RIP Bob Costas at NBC

Charlie Rose had that arena all to himself the last decade or so. Too bad he’s a creep.

Also, to an earlier comment, I feel I must say that Carson Daly’s show is no longer “Later,” but “Last Call.” I really hate to mention it because it makes it sound like I watch it.

 

Dan-
Maybe I am thinking of Chevy Chase's late-night show.
I read a Q&A with Conan O'Brien today and he said his a-ha moment came when he visited Calvin Coolidge's grave and no one else was there.
That we all are destined to be forgotten and that his show will someday be as forgotten as Jack Paar's.

 

Man - I've seen all the late-night flops. Sajak's was bad (couldn't book an a-list guest not from CBS to save his life, even had Limbaugh on in a desperate attempt to make some noise). Chevy's was bad "C'mon shake it!" and then the king of them all The Magic Hour. Which was really awkward because everyone likes Magic - so much so they didn't want to tell him no dude, this isn't you. Even when they brought in Tommy Davidson to pretty much host the show and have Magic be the sidekick. And then there is the Wilton North Report....

 

Jack Paar was certainly as well-known in the early Sixties as Johnny Carson was in later generations. It was quite a big deal when he quit abruptly in 1962. (Although I was always shuffled off to bed before he came on.)

So the generation that really knew Paar as the Tonight Show host would be my parents' generation -- they'd be 93/88 if they were still alive.

 

No discussion of Costas' late-night show is complete without this:

 

I said this in another thread about disappointing interviews and, in so many years of doing this, I must have caught Bob on a bad day.

He's in my city for something and I zip over to catch him during his availability. Told his 'handler' that I just had one question to ask and he could be on his way. Bob was on his phone, "okay, okay, I gotta call you back, gotta bang out this one interview", wouldn't take his sunglasses off (a common courtesy for a TV interview -- and this was taped, not even live).

I introduce myself and just say, "Lived in St. Louis for a lot of years growing up... Costas Coast to Coast and Later had a real impact on me getting into this line of work so thank you--"

Costas interrupts: "Yeah, okay. What's your question?"

He gave me the same rote response that he gave the guy before me -- even though they were different questions.

When he was done talking after 15 seconds, I nodded at him, gave him the disappointed look that I give my kids when they don't put away the milk after breakfast and simply said "safe travels". No handshake. Didn't want to delay him any further.

 

We have polar opposite experiences.

I, too, was a big fan of Costas’ work in the 80s - Coast to Coast, his play by play on baseball, etc. So much so that I wrote him a letter, which responded to with a post card.

Was sent info from a writing teacher at Pitt for the Poynter institute workshop in St. Louis in 2002. “Hey class, know it’s on St. Louis but wanted to send it to you guys anyways.” Well, flights and airfare weren’t awful so I started making plans. Then I see Costas is going to be one of the headliner speakers and I’m all in and pack the postcard.

After his presentation a few people hung around after to ask questions and take pictures. When it was my turn I simply laid the postcard down on the podium, which he read then looked at me and said “I still say you have a great name for this business.” Chatted for five minutes or so and I still have the photo of us framed.

 

However, I had a bizarrely positive experience with Mitch Albom, of all people. He was cashing in with all of the old people on Tuesdays with Morrie. He gave a speech in the city I was living in. I waited out all of the Maudes, Opals and Earls getting their books signed and approached him to thank him for "Fab Five" and his work on Sports Reporters. His face picked up and he smiled wide and he invited me across the street for coffee and we bullshitted for 45 minutes as he waited for his ride to the airport.

 

Dumb trivia: Sajak and Chevy shared the same musical director, Tom Scott. The Wilton North Report writing staff included Greg Daniels and Conan O’Brien. And if I remember correctly, Fox was wishing it hadn’t committed to the Wilton North Report even before it aired, because it thought the nice young man who finished out Joan Rivers’ run at The Late Show would have been a great talk show host himself. A guy named Arsenio Hall.

 

Go to 24:24 for Costas doing an alleged promo for Later on Conan’s very first show.

 

Pretty good writing staff there in the credits....