Larry King Retires - The End of an Era

[Ivan Seeking]

His last show aires tonight at 8 PM Eastern Time, on CNN. The final guest has been kept a secret.

I've never been a huge King fan, but there is no doubt that many of his interviews were fascinating, with some probably qualifying as historic in the world of journalism. Apparently he will be doing specials from time to time, but beyond a doubt it is the end of an era. I wish him well.

Five decades and 50,000 interviews after he first jabbed a microphone into a surprised pop singer's face at a Miami Beach diner, Larry King is hanging up his suspenders. His Thursday night show on CNN will be the last of a broadcast career that eternally careened between pinnacles of wild success and pits of utter catastrophe.

...Then we might see Marlon Brando, who unexpectedly and indelibly ended a 1994 interview by kissing King full on the lips. ("I still can't stop thinking about it," King said 15 years later.) Or segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who opened an appearance on a King show by ostentatiously glancing around the TV studio, then sneering: "I don't see any blacks working here." (Retorted King: "They own the station. They're out to lunch.")

In fact, it's hard to find anyone of any significance in the past half-century, living or dead, who hasn't sat across the table from King in his various radio and TV incarnations...

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/15/2523110_at-77-larry-kings-long-tenure.html?storylink=omni_popular#ixzz18JfDvFlq

'Larry King Live's' final episode: A look back at 10 memorable moments

...As Larry King bids farewell to his famed CNN talk show after 25 years, we take a look back at 10 of the most memorable "Larry King Live" moments...

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2010/12/larry-king-lives-final-episode-a-look-back-at-10-memorable-moments.html

 

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

Any guesses as to will he interview?

I say Barbara Walters is going to show up and ask him the questions.

 

[Proton Soup]

i've never been impressed with Larry King.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Any guesses as to will he interview?

I say Barbara Walters is going to show up and ask him the questions.

I have no idea who it might be, but that sounds like a very good guess!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

i've never been impressed with Larry King.

Since I watch CNN, I usually know who the guest is going to be that night. The only time I normally watch is if the guest is particularly interesting. Generally speaking, he did too much fluff for my taste, even as light entertainment.

Still, an estimated 50,000 [allegedly] interviews - 50 years at the mic - is an impressive feat. He also seemed to be someone that almost everyone trusted. People like Brando [IIRC, if not Brando there were plenty of others] would only do the Larry King show.

 

[lisab]

One thing he does well: he let's his guest *speak*, and he listens to the answer. He never seems like he's just trying to hurry on to the next question on his pre-made list. For crying out loud, how many interviewers ask a question, then talk over the answer, as they rush to the next question? <cough>ChrisMatthews<cough>

 

[Proton Soup]

Since I watch CNN, I usually know who the guest is going to be that night. The only time I normally watch is if the guest is particularly interesting. Generally speaking, he did too much fluff for my taste, even as light entertainment.

Still, an estimated 50,000 [allegedly] interviews - 50 years at the mic - is an impressive feat. He also seemed to be someone that almost everyone trusted. People like Brando [IIRC, if not Brando there were plenty of others] would only do the Larry King show.

yeah, he pretty much just let people come on and talk about whatever they wanted to talk about. people trusted that they would never be challenged to any significant degree. overall, i found it mostly uninteresting.

 

[Astronuc]

Any guesses as to will he interview?

Elvis.

I believe it's 9 EST / 8CST / 7 MST and 6 PST or 2 am UTC the next day

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Elvis.

I believe it's 9 EST / 8CST / 7 MST and 6 PST or 2 am UTC the next day

Yeah, like I said, 8 PM one-hour-west-of-Eastern Time.

 

[turbo]

Has he had more heart-attacks or wives? I'm not clear on that.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The best part of the show was the Larry King impression done by King's ten-year-old boy. He was good!