Lots of good times and kindness

It was on May 22, 1992 that Johnny Carson said goodnight to America for the last time from that familiar stage at NBC Burbank. Can you believe it's been thirty years?

From Groucho Marx, Rudy Vallée, and Joan Crawford to Robin Williams and Bette Midler, it seems like all of our favorite stars appeared with Johnny. It seems that everyone stayed up to watch him. Many performers began their careers on his show. Ellen DeGeneres, David Letterman, Joan Rivers, Drew Carey, David Brenner, Tim Allen, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Arsenio Hall, Howie Mandel, Jeff Foxworthy, and Don Rickles became household names because of him. I still enjoy the old reruns of the show on Antenna TV, and clips on youtube. Carson was fun. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was the late-night place to be.

On daytime television a fixture for the past nineteen years has been The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  I can remember Ellen's first visit to Johnny Carson and I've enjoyed her performances in many venues over the years.  Her daytime program though is ending soon, with the last new show coming this Thursday.  Despite some controversy in the past few years, it will be missed.  Like Johnny, Ellen introduced us to a lot of new friends.  She also taught us the importance of being kind.

Noting the end of two great talk shows may seem like an odd focus for this space, but I write here about doing good things and about making a positive difference.  I think Johnny Carson and Ellen DeGeneres have both done that.  I'm grateful for all of the good times they have given us.