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06:35

Two Rowdy Talk Shows Showcase Vintage Humor.

Both The David Susskind Show and The Sid Caesar Show featured large, unwieldy guest rosters and entertaining, timely jokes. A vintage episode of Susskind's show and a reunion of Caesar's writers are now available on DVD. TV critic David Bianculli says both offerings are laugh-out-loud funny.

Review
35:39

Regis Philbin Explains How He 'Got This Way'

On Friday, Regis Philbin will step down from his hosting duties on the talk show Live with Regis and Kelly. But that doesn't mean he's retiring. In his new memoir, How I Got This Way, Philbin chronicles the twists and turns of his career and explains where he plans to go next.

Interview
50:27

Late Night 'Thank You Notes' From Jimmy Fallon

Fallon is thankful for slow walkers, people named Lloyd and the word "moist." The comedian and host of Late Night collects more than 100 nuggets of gratitude in his book Thank You Notes. He talks with Terry Gross about giving thanks and doing impressions.

Comedian and talk show host Jimmy Fallon smiles and looks upwards against a gray background
42:04

Bianculli Picks The Best (And Worst) TV Of 2010

Fresh Air's TV critic rounds up the hottest and the hottest of the year that was. Worth watching? A BBC America import about a choir director teaching people to sing. Jersey Shore? Makes Bianculli want to shower.

Interview
05:43

Conan's Back: Is His Third Show The Charm?

After a lengthy hiatus, Conan O'Brien made his return to TV last night as the host of Conan, his new talk show on TBS. David Bianculli says that a guy who had months to prepare should have had a better and funnier opening night.

Review
16:39

The Battle Of The Late Night Titans

Late-night television is at war ... with itself. The Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien has drawn a line at 11:35 p.m. and says that he won't cross it — not for Jay Leno and not for NBC.

Interview
20:54

TV 2009: David Bianculli On The Best ... And The Rest.

The economy may have hit the broadcast business hard, but TV critic David Bianculli says the future is looking bright — for cable, anyway. He joins Terry Gross to talk about the best and the worst television of '09 and what we can look forward to in '10.

Interview
06:58

Assessing Conan's 'Tonight Show' Debut

After 16 years as the host of the Late Night show, Conan O'Brien moves his act an hour earlier. TV critic David Bianculli reviews O'Brien's premiere as host of The Tonight Show.

Review
06:24

Channel Changes: Jay Leno And 'Boston Legal'

TV critic David Bianculli shares his thoughts on the final episode of Boston Legal — and the announcement this week that Jay Leno will begin a new nightly prime-time talk show on NBC next year.

Review
05:18

Late-Night TV Returns to Action

The writers' strike knocked late-night television shows like the Late Show and The Tonight Show into reruns. Now these pillars of the talk-show genre are back on the air with fresh material.

Review
51:27

Colbert Builds 'Report' with Viewers, Readers

Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report talks about his book I Am America (And So Can You!) and his successful television show.

The former correspondent and contributor to The Daily Show created his own Emmy-nominated late-night show to parody Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor.

In I Am America, Colbert targets race, religion, sports and the American family as well as more mundane topics like breakfast cereal.

Interview
36:42

On the Set with Garry Shandling

Garry Shandling parodied TV talk shows on The Larry Sanders Show, which ran on HBO from 1992 to 1998 and is now out in a four-DVD box set. It's called Not Just the Best of "The Larry Sanders Show" — in part because it features eight hours of extras, including essentially unedited conversations with stars who made guest appearances on the Larry Sanders sofa.

Interview
07:20

Dick Cavett Rocks On

TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new DVD box set of The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons. It's a compilation of interviews and performances on the late-night talk show by some of the leading musicians of the 1960s and '70s, including Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin and Stevie Wonder.

Review
07:47

Jack Paar

TV critic David Bianculli pays tribute to the original late night talk show host, Jack Paar, who died earlier this week.

Commentary

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