In a case of appropriate finality, 1980's talk show host Morton Downey Jr. dies of lung cancer and respiratory failure. Downey gained notoriety for constantly chain smoking and blowing smoke on unpopular gusts of "The Morton Downey Jr. Show," a controversial program that served as a somewhat high-brow predecessor to today's trash TV programs. Though not exactly sophisticated, Downey's talk show did feature social topics more than personal ones, unlike the Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones Shows that he unwittingly spawned.