RIP, old chap

Saddened to hear of Alistair Cooke's passing, once I got over my surprise that he hadn't already. Masterpiece Theater (sorry, I mean "Theatre") was a part of my childhood, from the nightmare-inducing WGBH promo music, to the comforting sounds of the trumpet and violin-laden theme, to Mr. Cooke's gentle introduction in his leather armchair, to my promptly falling asleep during whatever show was being performed, to Mr. Cooke's "good night" with the reminder that I was watching this thanks to the efforts of the kind people at Mobil Corporation. Godspeed, gentle soul.