Did Tom Snyder's Unique Style Shape Late Night TV?

[Ivan Seeking]

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Talk show host Tom Snyder, whose smoke-filled interviews were a staple of late night television, has died after a struggle with leukemia. He was 71. [continued]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/obit.snyder.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

I have been a fan of Snyder since his early days as an anchor of NBC news in Los Angeles. While Snyder essentially pioneered the light-hearted approach to news broadcasts that we see today - adding some humor to the stuffy traditional style of the time - he also managed to get into trouble on a regular basis. IIRC, he lost his job at NBC news when he started kidding his co-anchor, Trisha Toyota, by repeatedly citing the car slogan, "try a Toyota". And though destined to be a controversial figure, Snyder was the first to make the news entertaining. My dad and I watched him every night for the comedy as much as the news.

From there he went to The Tomorrow Show, which I watched for many years. I remember him talking one night with a comedian and good friend - forget his name - about an evening at an expensive Los Angeles restaurant. After getting exceedingly drunk, they noticed two suits of armor in the lobby. Somehow they managed to get into the armor and started greeting guests with a sword and lance, which nearly got them arrested.

RIP Tom. You gave us many great hours of laughter and entertainment.

 

[Evo]

I remember when his eyebrows fell off.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

His eyebrows fell off? Do you mean from chemo-therapy?

Or was that a joke about his eyebrows?

 

[Evo]

His eyebrows fell off? Do you mean from chemo-therapy?

Or was that a joke about his eyebrows?

No, he said it was from stress, it was kind of funny.

 

[BobG]

I liked his Tomorrow show.

My favorite episode was Omar the Baker - the guy who made a good living panhandling. He explained the secrets to successful panhandling - namely, the importance of having a professional appearance and location, location, location. You make a lot more money panhandling in the men's room of high class restaraunts than you do on a street corner, especially if your attire makes you look like you belong in a high class restaraunt. It's easier to get a $100 dollars to pay for a business lunch when you've forgotten your wallet than to get busy pedestrians to drop a dollar bill in your cup.

The episode with the guy that talked to machines had to rank up there, as well. Playing a tape of machine sounds and having the guy interpret what they were saying was a nice touch. Turns out machines don't have much regard for humans. They keep your spare change intentionally and really are more likely to "break" when you need a job done quickly.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

"Tomorrow Show" with Tom Snyder Greatest Hits
With Elton John, Stephen Spielberg, Johnny Rotten, Bono and "The Edge" from U2, Cheech and Chong, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Manson, and Muhammad Ali. (more)


I was trying to find a video of Akroyd's parody of Snyder from SNL, but didn't see any. Great stuff though!

 

[Evo]

"Tomorrow Show" with Tom Snyder Greatest Hits
With Elton John, Stephen Spielberg, Johnny Rotten, Bono and "The Edge" from U2, Cheech and Chong, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Manson, and Muhammad Ali. (more)


I was trying to find a video of Akroyd's parody of Snyder from SNL, but didn't see any. Great stuff though!

Those were great! There must be some!

 

[Astronuc]

I was trying to find a video of Akroyd's parody of Snyder from SNL, but didn't see any. Great stuff though!

I found one, but it had been removed due to copyright violation.

Apparently some/most SNL stuff, like Akroyd's impersonation of Snyder is still under copyright.

 

[Chi Meson]

"Tomorrow Show" with Tom Snyder Greatest Hits
With Elton John, Stephen Spielberg, Johnny Rotten, Bono and "The Edge" from U2, Cheech and Chong, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Manson, and Muhammad Ali. (more)


I was trying to find a video of Akroyd's parody of Snyder from SNL, but didn't see any. Great stuff though!

I remember staying up to watch the Johnny Rotten & Keith Levine interview. They were being total a-holes, but I thought they were so cool. I didn't know Tom Snyder at all, and so I totally took him for another "establishment" minion deserving all of the rudeness he got. I just watched it again 27 years later, and boy it looks different now.

Then I watched Johnny Rotten on Judge Judy! Oh my lord...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Another one that sticks out in memory was a guest who I think was a rock star... certainly a sex idol for the ladies. Snyder asked him: "Why is it that when women see you, they want to jump in the sack and have a good time, and when they see me, they want to sit, have a cup of coffee, and talk?