I've been thinking about Johnny Carson today -- and how very very good he was. I can't remember the last time I tuned in to watch a late-night talk show. If I happen to be channel surfing, I might light on Letterman or Leno for a moment, then move on. In the days of Carson, if I was around a TV set at the time of the Tonight Show, I'd tune in for a bit or the whole show -- because I wanted to see what Johnny was up to. It was like having a witty friend who would show up for an hour each week night. There was something kind of comforting in knowing that Johnny was always around. And when something interesting happened in the world - politics, show business, whatever - I wanted to hear Johnny's take on it. Or if he had a particular guest that I liked/disliked or was curious about, I wanted to see how they got along, what he had to say to them.
As Letterman graciously (and truthfully) said, the ones following him are just pretenders. Johnny was the real thing.