On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 7:10 PM, PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 2:41 PM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I just watched it. I suppose there were things I'd do differently (no >> Baldwins, for example) but he went out with a smile, perhaps more of a >> smile than when either Carson or Leno said their farewells. Some of the >> clips of vintage Dave made me think -- as I often think with classic Carson >> -- that there has to be a way to repurpose those moments, via social media >> or the Tube of You or elsewhere, to introduce Dave to future generations. >> Because I doubt you could explain to kids today that the guy who recently >> interviewed President Obama once dropped himself into a giant bowl of milk >> while clad in nothing but Rice Krispies. And I also doubt that you could >> explain a TV series capable of dropping gallons of paint off the roof of a >> theater (just for a cheap visual gag) is the same series where a terminally >> ill musician can tell us all to "enjoy every sandwich." >> > > Kevin - I really wish you had been able to produce the prime time special > they had for Dave a couple of weeks ago, because it was precisely the kind > of juxtaposition you capture above that I found missing there. When they > focus just on the Ed Ames type moments, Dave's career can stand with other > Late Night Hosts - but what put him on an entirely different playing field > was his ability to do the more thoughtful, sustained, serious pieces as > well. As I have been thinking about it more and more since Dave announced > his end date, that Warren Zevon show just grows more and more in its > central important, not just for Dave, not just for late night, but for a > shining example of what television of any kind can be at its best. >
For those who like the vintage Dave silliness, I'd commend to your attention his final episode of Late Night, if it is available on the Tube of You. It has the visit to GE HQ, a montage of Dave getting dunked in things, Larry Bud Melman, and easily his best interview with Tom Hanks. I've rewatched it today after watching the Late Show finale, and it holds up well. As for the serious stuff, it is d*mned hard to rewatch the post 9/11 show or the Carson tribute, even though I'd rank those among Dave's most memorable, just because you can feel the collective sadness. But I watch the Zevon episode from time to time, whenever I am having a self-pity party and need to be reminded how to endure pain in a dignified way. That show is the epitome of the show business axiom, "the show must go on." The cracking voice as Zevon sings "Mutineer"... gives me chills every time. https://youtu.be/MqWqyjUsCAw -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
