LOS ANGELES (AP) - Fred De Cordova, who produced ``The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' for 22 years and called it ``the best job in television,'' has died. He was 90.
De Cordova died Saturday of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Woodland Hills, said Carla White, a hospital spokeswoman.
A suave, elegant man who remained strikingly handsome in his 80s, De Cordova proved the perfect overseer for Carson's brand of entertainment. De Cordova could make split-second decisions to keep the show moving. He kept a close eye on the broadcast from his station offstage, where he was often seen on camera answering Carson's questions or serving as the butt of a joke.
``I can't think of anything else that would be as interesting and as much fun as this,'' he once said. ``It's the best job in television.''
Picked by The Grin Reaper.