Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
The (Larry) King (Live) is dead, long live the (Larry) King (Live).
This Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern — as reliable a nightly date in the ever changing and volatile world of TV as one could ever find — sees the end of an era as Larry King hangs up his suspenders for good. Talk shows may have evolved since King made his CNN debut on June 1, 1985, but, for better or worse, King has resolutely remained the same, what with his regular-guy approach to the delicate skill that is interviewing.
(See the top 10 Larry King moments.)
The network hasn’t revealed who will be appearing, and it hasn’t leaked out either. That’s even more remarkable in the multi-platform times we find ourselves in, ironically often eschewed by King. Anything other than A-list stars would be highly surprising.
King’s departure is presumably good news for himself and CNN: it was King who decided to retire — whether it was encouraged by his bosses can be debated another time — and his slot is no longer the leader, having been overtaken by both Fox News’s Sean Hannity and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. CNN was in need of fresh blood. That blood will be of the British variety and is being provided by TV star (and former newspaper editor) Piers Morgan, who is promising that Piers Morgan Tonight will be “exciting and slightly dangerous.” Or if one wishes to read between the lines: everything Larry King Live is not.
(See a TIME video with Larry King.)
The 77-year-old has always been steadfast in his belief that his style is the following: “I ask short questions, I have no pretense at intellectuality, I don’t pretend to know it all.” But with scrutiny of his (and, to be fair, all TV hosts) performance so readily available on websites, blogs or social media, expectations have never been higher. The result? Awkward encounters with Lady Gaga, Jerry Seinfeld (“I was the No. 1 show in television, Larry. Do you know who I am?”) and, as recently as last week, Wesley Snipes (where it was felt King didn’t probe the tax-dodging actor enough) have shone a light on his decision to take his leave and give someone else a go.
And yet this should be a time to celebrate King’s considerable legacy and cherish what he brought to TV, not take potshots at any perceived shortcomings. King’s estimated that he’s conducted some 50,000 interviews over his half-century-long broadcasting career and this is the moment to remember the memorable meeting with Marlon Brando, his compelling coverage of O.J. Simpson and the sheer joy involved in getting Frank Sinatra on as a guest. For when the light that forms his world-map backdrop goes dark, it’s clear that we shall not see his like again. Larry King: may you continue to shine on.