Larry King Live

Larry King Live
source
Show name	Larry King Live
Genre	Talk show
Presenter	Larry King
Country	United States
Language	English
Network	CNN
First aired	June 3, 1985
Last aired	December 16, 2010

Larry King Live

Larry King Live was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King that aired weeknights on CNN from 1985 to 2010. The program featured interviews with public figures from politics to entertainment and became a flagship series for Ted Turner's cable network, attracting guests ranging from heads of state to Hollywood celebrities. Over its run it intersected with major institutions and events including the White House, United States Congress, United Nations, Academy Awards, and global crises such as the Gulf War and the September 11 attacks.

Overview

The show debuted on June 3, 1985, during the expansion of cable television led by Turner Broadcasting System and the rise of 24-hour news outlets like CNN International and MSNBC. Hosted by Larry King, the program's informal interview style brought in guests such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Bono, Sharon Stone, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Onassis, Princess Diana, King Hussein of Jordan, Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir, Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, Benazir Bhutto, Indira Gandhi, Imelda Marcos, Fidel Castro and many others, reflecting the program's global reach.

Format and Production

The program was produced by CNN in studios located in New York City and occasionally broadcast from locations including Los Angeles, London, Moscow, Beijing, Jerusalem, Cairo, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Toronto, and during live events at venues like the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival. Episodes typically ran 60 minutes and combined one-on-one interviews with phone calls from viewers, integrating real-time interaction similar to programs on NPR and late-night formats pioneered by hosts such as Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jay Leno. Production crews coordinated with organizations including Federal Aviation Administration for remote feeds, NATO for wartime coverage, and cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Institution when interviewing figures from the arts.

Notable Guests and Interviews

Throughout its run the show booked a wide array of figures: presidents like Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama; secretaries and cabinet members such as Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton; foreign leaders including Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yitzhak Rabin, Anwar Sadat, Benazir Bhutto, Fidel Castro and Muammar Gaddafi; entertainers including Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley archival discussions, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Bono, Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and George Lucas; athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Diego Maradona; and authors and intellectuals including Noam Chomsky, Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco.

Controversies and Criticism

The program faced criticism for its interview technique and guest selection from commentators at outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek and The Guardian. Specific controversies involved interviews with figures linked to Iran–Contra affair, coverage of the Gulf War and the Iraq War, and segments featuring polarizing personalities like Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Howard Stern, Jerry Springer, Alex Jones and Glenn Beck. Ethical questions arose over booking decisions involving controversy around Michael Jackson, O. J. Simpson, Monica Lewinsky, Marilyn Manson, Martha Stewart, Bernie Madoff and coverage touching on investigations by entities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.

Ratings and Reception

The show was a ratings staple for CNN and frequently competed with major broadcast events such as Super Bowl pre- and post-game coverage, headline interviews timed around the United States presidential election cycle, and awards-season specials including the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards. It received recognition and awards from organizations such as the Peabody Awards and nominations from the Emmy Awards. Critics and media analysts from Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, The New Yorker and Columbia Journalism Review evaluated the program's impact on cable news, audience demographics, and the rise of personality-driven journalism exemplified by hosts like Anderson Cooper and predecessors such as Tom Snyder.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

The show's influence is evident across media: it shaped interview practices used by hosts on CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, and late-night programs on NBC, CBS and ABC. The series intersected with major cultural moments involving institutions like Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Paley Center for Media and memorials at Arlington National Cemetery and public events such as Live Aid. Alumni and frequent guests continued to appear across platforms including Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max, reflecting the transition from cable talk shows to digital distribution. The program's archive remains a resource for historians at institutions such as the Library of Congress, Columbia University, Harvard University and the University of Southern California.

Category:American television talk shows Category:CNN shows