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With the release of "'The
Merv Griffin Show': 40 of the Most Interesting People of Our Time" on DVD,
it's a perfect opportunity to look back on a format we take for granted --
but one that's endured and morphed mightily during the years.The TV talk
show -- the cornerstone of both late-night and daytime TV -- arguably
helped launch the cult of celebrity and certainly gave a showcase for
talent both brilliant (Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld) and brilliantly bizarre (Tiny Tim). Most of the greats are variations on
two themes -- the
avuncular/approachable host (Mike Douglas, Oprah
Winfrey) or the riffing comedic
straight man (Conan O'Brien, Jon
Stewart). Some reach the pinnacle by being both.
Here are our favorite
TV talk show hosts of all time: |
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Johnny
Carson ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 1962-1992): Was
there ever any doubt? Carson's unflappable affable persona masked a
shrewd gift for humor and squeezing comic gems or revelations out of
guests. The chemistry with sidekick Ed McMahon and band
leaders such as Skitch Henderson and Doc Severinsen was a formula
many tried to copy but never could. And let's not forget his
commitment to showcasing rising-star comics such as Jay Leno and
Seinfeld. Somewhere, Aunt Blabby is smiling.
| |
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Oprah
Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show," syndicated,
1986-present): Winfrey took the gentler-form afternoon talk
show aimed at women, previously perfected by Phil Donahue, and
turned it into a powerhouse of empowerment. Her natural empathy and
grace have captivated, rightly, millions of viewers and changed
daytime TV forever. Long may she reign! | |
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Dick
Cavett ("The Dick Cavett Show," several
incarnations on ABC and PBS): Cavett's talk shows began in 1969 and
continued intermittently -- daytime, prime time and late night --
through the '70s and beyond. Cavett made daring musical-guest
choices in his early days; a recent DVD showcases the amazing
performance and stoned-out interview given by Jimi Hendrix, and other guests included
Crosby, Stills and Nash, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell. Cavett, leisurely and
highbrow, often invited only one guest per show. | |
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Jon
Stewart ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Comedy
Central, 1996-present): He's given the traditional talk show a
current-events spin, giving his own takes on news as well as
interviewing guests. Stewart's approach is perfect for the new
millennium, asking hard questions but doling out equal-opportunity
satire. | |
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David
Letterman ("Late Night with David Letterman," NBC,
1982-1993; "The Late Show with David Letterman," CBS, 1993-present):
Letterman's wired a little more tightly than the average talk show
host, and that tension makes for riveting TV. Not afraid to look
politics square in the eye, he can be abrasive yet fabulously
inventive. We have him to thank for Stupid Pet Tricks (remember the
cat and the Frisbee?), the Top Ten Lists and, of course, pranks such
as hurling himself at a wall of Velcro. | |
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Jack Paar ("The Jack
Paar Show," NBC, 1957-1962): Paar succeeded Steve Allen and preceded
Carson in NBC's coveted late-night slot. The emotional Paar was
thought by many to be too "hot" for the "cool" medium of television
(he tearfully walked off his show in 1960 to protest the censoring
of a joke about a "water closet" -- my, how times have changed). But
he had a recurring cast of characters, including Joey Bishop, Alexander
King and Hugh Downs, and
interviewed celebrities, authors and arcane members of the
intelligentsia. | |
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