Nobody calls her Babs

Barbara Walters is great. She's a pure journalist, in the sense she has no problem asking questions and following her interests. I used to have more mixed feelings about her (it was always enjoyable watching Peter Jennings slap her down), but you know, somebody stays around long enough and you start to have a soft spot for them. Even though based on the show young Barbara was definitely a harder-edged reporter than current Barbara; maybe less invested in the system.

And even though I dislike that View show of hers, I think it's been a way for her to show she has a sense of humor about herself. I think she'd make a fun dinner party guest, assuming she isn't always working.

Her special looking back at 30 years of interviews (30 mistakes in 30 years) should be required viewing in high school journalism classes--we see all these interesting and surprising sides of famous people, all because of her questions.

It's amazing how many people she's talked to; here's what stood out for me:

-The obvious chemistry between her and Johnny Carson... gosh, they could've had superstar kids

-How her 'what kind of a tree' question came to be (it's Katharine Hepburn's fault)

-Clint Eastwood gazing at her during the interview, asking her out afterwards (she declined)

-Lucille Ball going on about Desi Arnez with her current husband next to her; as Walters said looking back, it was obvious she was still not over him

-Walter Matthau's wife, Carol Marcus, making comments about her ex-husband William Saroyan; Barbara said and yet you married him twice, after which Matthau added, "She's not sure what she's doing"

-Elton John playing for her; Stevie Wonder playing for her at 2 a.m. and Walters clapping off-rhythmn

-Tom Cruise being his obviously crazy self back in 2002, like charm could overcome oddness

-Howard Cossell answering how he'd like to be remembered: 'Good husband, good father, doting grandfather. That's all that matters.'

-Johnny Cash, asked if he thinks he's going to heaven or hell, saying 'Heaven. I've spent my time in hell.'

-Laurence Olivier saying he'd liked to be remembered as a 'diligent workman.'

-Sylvester Stallone's knives collection displayed weirdly on the wall

-The clip of her interview with the Oceans 11 cast, showing some great chemistry between Julia Roberts and Matt Damon

-Paris Hilton coming across as smart

-Robin Williams cracking Barbara and her crew up during his 'interview'; pretending to be a German during WWII, 'we woke up and we were in Poland, it wasn't anybody's fault'

-Sean Connery saying it's not that bad to slap a woman, like when they can't leave something alone and keep talking, then it's absolutely right to slap her

-Halle Barry celebrating getting through her interview without crying

-John Travolta's wife Kelly Preston saying she knows they'll be together forever, and him correcting her to say well, we think we will be

-Barbara and Oprah Winfrey--from young and naive to knowing and a pro

-Her surprising relationship with Richard Pryor, including the clip where he says he loves drugs, enjoys doing cocaine with his friends and getting high; watching how their relationship evolved over three interviews where at the end he admits lighting himself on fire to try and die, because he was ashamed of what he'd become as a drug addict.

She called him 'the most painfully honest man I've ever interviewed.'

Uncredited image of Barbara Walters found online