The Final show

I went into my video collection today and dug out my tape of the last show from May 22nd, 1992. I remembered enjoying it immensely then, and after a few months of viewing the show on Antenna, I found greater appreciation of the finale.

If you haven't seen it, the video clips are a riot. They are quick, but the punchlines need no setup; You already know the familiar faces. It's the montage of guests accompanied by The Tonight Show band that leaves a lump in my throat. From those who had passed and those who have passed since, it's like seeing old friends with all the memories flooding out from all directions.

Ed and Doc spend some time on the couch with Johnny, sharing memories and giving thanks. Ed mentions that he was 1 of 7 candidates for the sidekick position. Doc mentions going on the road with the band as the "X" Tonight Show Band and Johnny quips that to not call the band hip is not to know the meaning of the word hip. "Hip and young are not synonymous." There is also a taped piece that shows the day in the making of an episode, which includes the clips that Antenna uses for their opening.

The finale monologue is great, with Johnny commenting on the affairs of the present, made additional fruitful with the Dan Quale- Murphy Brown feud. But Johnny was thankful for all those Vice-Presidents who came with all 7 Presidents under his time as host. The monologue and the epilogue end with Johnny's usual touch of class, that definitely leaves me sad, knowing that it was the end of such a classy run.