He pioneered that format, pursued great guests, gave them the space to convey their thoughts in long form, structured the arc of the interviews to pull good stuff out of people over time, and worked relentlessly.

And unlike Gross, he kept his own politics closer to his chest, which, in combination with everything else, gave him access to everyone.

Who else is out there from a younger generation on the way up? Weirdly enough, like the other person said, the Hot Ones guy is the closest I can think of. Maybe someone from the podcast realm, but it's hard to think of someone with the range and intellect. I guess it will be a more fractious world.