>> THANK YOU FOR BEING A SHINING EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. >> AL, I LOVE YOU.
>> I THINK WE ALL LOVE AL,
INCLUDING THE AUDIENCE.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR FAVORITE AL
ROKER STORY?
ROKER STORY? >> I HAVE A LOT.
>> I DON’T KNOW IF SOME OF THEM
ARE APPROPRIATE FOR MORNING
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION. BUT I WILL SAY THIS ABOUT
MR. ROKER, AND SAVANNAH ALLUDED
TO IT, AS WELL.
AL WAS THE FIRST PERSON WHO PUT
HIS ARMS AROUND ME WHEN I
STARTED APPEARING ON THIS SHOW.
AND I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT.
WE’VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS LONG
ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE
TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE IN
THIS BUSINESS.
THIS BUSINESS. THE PEOPLE WHO, WHEN THE LITTLE
RED LIGHT OF THE CAMERA GOES
OFF, THEY’RE A DIFFERENT PERSON.
NOT AL ROKER.
THE AL ROKER YOU GET ON TV IS
THE SAME AL ROKER YOU GET WHEN
THE CAMERA IS OFF.
AND ONE MORE THING, I THINK THIS
SHOULD BE SHARED, AS WELL, THERE
ARE BATTLES OCCASIONALLY THAT
HAVE TO BE WAGED OFF-CAMERA, AL
ROKER DOESN’T SHY AWAY FROM
THOSE.
THOSE. HE WILL SHOW UP AND HAS
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH
MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS.
AND AL ROKER HAS A CLEAR SENSE
OF RIGHT AND WRONG AND IS NOT
AFRAID TO SHARE THAT CLEAR SENSE
OF RIGHT AND WRONG.
>> WE’RE GOING TO GET TO
EVERYBODY’S MEMORIES.
EVERYBODY’S MEMORIES. FIRST, THERE’S FEW PEOPLE THAT
LOVE YOU MORE THAN WE DO.
WE HEARD ALL THESE MESSAGES FROM
OTHER PEOPLE.
OTHER PEOPLE. NOW, WE HAVE TO HEAR FROM YOUR
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> HEY, DAD.
WISHING YOU A CONGRATULATIONS
ALL THE WAY FROM PARIS.
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’VE BEEN AT
NBC FOR 40 YEARS.
THAT’S LITERALLY TWICE MY AGE.
CONGRATS.
CONGRATS. >> HEY, HONEY.
WE WANT TO WISH YOU A HUGE,
HUGE, HUGE FAMILY
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 40-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY.
ANNIVERSARY. >> 40 YEARS.
>> WE WON’T TELL ANYBODY THAT
YOUR SECRET IS, YOU KEEP CHASING
ALL THESE STORMS SO THEY CAN’T
TRACK YOU DOWN AND TRY TO FIRE
YOU.
YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS. WHAT A HUGE FEAT.
I CAN’T BELIEVE, 40 YEARS IN ONE
PLACE.
PLACE. WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE?
I GUESS YOU DO.
CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS. >> LOVE YOU.
>> THE REASON WE WERE ALL
WEEPING, IS WHEN YOU SAW YOUR
SON AND YOUR WIFE’S FACE, THE
TEARS THAT CAME TO YOUR EYES.
YOU LOVE THEM MORE THAN
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. AND ALSO BARBECUE.
THIS MORNING, WE GAVE YOU CAKE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU DON’T LIKE CAKE.
YOU LIKE BARBECUE.
>> I LOVE BARBECUE.
>> SO, WE DECIDED TO GET YOUR
FAVORITE HILL COUNTY BARBECUE
AND SPECIAL GUESTS.
>> THE PARTY KEEPS GOING.
>> I MADE THIS MYSELF.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE’RE GOING TO PUT IT OVER
HERE.
HERE. >> WE’RE GOING TO GO SIT, Y’ALL.
>> OH, WOW.
>> I MEAN --
>> NOW, WE’RE TALKING.
>> THIS IS A PARTY.
>> THERE’S NOT A LOT OF KEET
KETO-FRIENDLY STUFF.
KETO-FRIENDLY STUFF. >> THERE’S SAUSAGE AND BRISKET.
THIS IS FANTASTIC.
>> THIS IS A PARTY FOR US ALL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> MY PASS FROM NBC NEWS EXPIRES
IN FIVE MINUTES.
>> I HAVE TO SAY, TO YOUR
FAMILY, AL, DEBORAH AND NICK,
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS
WONDERFUL MAN WITH US.
I KNOW HE GIVES NBC A LOT OF HIS
TIME.
TIME. HE REFERS TO ME AS HIS WORK
WIFE.
WIFE. >> I HAVE.
>> I GET HIS WEIRD JOKES.
AND NOT MANY PEOPLE DO.
SO, I LOVE THAT I CAN FIGURE OUT
THE WAY YOUR MIND IS TICKING.
AND THE SPECIAL THING THAT
STICKS OUT TO ME, WHEN I HAD
CALVIN, AND THE WAY YOU LOOKED
AT NICK WHEN HE WALKED IN TODAY,
AND WHEN YOU HAD TEARS IN YOUR
EYES IS HOW I FELT ABOUT CALVIN.
YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON TO
MEET CALVIN.
MEET CALVIN. YOU HELD HIM.
HE LOOKED SO COMFORTABLE IN YOUR
ARM AND HE POOPED HIS DIAPER.
>> THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE IN
COMMON, ALSO.
COMMON, ALSO. >> I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT CALVIN
DID TO AL ROKER.
YOU ARE A SPECIAL PERSON.
>> HE’S TO ENTHRALLED WITH THIS
FAMILY.
FAMILY. HE LOVES HIS FAMILY.
BUT HE LOVES THIS FAMILY.
IT’S SUCH A JOY.
YOU’RE ON THE PHONE LAUGHING AT
HIS JOKES, I’M LIKE, GREAT.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE?
HE TAUGHT US ALL TO PUT FAMILY
FIRST.
FIRST. I KNOW YOU ALL FEEL THIS.
WE HAVE LITTLE KIDS, THE FOUR OF
US.
US. AND WE WATCH HOW YOU LOOK AT
YOUR KIDS WITH SUCH PRIDE AND
TALK -- EVERY MORNING, HE COMES
IN.
IN. DEBORAH AND I WENT ON A DATE
NIGHT.
NIGHT. YOU FEEL THAT, RIGHT?
>> IT’S REALLY LOVELY.
IT’S KILLING LEILA NOT TO BE
HERE.
HERE. WHEN SHE SENT THE VIDEO, IT WAS
GREAT.
GREAT. HE CALLS LEILA IN THE MORNING.
WITH THE TIME DIFFERENCE, WHEN I
CALL HER, I TALKED TO DAD.
WE FACETIMED THIS MORNING AT
3:00 A.M.
3:00 A.M. YOU’RE CONNECTED TO YOUR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> COURTNEY JUST STARTED A NEW
PHASE OF HER CAREER.
>> SHE COULDN’T BE HERE.
>> ONE THING WE ADMIRE, YOU FOR
HOLDING IT DOWN.
YOU HAVE TO MULTITASK.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NIGHT
"WAITRESS" THE MUSICAL OPENED.
I’M SURE YOU WERE NERVOUS.
YOU WERE THERE.
YOU TOOK CHARGE.
IT WAS SUCH A MOMENT.
IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW AL, AS
MUCH AS WE’RE DOGGING ABOUT THE
FACT HE’S BEEN HERE FOR 40
YEARS, HE’S DOING NEW THINGS.
BROADWAY AND PRODUCTIONS.
AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES.
WHEN I SAY YOU’RE A TRAIL
BLAZER, I MEAN IT, EVERY SENSE
OF THE WORD.
>> ISN’T IT COOL WE GOT TO WATCH
AL ROKER?
AL ROKER? AND NOW, WE GET TO WORK WITH AL
ROKER.
ROKER. >> NOT ONLY WERE YOU NOT ALL
ALIVE, BUT I’M LIKE THE SAME AGE
AS YOUR PARENTS.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT?
MY GRANDPARENTS, ONE OF MY
FAVORITE MEMORIES -- NOT THE
SAME AGE AS MY GRANDPARENTS.
>> I WAS WORRIED THAT’S WHERE
YOU WERE GOING.