Retro Friday: Johnny Carson

Dan Rather is back in the spotlight, having just hit former employer CBS with a megabucks lawsuit. Rather argues that his departure from the network represented a breach of contract.

In 1981, the transition between Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather went much smoother -- even though behind the scenes Cronkite was fuming over the loss of his chair.

Here's a classic clip of Johnny Carson, doing a pretty good Cronkite impression as he re-enacts how the newsman's final night on the "CBS Evening News" shoulda gone. If anything, it's a reminder of how great Carson was, and why, even after his passing, he's still the late night gold standard.