Talk show farewells

Date: May 22, 1992 | The “King of Late Night” brought his reign to an end in a low-key manner. For his final “Tonight Show” appearance, Johnny sat alone on a stool in front of his monologue curtain and hosted a series of favorite clips from his 30 years on the air. His audience was a select group of friends of the show and when the hour was over, Carson brought it all to a close with a humble speech, ending with ““I bid you a very heartfelt good night.”” Then he walked back through the curtain that he’’d only walked out of for years. He only made a handful of TV appearances after that, most notably on ““The Late Show With David Letterman.””

Date: May 27, 1994 | From 1989 through 1994, “The Arsenio Hall Show” was THE destination for musicians, politicians and celebrities who wanted to reach the MTV Generation. Stand-up comedian Arsenio Hall had filled in on “The Late Show” after Joan Rivers vacated (or was booted from) the spot, and cemented himself as must-see TV. Occasionally controversial, the show was also credited for helping launch Bill Clinton‘s presidential nomination when he showed up for a saxophone solo and interview. The host counted Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Eddie Murphy among his friends.

Date: May 22, 2002 | The so-called Queen of Nice (whose reputation has taken quite a beating in the years since) ended her daytime talk show with a mix of Broadway guests and big-time movie stars. After chatting with Nathan Lane and Christine Ebersole, Rosie ended her six-year run with a video segment that mixed her personal life with her show business life. The segment ended with her longtime star crush Tom Cruise performing yard work on her house. “Rosie, I cut your grass and here is your lemonade,” he said. O’Donnell would return to TV on ABC’s talk show “ The View.”