In an article in Vanity Fair, writer James Wolcott states the obvious: that no late night contender for Johnny Carson's throne has succeeded in earning the reputation of being the heir apparent. When the King of the Night retired after thirty years of hosting The Tonight Show, bad blood over who would be his successor began almost immediately. Both David Letterman and Jay Leno had both earned their reputations as guests on Carson's show, but Carson clearly preferred that Letterman inherit his throne. When NBC chose Leno, Carson (always a class act) never publicly second-guessed the decision out of respect for Leno. However, the feud between Leno and Letterman became so fierce that it inspired books and a cable TV movie. In his article, Wolcott updates the messy legacy of trying to replace Carson by bringing in the recent Conan O'Brien debacle that alienated everyone and seemed to never completely satisfy anyone. He also points out why Carson will probably always be regarded as irreplaceable.Click here to read