We, along with a very large segment of America, are saddened by the loss of radio and television talk legend Larry King on January 23, 2021, at the age of 87.
Instantly recognizable, and known for his 25-year prime time talk show run on CNN, Larry King was an "oasis" of sorts, especially in his final years, a time when such television was becoming increasingly partisan, tightly targeting demographic groups of one political persuasion or another.
Or, to put it another way, Larry King was one of the last "general-interest" talk show hosts.
It's hard to believe there was once a time when talk shows, particularly those on radio, were not politically charged, but it was true. By and large they could be described as "general-interest", insofar as they either featured a different topic (or guests) every day, or the host just fielded phone calls on whatever subject might have been on the audience's mind!
We had several great ones here in New York, during the period of the late 1960s into the early-to-mid 1970s, such as Barry Farber, Barry Gray, Long John Nebel... and my personal favorite Brad Crandall.
To quickly digress on Brad Crandall, he had a second career as an off-camera announcer/narrator... and could be heard narrating the "80s' era syndication TV promos" for LOST IN SPACE, that are found as extras on this Blu-ray set! ...Sorry, but when will I EVER AGAIN have the opportunity to reference Lost in Space AND Brad Crandall in the same sentence! Indulge me, please! Thank you.
END OF DIGRESSION!
Like most human beings, those hosts had their political points of view, but they were not uppermost and on full and constant display, instead largely subsumed in the interests of delivering a good and interesting show to all. Being local to NYC, I expect they had their counterparts in every major media market.
But I might have been "ahead of the curve" on Larry King, if you know him primarily for his work on CNN, because Larry King took the "general-interest" talk show concept to another level. ...Or, at least it was "another level" to me in the later 1970s. His overnight talk show was syndicated across the nation! So, Mr. King was no stranger to me, once I learned of his TV talk show.
Larry King talked to anyone and everyone, about anything and everything! This was quite welcome in that, as the 1970s progressed into the 1980s, "general-interest" talk shows seemed to die-off in favor of more narrowly-focused, single-topic shows on finance, health-and-well-being, sports, pets, plants, automotive matters, unendorsed pseudo legal advice... and politics!
While I found none of these particularly interesting as an "exclusive topic" (save maybe sports, depending on the season), it was that last one that well and truly killed talk radio for me, especially as it evolved into such a mean-spirited affair that was beyond my tolerance!
Cable television and its newer and differing outlets, alas, followed that politically partisan path, and continues to operate as such to this day - with no sign of ever relenting, instead preferring to feed the differently-affiliated beasts on "our side of the screen"!
And that's why Larry King was so important!
He was one of the last holdouts from this madness - and his network showcased his efforts in the "prime-est of prime time slots", weekdays at 9 PM Eastern! Such a programming decision would be inconceivable today!
But, there was Larry King... suspenders, simple-graphic-designed backdrop, and all, chatting away with a variety of folks that (of course) included, but also transcended, politics! And in a tiffany-timeslot that virtually all of pre-DVR America could join him!
He will be missed not only as a unique and sometimes quirky talk show personality - but also that, when his show finally ceased, it was the end of an era (dare I say, "an era of decency and civility"?) for TV's incessantly talking heads!
Thank you, Mr. Larry King... for all of this and so much more!
4 comments:
Larry King...one of the all-time talk show greats. And he didn't just talk on the surface, he got into the heart of whatever issue was under discussion. I learned a lot from him on a variety of topics. When I was in my 20's (oh, just a couple of years ago) I used to come home from work and watch him before retiring for the night. He always had something worthwhile to discuss. He was always interested and compassionate with his interviewees, not the kind that goes for the jugular and tries to unsettle the person in the hot seat. But in those days even Democrats and Republicans were not as far apart as they are now, so there was greater civility than we have seen in recent years--though it isn't the political interviews that I remember as much as the movie, TV, and stage personalities. I really liked his demeanor, his style, never threatening, always accessible, someone who exuded trust as powerfully as Clark Kent. Those were good days. Not only was I younger, but the world was--nicer. A great talent. He will be missed, and he will never be replaced.
Very good point about Larry King being the last of non-partisan and general interest prime time talk shows. I'd say the division of the media landscape into clear party-aligned shows and networks is a cause of the division that plagues the country. I think the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, which required networks to give airtime to both sides of the proverbial coin, in the 1980s has a lot to do with this. Though it must be said that Larry King's show was also a reflection of Ted Turner's aspiration that CNN be nonpartisan. Sadly, they seem to have given up on that ideal.
As a side note, I always liked King's "simple graphic-designed backdrop" and was a bit disappointed that it wasn't retained for his successor Piers Morgan.
King was a gifted interviewer. I sometimes watched his more recent show on RT. I remember seeing him interview guests remotely last year and discuss the pandemic with them. Little did I know that he himself would (apparently?) become one of the pandemic's many victims. (He was hospitalized with COVID-19 last month, though it's not clear if COVID was the cause of his death).
RIP Larry King.
We are truly losing our great ones. And today I learned we have lost Cloris Leachman...our beloved Phyllis!
Scarecrow and Sergio:
Great comments and tributes from both of you on the unique and irreplaceable Larry King! …And on what the greater absence of what he regularly delivered has done to our nation!
“I really liked his demeanor, his style, never threatening, always accessible, someone who exuded trust as powerfully as Clark Kent.”
Perfect description, Scarecrow… and it’s also just what I continually strive to be at this humble Blog – though I didn’t realize, until your comment, that I might have unknowingly been taking my cues from Larry King! …How ‘bout that!
As his demeanor was always more “my style” than those who shout, mock, accuse, demean, deal in sarcasm and snark, and are way too strident in expressing their opinions (be they based in fact or otherwise), I suppose some of Mr. King’s magic must have “seeped-in” somewhere along the way!
…R.I.P. Cloris Leachman.
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