The Dick Cavett Show

I have fuzzy memories of watching this show when I was 8-10 years old when I was allowed to stay up late. I remember seeing Janis Joplin on the show and I thought she was great, a true expression of American freedom. A few years ago when my cable company offered VH-1, I taped a show that was recorded right after the Woodstock festival with the Airplane, Stills, Crosby (who I think is a reincarnation of Christ), and Joni Mitchell. What an priceless, incredible show. Recently I went to a Target store and found a DVD of Jimi Hendrix's appearance on the Cavett show with Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox. Very tempting to buy. A lot of people dis the sixties, but seeing what is going on now with all this greed and death, I think we need a revival. Peace.

When this show first debuted, it was pretty much portrayed as the hip alternative to the Tonight Show. While Johnny Carson pretty much had celebrities that appealed mostly to older audiences, Cavett decided early on to have younger and more hip acts on his show. Artist such as Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell all appeared on the show and helped make it a cult favorite among younger viewers. Too bad it didn't last long. Even though Cavett was able to draw in plenty of younger viewers, it was still not enough to topple the Carson juggernaut. This show will always remain one of the great cult favorites of the 1960's.

The Dick Cavett Show is the best talk show. I wasn't even born when it's on during the network run. I saw those episodes on the VH-1 Archives, the ones with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Paul Simon, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and The Family Stone, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, and More.

I was born on the same birthday as Dick Cavett's.

The Best.

I Give it *****.

THE WELL KNOWN species of television show known as the Late Night talk & variety show has long been a regular feature of network television. It started with something called Broadway OPEN HOUSE (1950-51), which ran on the NBC Television Network. It was directly ancestral to THE TONIGHT SHOW, which made it the forefather and prototype for all that was to follow. (BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE was hosted by comic Jerry Lester.)

THE HOSTING OF such fare in the late night programming instinctively was given to the funnymen. The comedians made the near perfect host as they would do the opening monologue and some occasional comic sketches, while in between introducing talk-oriented guests, singers and new talent comics. Consequently we had the likes of Steve Allen, Jack Parr, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and (briefly) Pat Sajak.

BUT WHERE THERE is a rule, one also will find an exception. In the case of the late night talk show genre, we nominate Dick Cavett as our candidate.

ALTHOUGH POSSESSED OF an enormous supply of wit, Mr. Cavett cannot be called a comedian by any stretch of the imagination. His obvious high degree of intelligence and natural ability as an interviewer make a strong case for classifying him as an "intellectual." Small and slight of build, his personality and fine use of the Queen's English made him a giant of a personality.

ALTHOUGH HE DID a brief monologue at the opening of his show, he was no comedian (as we've already said), he sang no songs and played no musical instruments, he absolutely commanded his audience. His real strength did lie in his talent in the interview.

THE ONE INCIDENT that we witnessed (on the tube) was an interview that he did. The subject was a most obnoxious Norman Mailer. Conducting the interview, Cavett had some notes written on a small sheet of paper.

WHILE MOVING ON from one question to another, Mailer made a smug, snide and very patronizing remark, "Just read it off of your little piece of paper!" ROARING BACK AS if he were a cornered tiger, Letterman shot back, "Why don't you fold it five ways and put it where the moon don't shine!"

This was an extraordinary television show and demonstrated beautifully the true potential the medium to educate and illuminate. Cavett's program was nothing less than brilliant at times and consistently excellent. Often it leaned toward the intellectual nature but never failed to be entertaining as well. There was a fascinating, eclectic selection of guests who Dick Cavett gave the time to express themselves and to many times open-up in surprising ways. It is an amazing memory now but to think that at one time a "talk show" would feature acclaimed authors, playwrights, artists, intellectuals, classical musicians, story tellers, politicians, architects, comedians, and stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood and Broadway. These were people who were not always promoting something or even themselves. While this was an era when even the Tonight Show might have Robert Frost as a guest and viewers seemed to appreciate intelligent conversation, The Dick Cavett Show was unique in tackling the hot button issues of the day, not shying away from the controversial. America has dumbed down astonishingly since this program left the air and we are unlikely to see anything like it on network television again. However, for a few bright shining years, viewers were indeed enlightened while at the same time being entertained because of an erudite and engaging host named Dick Cavett. We who spent time with the giants who appeared on our small screens will never forget what Mr. Cavett shared with us and the many fantastic moments of brilliant television we were so fortunate to experience due to his genius.