GOOD MORNING: "Not all of them can survive," Johnny Carson answered when I asked about David Letterman's arrival on the late night scene. "Them" are Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Chevy Chase and -- Letterman. Carson admitted: "It's a hard thing trying to call (the survivors). But it will be a shakedown." Carson is certain of one thing --"I don't think they (NBC) handled it (the Letterman case) very well. The whole thing was a mishmash. I spent 30 years there and no one ever asked my opinion -- they didn't ask me at all. So, naturally, I didn't volunteer anything. I would have thought they would have asked me SOMEthing, wouldn't you? But they didn't -- so I didn't see any reason to say anything." What would he have said? They didn't ask, so --... As for NBC in general, Carson noted: "Somebody ought to get the kinks out right away. It's very sad. But you know television: Two or three hit shows will turn around a network in a hurry." Will one of the shows be from Carson? He still maintains, "I have no plans to do a series, or even a series of specials." He has jettisoned the one idea he had considered and as of now there is no imminent Carson show. And he's not the least bit pressured about it, although NBC wants his presence badly. "As I've said," Carson calmly told me, "it must be intriguing -- not just a show. I'm now working on my own ideas -- with no production office. I have time to pick and choose." As for the state of TV, he said: "It's sad. What TV doesn't need right now is another reality show; TV has become the tabloids. I guess it's because they're so cheap to produce -- and because the audience has such a short attention span"... He and wife Alex are back from a three-week trip to Kenya and Tanzania and, as noted here, he studied Swahili for months before departing. "They appreciated it." And they didn't even know who he was (except for a few tourists) ... He also studied Russian for six months before his trek there. Next , England and Wimbledon. No need to study -- he's a very good tennis player.
FOLLOWING THE HAIL AND FAREWELL TRIBUTE to "Cheers" on Tuesday p.m.'s "People's Choice Awards" on CBS, Jim Burrows admitted to me they're putting off finalizing the hourlong script "as long as we can -- we can't face it!"... At the March 24 American Oceans Campaign benefit at the BevHilton, co-founders Casey and Ted Danson will both attend, but Casey tells me she and Ted have decided to now make their separation official ... While "Cheers" stops, Woody Harrelson continues in high gear. The new father told me at the "People's Choice" he's busy editing his play, "Farthest From the Sun," which he bows at the Tiffany Theater April l. Then Harrelson stars in Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killer"... Jerry Seinfeld, winding his final seg of the successful season, told me he's looking forward to hitting the road to perform "live," his first love -- which makes his TVer so uniquely funny ... Also at the "People's Choice, " Burt Reynolds was beaming because he and wife Loni Anderson joined grandparents ranks. Her daughter Deidra and husband Charles Hoffman welcomed a girl, McKenzie Kaye H., that day in South Lake Tahoe. On the set of "Evening Shade," they were already calling Reynolds "Gramps." (He loved it!) He was directing the Charles Durning pilot ... It was interesting to listen to the award show's superstars talking about -- babies; Tom Cruise about his new baby girl, and Denzel Washington about his twins. That, too, is the new Hollywood ... The loud crash outside the "People's Choice" Stage (12) at Universal was Tim Allen dropping his Orrefors Crystal award -- cost: $ 2,900 ... Angela Lansbury, winding another sensaysh (and long) season, said she and Peter Shaw will unwind for two months in Ireland.
THAT WHIRLWIND VISIT HERE by Massachusetts Gov. William Weld to woo showbiz to his state may well be responsible for a higher-geared L.A. County Motion Picture & Teleproduction Task Force to keep the biz closer to home. Weld wound his stay at a late dinner with Mike Medavoy and director Terence Malick -- after Weld earlier dined with Gov. Pete Wilson ... Los Casinos mariachis from Antonio's restaurant birthday-serenaded Carole Bayer Sager at Sandy Gallin's, where the bongo player was -- Elizabeth Taylor ... Linda Stuart booksigns her "Getting Your Script Through the Hollywood Maze -- An Insider's Guide" (Acrobat Books) at Dutton's Brentwood tonight. The book's dedicated to her parents, the Malcolm Stuarts ... Ben Starr and Carol Starr Schneider are the only father-daughter members of the Writers Guild we know of who were nominated for WGAwards on their first screen credits: Ben for "Our Man Flint," Carol for CBS' "Two Teens and a Baby"... Blake Edwards is recuping from knee surgery -- he watched and taped it! He completes editing on "Son of the Pink Panther"-- that's the title again -- for August release via MGM. His outing on B'way on the musicalized "Victor, Victoria" starring Julie Andrews is now planned for '94 ... Movie press agent Susan Alschuler partners with theater owner Maria Gobetti to produce Richard Polak's "Meet the Wilsons" at the Victory Theatre in Burbank.
Contact Army Archerd at
army.archerd@variety.com