Don Pardo says that Tonights Saturday Night Live will be his last

[Robnoxious]

So who will replace him?
Someone said Joel Goddard, but remember, Conan is in LA now, so I don't see Goddard flying back in to NYC once a week, unless Goddard isn't going to announce for "The Tonight Show"

Goddard isn't going with Conan, he's staying in NYC. Goddard is being replaced with Andy Richter when The Tonight Show kicks off in a few weeks.

 

[Skynet74]

Yeah. What he just said above. I was going to post it. Now I guess I don't have to. lol. The new Tonight show website is up. You'll have to google it. I didn't save the address.

 

[WMC2006]

The new Tonight show website is up. You'll have to google it. I didn't save the address.

Hmmm...Ok: http://www.tonightshowwithconanobrien.com/

Should be a seamless transition. Conan is Leno's final guest and then Conan takes over the following Monday.

Leno's guest on his second to last show is Billy Crystal who was Leno's very first guest. Here's a snippet of that moment:

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show-experience/video/clips/may-25-1992-billy-crystal/1017181/

 

[brian4]

I missed the first 1/2 hour of tonight's show so unless they did something for Don then, they didn't even mention him at all.

The show itself (final show of the season) was fairly lame (the hour I saw).

Several former castmembers came by for cameo spots including Mya Rudolph, Norm MacDonald, and even Amy Poehler came back to host Weekend Update with Seth. Unfortunately, it was way too short, rather lame, and unfunny except for "Really! with Seth and Amy" and Will Ferrell's Ghost of Harry Carey.

Ferrell's thanks at the end mentioned,among others, Tom Hanks and Ben Affleck. I think it was Hanks (or Affleck) in that final sketch pretending to play the clarinet. And he made a point to thank and hug Darrell Hammond. I got the impression that maybe this was Hammond's final season. He's been there for forever but has shown up for maybe 1 or 2 sketches the last year or two and always well after midnight.

I give 17 May's SNL a mild thumbs up. Great that they could bring back old cast members like Poehler, Rudolph & MacDonald. Great celebrity drop-ins, especially Tom Hanks, one of the 5-Timers Club. I just didn't laugh that much.

Also I didn't hear them mention Pardo or Hammond leaving. If Hammond leaves like that, it's a TOTAL SHAME! Others who left (Ferrell & Fallon) had nice production numbers for their final show. Heck, the entire 2001-02 final episode was the "I Love Ferrell" showcase. Hammond deserves better than just a minor thanks at the end.

 

[Garrett]

Don Pardo story is being ehcoed by other sites now:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/18/don-pardo-says-its-saturday-night-live-for-the-last-time/
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/05/don_pardo.html
http://www.tv.com/saturday-night-li...ast-night-tonight/topic/455-1279947/msgs.html

This one's about Hammond
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1755136/darrell_hammond_does_famed_snl_voices.html?cat=2

 

[KyDXIn]

Don Pardo did not announce the 1981-82 season of SNL. Other than that, he's been there all along.

Wikipedia says that Don, in 2006, decided to start prerecording his intros but the producers eventually convinced him to be there in person.

I vaguely recall reading somewhere not long ago (and maybe even mentioned it here on R-I somewhere) that, on occasion, longtime SNL castmember Darrell Hammond would impersonate Pardo when Pardo wasn't available.

Ironically a few weeks ago I watched his interviews on Youtube with the Archive of American Television. He addresses this on one of the videos starting with this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssflP0DAXf4

The jist of the story if I remember correctly is he became ill and could not speak during the show. Hammond did fill in impersonating Pardo. The next day Pardo got a call from a family member congratulating him on such a good show! She had a hard time believing it was Hammond instead. Maybe Hammond could continue this!

 

[FreddyE1977]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

 

[nightfly61]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

 

[ixnay]

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

I recently heard a promo by Kasem too and agree. But Casey's THAT old???? A certain NYC station's frequency????? (Well, I figured CK was in his 70s but not the WABC number.)

We'll miss you, Don. I first heard you on Art Fleming's Jeopardy! in the early 70s (my middle school days).

ixnay

 

[FreddyE1977]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

as a former Flint resident, sorry to hear Casey's not doing well

 

[DToTheJ]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

Boy, this is ponderous, man...

 

[LKellerIII]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

as a former Flint resident, sorry to hear Casey's not doing well

I don't think anybody said The Caser wasn't doing well - just that he voice doesn't sound very good. I've noticed that too, though it sounds better on some occasions than on others. But I remember that my father's voice got weak by his mid 70s - he was kind of hoarse all the time - even though he was otherwise in good health. Kasem is a long-time vegan. I realize that does not automatically guarantee good health, but it probably helps.

 

[KyDXIn]

Don Pardo and Pittsburgh's Porky Chedwick are tied for the title of
Best Sounding 91 yr. olds On The Air Today!

I just heard a recent liner done by 77 year old Casey Kasem & you can hear that he's about piped out all his pipes can take. As my biggest radio mentor it's sad to hear.

as a former Flint resident, sorry to hear Casey's not doing well

I don't think anybody said The Caser wasn't doing well - just that he voice doesn't sound very good. I've noticed that too, though it sounds better on some occasions than on others. But I remember that my father's voice got weak by his mid 70s - he was kind of hoarse all the time - even though he was otherwise in good health. Kasem is a long-time vegan. I realize that does not automatically guarantee good health, but it probably helps.

You do the voice of Shaggy for 40 years, and we'll see how good your pipes are too!

 

[Studio20]

I almost cried when I heard what was Paul Harvey's last broadcast. The spirit was there, but....

 

[Garrett]

Is this thread no longer about Don Pardo?

Does anyone know who his replacement will be yet?

 

[Skynet74]

Lorne Michaels will try to lure Don back. It's the same thing he's done successfully for the past 5 years. it may not work this time though. I think Don has had enough. We shall see in September.