In the Footsteps of Giants

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David Letterman's decison to hang up his comedy shoes by retiring from The Late Show was a moving moment in the history of American television. Indeed, it reminds us how the tv talkshow format had become a piece of genuine Americana. The show's concept built around a wise-cracking comic performer/interviewer has its roots in the medium itself. As wild and original that Letterman was, one has to remember his lineage: Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Dave Garroway and the legendary Ernie Kovacs.

Mr. Letterman's heart was broken when he was not awarded the coveted desk at the Tonight Show when Johnny Carson retired. It was not a question of money, nothing so mundane. It was a question of taking what he saw as his righttful place in the pantheon; it was a question of where he wanted to walk --In the footsteps of giants.

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