2012 and 2013, behind the Labrador Retriever (#1), German Shepherd (#2) and Golden Retriever (#3) breeds.[26]

text: Name[edit]

text: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of the beagle by name in English literature dates from c. 1475 in The Squire of Low Degree. The origin of the word "beagle" is uncertain, although it has been suggested that the word derives from the French begueule.[27]

text: It is not known why the black and tan Kerry Beagle, present in Ireland since Celtic times, has the beagle description, since at 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) it is significantly taller than the modern day beagle, and in earlier times was even larger. Some writers suggest that the beagle's scenting ability may have come from cross-breeding earlier strains with the Kerry Beagle. Originally used for hunting stags, it is today used for hare and drag hunting.[28]

text: Appearance[edit]

text: The general appearance of the beagle resembles a miniature Foxhound, but the head is broader and the muzzle shorter, the expression completely different and the legs shorter in proportion to the body.[29] They are generally between 13 and 16 inches (33 and 41 cm) high at the withers and weigh between 18 and 35 lb (8.2 and 15.9 kg), with females being slightly smaller than males on average.[30]

text: They have a smooth, somewhat domed skull with a medium-length, square-cut muzzle and a black (or occasionally liver) gumdrop nose. The jaw is strong and the teeth scissor together with the upper teeth fitting perfectly over the lower teeth and both sets aligned square to the jaw. The eyes are large, hazel or brown, with a mild hound-like pleading look. The large ears are long, soft and low-set, turning towards the cheeks slightly and rounded at the tips. Beagles have a strong, medium-length neck (which is long enough for them to easily bend to the ground to pick up a scent), with little folding in the skin but some evidence of a dewlap; a broad chest narrowing to a tapered abdomen and waist and a long, slightly curved tail (known as the "stern") tipped with white. The white tip, known as the flag has been selectively bred for, as it allows the dog to be easily seen when its head is down following a scent.[31] The tail does not curl over the back, but is held upright when the dog is active. The beagle has a muscular body and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. The front legs are straight and carried under the body while the rear legs are muscular and well bent at the stifles.[32]

text: The tricolored beagle—white with large black areas and light brown shading—is the most common. Tricolored beagles occur in a number of shades, from the "Classic Tri" with a jet black saddle (also known as "Blackback"), to the "Dark Tri" (where faint brown markings are intermingled with more prominent black markings), to the "Faded Tri" (where faint black markings are intermingled with more prominent brown markings). Some tricolored dogs have a broken pattern, sometimes referred to as pied. These dogs have mostly white coats with patches of black and brown hair. Tricolor beagles are almost always born black and white. The white areas are typically set by eight weeks, but the black areas may fade to brown as the puppy matures. (The brown may take between one and two years to fully develop.) Some beagles gradually change color during their lives, and may lose their black markings entirely.

text: Two-color varieties always have a white base color with areas of the second color. Tan and white is the most common two-color variety, but there is a wide range of other colors including lemon, a very light tan; red, a reddish, almost orange, brown; and liver, a darker brown, and black. Liver is not common and is not permitted in some standards; it tends to occur with yellow eyes. Ticked or mottled varieties may be either white or black with different colored flecks (ticking), such as the blue-mottled or bluetick beagle, which has spots that appear to be a midnight-blue color, similar to the coloring of the Bluetick Coonhound. Some tricolor beagles also have ticking of various colors in their white areas.[33][34]

text: Sense of smell[edit]

text: Alongside the Bloodhound and Basset Hound, the beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog.[35] In the 1950s, John Paul Scott and John Fuller began a 13-year study of canine behavior. As part of this research, they tested the scenting abilities of various breeds by putting a mouse in a one-acre field and timing how long it took the dogs to find it. The beagles found it in less than a minute, while Fox Terriers took 15 minutes and Scottish Terriers failed to find it at all. Beagles are better at ground-scenting (following a trail on the ground) than they are at air-scenting, and for this reason they have been excluded from most mountain rescue teams in favor of collies, which use sight in addition to air-scenting and are more biddable.[35] The long ears and large lips of the beagle probably assist in trapping the scents close to the nose.[36]

text: Variations[edit]

text: Breed varieties[edit]

text: The American Kennel Club recognizes two separate varieties of beagle: the 13-inch for hounds less than 13 inches (33 cm), and the 15-inch for those between 13 and 15 inches (33 and 38 cm). The Canadian Kennel Club recognizes a single type, with a height not exceeding 15 inches (38 cm). The Kennel Club (UK) and FCI affiliated clubs recognize a single type, with a height of between 13 and 16 inches (33 and 41 cm).

text: English and American varieties are sometimes mentioned. However, there is no official recognition from any Kennel Club for this distinction. beagles fitting the American Kennel Club standard – which disallows animals over 15 inches (38 cm) – are smaller on average than those fitting the Kennel Club standard which allows heights up to 16 inches (41 cm).

text: Pocket Beagles are sometimes advertised for sale but while the UK Kennel Club originally specified a standard for the Pocket Beagle in 1901, the variety is not now recognized by any Kennel Club.

text: A strain known as Patch Hounds was developed by Willet Randall and his family from 1896 specifically for their rabbit hunting ability. They trace their bloodline back to Field Champion Patch, but do not necessarily have a patchwork marking.[37][38]

text: Crossbreeds[edit]

text: In the 1850s, Stonehenge recommended a cross between a Beagle and a Scottish Terrier as a retriever. He found the crossbreed to be a good worker, silent and obedient, but it had the drawback that it was small and could barely carry a hare.[39]

text: More recently the trend has been for "designer dogs" and one of the most popular has been the Beagle/Pug cross known as a Puggle. Some puppies of this cross are less excitable than a Beagle and with a lower exercise requirement, similar to the Pug parent; but many are highly excitable and require vigorous exercise.[40]

text: Temperament[edit]

text: The beagle has an even temper and gentle disposition. Described in several breed standards as "merry", they are amiable and typically neither aggressive nor timid, although this depends on the individual. They enjoy company, and although they may initially be standoffish with strangers, they are easily won over. They make poor guard dogs for this reason, although their tendency to bark or howl when confronted with the unfamiliar makes them good watch dogs. In a 1985 study conducted by Ben and Lynette Hart, the beagle was given the highest excitability rating, along with the Yorkshire Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, West Highland White Terrier, and Fox Terrier.[41][c]

text: Beagles are intelligent but, as a result of being bred for the long chase, are single-minded and determined, which can make them hard to train. They can be difficult to recall once they have picked up a scent, and are easily distracted by smells around them. They do not generally feature in obedience trials; while they are alert, respond well to food-reward training, and are eager to please, they are easily bored or distracted. They are ranked 72nd in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, as Coren places them among the group with the lowest degree of working/obedience intelligence. Coren's scale, however, does not assess understanding, independence, or creativity.[42][43]

text: Beagles are excellent with children and this is one of the reasons they have become popular family pets, but they are pack animals, and are prone to separation anxiety,[44] a condition which causes them to destroy things when left unattended. Not all beagles will howl, but most will bark when confronted with strange situations, and some will bay (also referred to as "speaking", "giving tongue", or "opening") when they catch the scent of potential quarry.[45] They also generally get along well with other dogs. They are not too demanding with regard to exercise; their inbred stamina means they do not easily tire when exercised, but they also do not need to be worked to exhaustion before they will rest. Regular exercise helps ward off the weight gain to which the breed is prone.[46]

text: Health[edit]

text: The typical longevity of beagles is 12–15 years,[47] which is a common lifespan for dogs of their size.[48]

text: Beagles may be prone to epilepsy, but this can often be controlled with medication. Hypothyroidism and a number of types of dwarfism occur in beagles. Two conditions in particular are unique to the breed: "Funny Puppy", in which the puppy is slow to develop and eventually develops weak legs, a crooked back and although normally healthy, is prone to a range of illnesses;[49] Hip dysplasia, common in Harriers and in some larger breeds, is rarely considered a problem in beagles.[50] Beagles are considered a chondrodystrophic breed, meaning that they are prone to types of disk diseases.[51]

text: In rare cases, beagles may develop immune mediated polygenic arthritis (where the immune system attacks the joints) even at a young age. The symptoms can sometimes be relieved by steroid treatments.[49] Another rare disease in the breed is neonatal cerebellar cortical degeneration. Affected puppies are slow, have lower co-ordination, fall more often and don't have a normal gait. It has an estimated carrier rate of 5% and affected rate of 0.1%. A genetic test is available.[52][53]

text: Their long floppy ears can mean that the inner ear does not receive a substantial air flow or that moist air becomes trapped, and this can lead to ear infections. Beagles may also be affected by a range of eye problems; two common ophthalmic conditions in beagles are glaucoma and corneal dystrophy.[54] "Cherry eye", a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid, and distichiasis, a condition in which eyelashes grow into the eye causing irritation, sometimes exist; both these conditions can be corrected with surgery.[49] They can suffer from several types of retinal atrophy. Failure of the nasolacrimal drainage system can cause dry eye or leakage of tears onto the face.[49]

text: As field dogs they are prone to minor injuries such as cuts and sprains, and, if inactive, obesity is a common problem as they will eat whenever food is available and rely on their owners to regulate their weight.[49] When working or running free they are also likely to pick up parasites such as fleas, ticks, harvest mites, and tapeworms, and irritants such as grass seeds can become trapped in their eyes, soft ears, or paws.[55]

text: Beagles may exhibit a behaviour known as reverse sneezing, in which they sound as if they are choking or gasping for breath, but are actually drawing air in through the mouth and nose. The exact cause of this behaviour is not known, but it can be a common occurrence and is not harmful to the dog.[56]

text: Hunting[edit]

text: Beagles were developed primarily for hunting hare, an activity known as beagling. They were seen as ideal hunting companions for the elderly who could follow on horseback without exerting themselves, for young hunters who could keep up with them on ponies, and for the poorer hunters who could not afford to maintain a stable of good hunting horses.[57] Before the advent of the fashion for foxhunting in the 19th century, hunting was an all day event where the enjoyment was derived from the chase rather than the kill. In this setting the tiny beagle was well matched to the hare, as unlike Harriers they would not quickly finish the hunt, but because of their excellent scent-tracking skills and stamina they were almost guaranteed to eventually catch the hare. The beagle packs would run closely together ("so close that they might be covered with a sheet"[10]) which was useful in a long hunt, as it prevented stray dogs from obscuring the trail. In thick undergrowth they were also preferred to spaniels when hunting pheasant.[58]

text: With the fashion for faster hunts, the beagle fell out of favour for chasing hare, but was still employed for rabbit hunting. In Anecdotes of Dogs (1846), Edward Jesse says:

text: In rabbit-shooting, in gorse and thick cover, nothing can be more cheerful than the beagle. They also are easily heard over long distances and in thick cover. They have been called rabbit-beagles from this employment, for which they are peculiarly qualified, especially those dogs which are somewhat wire-haired.[6]

text: In the United States they appear to have been employed chiefly for hunting rabbits from the earliest imports. Hunting hare with beagles became popular again in Britain in the mid-19th century and continued until it was made illegal in Scotland by the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 and in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004. Under this legislation beagles may still pursue rabbits with the landowner's permission. Drag hunting is popular where hunting is no longer permitted or for those owners who do not wish to participate in hunting a live animal, but still wish to exercise their dog's innate skills.

text: The traditional foot pack consists of up to 40 beagles, marshaled by a Huntsman who directs the pack and who is assisted by a variable number of whippers-in whose job is to return straying hounds to the pack. The Master of the Hunt is in overall day-to-day charge of the pack, and may or may not take on the role of Huntsman on the day of the hunt.

text: As hunting with beagles was seen as ideal for young people, many of the British public schools traditionally maintained beagle packs. Protests were lodged against Eton's use of beagles for hunting as early as 1902 but the pack is still in existence today,[59] and a pack used by Imperial College in Wye, Kent was stolen by the Animal Liberation Front in 2001.[60] School and university packs are still maintained by Eton, Marlborough, Wye, Radley, the Royal Agricultural University and Christ Church, Oxford.[61]

text: In addition to organized beagling, beagles have been used for hunting or flushing to guns (often in pairs) a wide range of game including snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbits, game birds, roe deer, red deer, bobcat, coyote, wild boar and foxes, and have even been recorded as being used to hunt stoat.[62][63] In most of these cases, the beagle is employed as a gun dog, flushing game for hunter's guns.[62]

text: Detection[edit]

text: Beagles are used as detection dogs in the Beagle Brigade of the United States Department of Agriculture. These dogs are used to detect food items in luggage being taken into the United States. After trialling several breeds, beagles were chosen because they are relatively small and unintimidating for people who are uncomfortable around dogs, easy to care for, intelligent and work well for rewards.[64] They are also used for this purpose in a number of other countries including by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in New Zealand, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and in Canada, Japan and the People's Republic of China.[65] Larger breeds are generally used for detection of explosives as this often involves climbing over luggage and on large conveyor belts, work for which the smaller Beagle is not suited.[66]

text: Testing[edit]

text: Beagles are the dog breed most often used in animal testing, due to their size and passive nature. Beagles are used in a range of research procedures: fundamental biological research, applied human medicine, applied veterinary medicine, and protection of man, animals or the environment.[67][68] Of the 8,018 dogs used in testing in the UK in 2004, 7,799 were beagles (97.3%).[69] In the UK, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 gave special status to primates, equids, cats and dogs and in 2005 the Animal Procedures Committee (set up by the act) ruled that testing on mice was preferable, even though a greater number of individual animals were involved.[70] In 2005 beagles were involved in less than 0.3% of the total experiments on animals in the UK, but of the 7670 experiments performed on dogs 7406 involved beagles (96.6%).[67] Most dogs are bred specifically for this purpose, by companies such as Harlan. In the UK companies breeding animals for research must be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act.[70]

text: Testing of cosmetic products on animals is banned in the member states of the European Community,[71] although France protested the ban and has made efforts to have it lifted.[72] It is permitted in the United States but is not mandatory if safety can be ascertained by other methods, and the test species is not specified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[73] When testing toxicity of food additives, food contaminants, and some drugs and chemicals the FDA uses beagles and miniature pigs as surrogates for direct human testing.[74] Minnesota was the first state to enact a Beagle freedom adoption law in 2014, mandating that dogs and cats are allowed to be adopted once they have completed with research testing.[75]

text: Anti-vivisection groups have reported on abuse of animals inside testing facilities. In 1997 footage secretly filmed by a freelance journalist inside Huntingdon Life Sciences in the UK showed staff punching and screaming at beagles.[76] Consort Kennels, a UK-based breeder of beagles for testing, closed down in 1997 after pressure from animal rights groups.[77]

text: Other roles[edit]

text: Although bred for hunting, Beagles are versatile and are nowadays employed for various other roles in detection, therapy, and as family pets.[31]

text: Beagles are used as sniffer dogs for termite detection in Australia,[78] and have been mentioned as possible candidates for drug and explosive detection.[79][80] Because of their gentle nature and unimposing build, they are also frequently used in pet therapy, visiting the sick and elderly in hospital.[81] In June 2006, a trained Beagle assistance dog was credited with saving the life of its owner after using her owner's mobile phone to dial an emergency number.[82] In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a Beagle search and rescue dog with a Colombian rescue squad was credited with locating the owner of the Hôtel Montana, who was subsequently rescued after spending 100 hours buried in the rubble.[83] Beagles were hired by New York City to help with bedbug detection,[84] while the role of such dogs in this type of detection may have doubts.[85]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text: Beagles have been featured across a wide range of media. References to the dog appear before the 19th century in works by such writers as William Shakespeare, John Webster, John Dryden, Thomas Tickell, Henry Fielding, and William Cowper, as well as in Alexander Pope's translation of Homer's Iliad.[d][third-party source needed] Beagles appeared in funny animal comic strips and animated cartoons from the 1950s with Courage the Cowardly Dog and the Peanuts character Snoopy billed as "the world's most famous Beagle".[86][1]

text: Former US President Lyndon Baines Johnson had several beagles, and caused an outcry when he picked up one of them by its ears during an official greeting on the White House lawn.[87] The ship on which Charles Darwin made the voyage which provided much of the inspiration for On the Origin of Species was named HMS Beagle after the breed, and, in turn, lent its name to the ill-fated British Martian lander Beagle 2. A Canadian bred 15 inch female Beagle with the registered name of Gr Ch Tashtins Lookin For Trouble and the pet name of "Miss P" won the 2015 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.[88]


document_title: Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

question_text: who does katara end up with in avatar

question_tokens: who does katara end up with in avatar

text: Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

text: Creation and conception[edit]

text: According to the un-aired pilot episode, Katara’s name was originally 'Kya', which was later used for her deceased mother instead.[6] In "Tales of Ba Sing Se", Katara’s name was written as 卡 塔 拉. Kǎ (卡) means to check, block, or card; Tǎ (塔) means pagoda; and Lā (拉) means to pull.[7] The character 'Lā' appears in the first season's finale, while the character 'Kǎ' also appears in Sokka's name.[8]

text: In the commentary of the unaired pilot episode, co creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino state that Katara's "hair loopies" were intended to hang downward, but were thought too hard to animate and looped backward instead.[6]

text: Personality[edit]

text: Katara is described as "smart, capable; an anime heroine",[9] and as "kind, brave, and passionate."[10] In many situations, Katara appears as a mother to the other protagonists: a role attributed to her tribe's losses to raids and the departure of many members to war, which allegedly required her (as well as her brother Sokka) to assume responsibilities beyond her age. Katara tends to be kind and generous, but is often stubborn or confined by her morals; becomes angry if doubted, insulted, or betrayed; and carries resentment for years on end.

text: Plot overview[edit]

text: Avatar: The Last Airbender[edit]

text: When Katara was 8 years old, her mother, Kya, sacrificed her life during a Fire Nation raid in order to protect Katara; whereafter her daughter assumed an adult's role in later life.[11] Though her interests lay in developing her Waterbending skills, she resigned herself to cooking and cleaning duties while her brother, Sokka, trained to become a warrior. Later, Katara’s father Hakoda and the other warriors journey to the Earth Kingdom to oppose the Fire Nation; leaving Katara, Sokka, and their grandmother Kanna to look after the tribe.[12]

text: The events of Avatar: The Last Airbender begin six years thereafter, when Katara and Sokka find Aang in suspended animation and identify him as the Avatar, a messianic figure. Bent on mastering Waterbending, Katara joins Aang to reach the Northern Water Tribe to find a Waterbending master, with Sokka alongside them.[13] Upon arrival, Master Pakku refuses her apprenticeship, because the customs of the Northern Water Tribe dictate that females cannot learn Waterbending as a martial art;[14] but upon noticing Katara's necklace, which he himself gave to Katara's grandmother, he agrees to teach her.[14] Katara having achieved her own expertise, Pakku deems her sufficient to teach Aang.[15]

text: Katara then accompanies Aang to the Earth Kingdom for him to learn earthbending.[16] At an Earth Kingdom stronghold, General Fong places Katara’s life in danger to induce Aang's Avatar State; but achieves only destruction. After the earthbender Toph Bei Fong joins the group to teach Aang, Katara and Toph initially quarrel; but thereafter become friends. In the Earth Kingdom's capital, Katara encounters antagonist Prince Zuko and his sister Azula; and during the battle, Aang is injured by Azula's lightning, whereupon Katara takes him to safety and eventually heals him.[17]

text: In a village burdened by the Fire Nation's pollution, Katara disguises herself as the river spirit 'Painted Lady' in order to help the village.[18] While staying with the semi-reclusive Hama, the protagonists learn she is a Waterbender of the Southern Tribe imprisoned by the Fire Nation. Later, she offers to teach Katara a Waterbending technique called "Bloodbending", which enables physical control of animals and humans. When Katara refuses to learn this technique, Hama uses it on Aang and Sokka, forcing Katara to use the technique herself on Hama.[19] When Prince Zuko joins the protagonists after the Invasion fails and gains everyone's trust, he fails to do so with Katara until he assists her in finding the man who was responsible for killing her mother.  Though deciding not to take her revenge nor forgive, she does come to terms with Zuko and accepts him as friend.

text: During the four-part series finale, Katara assists Zuko in preventing Azula from becoming Fire Lord and battles her; eventually defeating her, she heals Zuko. When the war ends, she is seen in Ba Sing Se with the other protagonists and she finally shares a passionate kiss with Aang, starting a romantic relationship with him.[20][21]

text: The Legend of Korra[edit]

text: In the sequel series The Legend of Korra, Katara, now eighty-five, is one of the surviving members of the original Team Avatar (along with Zuko and Toph). She is a high-ranking member of the White Lotus and took it upon herself to train Korra in waterbending, becoming the latest in a line of masters to serve as a teacher to multiple Avatars.  Katara and Aang are also revealed to have had three children: the non-bender Bumi (who later acquired the ability to airbend), the waterbender Kya, and the airbender Tenzin. She plays a rather minor role in the first season of the series, only giving Korra her blessing to leave for Republic City to train with Tenzin and attempting to unsuccessfully heal her after she lost her waterbending, firebending and earthbending abilities to Amon.

text: In the second season's first episode "Rebel Spirit", Katara is seen celebrating with all three of her children at the Southern Water Tribe's Glacier Spirits Festival. While together with them, Katara, holding her new grandson Rohan, watches sadly as she notices Kya and Bumi joking at Tenzin's expense. At the end of the episode, Katara implores that Tenzin take his brother and sister with him to the Southern Air Temple, saying that he will enjoy looking back on the time he had to spend with his siblings and that it might be best for the three to visit their father's home together. In "Harmonic Convergence," Katara is seen in her healing hut tending to injured Southern Water Tribe soldiers, and later used healing to keep her granddaughter Jinora's body alive while her soul was trapped in the spirit world. In Light in the Dark, she is seen listening to Avatar Korra addressing the independent Southern Water Tribe and how she decided to have spirits and human coexist by leaving the spirit portals open.

text: In the fourth season episode "Korra Alone", Katara aids Korra in healing her body after being poisoned by Zaheer at the end of the third season, enabling her to walk again after being wheelchair bound for over six months.

text: Abilities[edit]

text: Katara's abilities develop considerably throughout the series. At the outset, she has little control over her innate waterbending, and often loses control in moments of frustration or anger. Thanks to diligent practice, an instruction scroll, and tutelage under a Master, her skill improves until she is bestowed with the status and title of "Waterbending Yang-style Master". She was chosen by Korra as her instructor in the Southern Tribe Yang-style martial arts, bending arts and the healing arts.[22]

text: Waterbending[edit]

text: Katara is highly skilled in Waterbending which utilizes chinese martial arts techniques of "internal style" T'ai chi ch'uan and Jeet Kune Do; Katara is the only surviving Master of "Southern Tribe Yang-style" after the 100 year genocide.[23][24][25][26] Waterbending represents the element of change - a shapeshifter constantly changing forms -[27] and is categorized as the most adaptive or pliable of the "four bending arts". Waterbending emphasizes "softness and breathing" over "hard aggression"; fluid and graceful, acting in concert with the environment; creating opportunities where none exist; this "flow of energy" allows their defensive maneuvers to translate into focus on control and counter-offenses, turning their opponents' momentum against them. Despite these advantages, Waterbending is almost entirely dependent on inertia; it is essential for practitioners to not be rigid, but to be fluid and able to adapt to any situation.

text: "Solid, liquid, gas - Water is the element of change. Water is patient and waits. Wears down the cliff tops, the mountains. There is nothing softer and weaker than water, and yet there is nothing better for attacking hard and strong things."

text: Katara has demonstrated to be a formidable opponent to her enemies, able to fight on equal terms with Azula and Long Feng; she eventually outmatched the fire nation princess to demonstrate the extent of her skill. Without the aid of a full moon, Katara can use water to cut through objects; summon lashing waves and whips of varying sizes; cover herself with a sheath of water; surf on a length of ice; run and stand on the surface of water; melt and control existing ice; form ice into various shapes; freeze water and objects surrounded by water with little effort; create walls of mist and steam; transform steam into ice; evaporate large amounts of water; or derive a weapon from any moisture including her own perspiration.[28] She can control huge amounts of water at a time, forming huge waves and bubbles of water. On one instance, Katara knocked down the entire Dai Li, Zuko, and Azula while riding atop a giant wave. As with all Waterbenders, Katara's powers max under the influence of a full moon.

text: Katara demonstrates the ability to levitate and control water-based liquids, as well as pure water, in episode "The Southern Raiders", wherein Katara bends ink onto a map. She is also seen bending soup (which allows her to cook meals), and bends perfume while battling a smell-dependent monster. In the episode "The Painted Lady," she uses her bending to create a thick fog.  Katara also demonstrates the ability to bend sweat and the ability to manipulate mud with Toph, who manipulates the dirt while Katara controls the water.

text: Healing abilities[edit]

text: Katara is one of the few waterbenders born with the sub-ability of healing injuries or wounds, first demonstrated after she is burned by Aang's first attempt at firebending;[29] She strengthens this ability under the tutelage of the Northern Water Tribe's healer Yagoda. She uses it thereafter to relieve sickness;[18] overcome brainwashing;[30] and heal seemingly mortal wounds such as burns and bleeding injuries.[31] Nevertheless, she cannot cure all sicknesses, completely mend brain damage or heal internal injuries and birth defects.[30] Using special water she obtained from the Northern Water Tribe's Spirit Shrine that she kept with her continually, she was able to heal a fatal wound Azula inflicted upon Aang, thus reviving him from death. She speculated that she would be able to use that same water from the Spirit Shrine to heal the scar on Zuko's face when they were imprisoned underground together in Old Ba Sing Se. However, they were interrupted before she could attempt it. By the time of The Legend of Korra, Lin Beifong (Toph's metalbender daughter) claims that she is the strongest healer in the world.[32]

text: Bloodbending[edit]

text: Katara has another waterbending technique known as "bloodbending". She is able to manipulate the fluids inside a human body (and presumably any other living creature), leaving the target unable to move or resist in any way. Once she has taken control, she can make it move in any manner she desires. She is only able to bloodbend during a full moon, when her waterbending power is at its peak. Katara was forced to learn bloodbending by Hama, an elderly Water Tribe woman who originally developed the technique and who wanted Katara to learn it in order for it to be passed on to others ("The Puppetmaster"). However, Katara abhors this technique and has only used it twice in times of great stress. In later years, she worked to make the practice a criminal offense.

text: Appearances in other media[edit]

text: Katara's character appeared in the Avatar: The Last Airbender Trading Card Game[3] and three THQ video games including the eponymous video game[33] and Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth[34][35] and Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno.

text: Like Aang, Katara also appeared in Tokyopop's films comic (sometimes referred to as cine-manga).[36]

text: In 2010 film adaptation of the series, The Last Airbender directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Nicola Peltz portrayed Katara.[37] The film was universally panned by critics and audiences. Many reviewers cited inconsistencies within the plot and between the screenplay and the source material, as well as the acting, writing and casting and has been considered to be one of the worst adaptations ever made.[38]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The character has received critical acclaim for her strong, maternal personality.