Tom Snyder, 1936 - 2007.

Tom Snyder, the local TV newsman-turned-latenight host whose smoke-filled interviews were a smallscreen staple until the mid-1990s, died Sunday after a battle with leukemia. He was 71.

Josef Adalian, Variety.

Like John Travolta's white suit, Tom Snyder became a defining icon of his time. You think of the late 1970s and one of the images is Snyder on NBC's late-night Tomorrow show, waving his cigarette while he bantered with the likes of John Lennon or Charles Manson and recounted the news of the day.

David Hinckley, New York Daily News.

They don't make television like this anymore. Name a single interviewer today who would openly call a mass murderer as dangerous as Manson a 'coward' or invite him to beat the shit out of him on national television.

Ed Champion, with an online viewing tip.

Talk about a box of chocolates. With Tomorrow and Tom Snyder, you never knew what you were going to get. The theme music he chose for the program was probably a clue to the real Tom: Barry White's 'Love Theme' - romantic schmaltzy disco music that was equal parts cheesy and classy. Tom could either be very cool, a complete jerk, and most winningly, he could often be seen vulnerably and forthcomingly trying to navigate a through-line between the two."

Tim Lucas.

In an industry that has since become an escalating arms race of hipness, Mr Snyder was happy to sit on the sidelines like Switzerland, a neutral player perfectly at ease with how ordinary and out of the loop he could be.

Dave Itzkoff, New York Times.

Posted by dwhudson at August 1, 2007 3:08 PM