Lamenting about late night

I suppose I'm dating myself, but I miss Johnny Carson.

And yeah, I know he has been off "The Tonight Show" for decades, but Johnny sauntered into our living rooms and bedrooms and always made sure the last waking moments of our days were memorable.

I miss his deadpan delivery, his entertaining skits and perfect comedic timing.

Not that I expect today's late night hosts to make me forget Johnny. The current crop is all talented, and they all have their own fans.

It's just back in the day, Johnny was the only show in town.

Along with sidekick Ed McMahon and bandleader Doc Severinsen, Johnny pulled no punches and delivered artistic monologues and made you want to stick around and see who was coming out of the green room.

Recently, Jimmy Fallon took over Johnny's gig, after a long stint by a former "Tonight Show" guest host, Jay Leno.

Leno and David Letterman both filled in for Johnny at times, as did Joan Rivers. Carson never had to concern himself that one of them would steal his gig while he was around. That was a lock.

But once Johnny did call it a career, Leno was picked to be his successor. By then Letterman had moved on to his own show, and Rivers, well, she went under the knife (multiple times) and now spends her days nit-picking the fashion tastes of celebrities.

Leno made way for Conan O'Brien to host "The Tonight Show," only to be lured back when Conan's ratings caused concerns for the network.

O'Brien somehow survived (ain't it funny how millions of dollars will make that possible?) and now he has a highly-rated show of his own on TBS.

Fallon is talented in his own right. The former "Saturday Night Live" player has some versatility and may eventually emit that magnetism that Carson threw out there on a nightly basis.

Although O'Brien consistently portrays himself as a victim and a louse, he's comfortable in his own skin, and his banter with sidekick Andy Richter really makes "Conan" watchable.

Jimmy Kimmel advanced from stand-up comedy and now hosts "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which while quirky has some great bits. I really love his interviewing skills, and guests seem to engage with him very well.

Also making me feel very old is the fact that Arsenio Hall has returned to host another show. His show from the late 1980s had a very different vibe than his current offering, and he and I both are not as we once were.

Night owls can always catch "The Late Late Show" with Craig Ferguson on CBS. The Scottish-born host spews forth with wit and gimmicks that have their own following. Unfortunately for Craig, his monologue puts me to sleep, or by that point I've just run out of steam and I hit the pillow.

Granted, with so many channels available today, the chances of anyone getting Carson-type ratings is probably impossible.

But then again, they say variety is the spice of life. And if variety is what you want, it's on late night.

It just might take you a week or two to decide which flavor suits you.

Jerry Hitchcock tries to stay up late these days, but his eyes don't have the same desire. You can attempt to reach him at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com or follow him on Twitter at HitchTheWriter.