Regis makes small talk fun

Santa Claus comes but once a year

But Regis Philbin is a gift that keeps on giving:

Millions of Americans — most of them middle age, middle class and middle brow — have been celebrating Regis most days for as long as they can remember:

Sunday Morning host Charles Osgood visited his syndicated morning show, "Live with Regis and Kelly," two weeks ago.

Regis comes across as the aggrieved every man, Kelly as needling and flirtatious.

"I know that this show runs whether I'm here or not," Kelly says. "Regis could actually host the show with a doorknob and it would be spontaneous and fun and interesting."

But you would have to get the right doorknob, you know.

"I… yeah… you have to get the right doorknob," Kelly continues.

Before Kelly there was Kathy Lee. And before her a handful of other attractive partners, including his wife, Joy, who now often fills in for Kelly. All Regis' talk shows have been winners.

"Well you know this — this was my mountain, Charles," Regis says. "To make this show a success nationally. I had done it so long, locally. And people would say to me, well who cares what you did last night, or who you saw. It's just people don't care in Kansas City. So it'll never go national."

"Well, finally I kind of forced it to go national. So it worked out just fine," Regis continues. "Cause if you can involve people in your… if you tell them enough about your life, so that it duplicates what they're doing, in their lives, all of a sudden yes, they do get interested."

The specialty of Regis and Kelly is small talk.

Their banter is spontaneous and unrehearsed. In fact it's usually the first time they've talked each day.

"Because, I think what makes the show magical is the fact that there is no scripted dialog interaction with us," Kelly says.

"Right off the top of our head," she says. "'What did you do last night?' If we sat and discussed things, we would have nothing to say on the air, you know. So that's the magic of Regis is because he can turn anything into a conversation."

Their chemistry glitters and their ratings prove it: 6.6, with a 21 share.

"With a 21 share! Unheard of. Unheard of in our business," Regis says. "In the morning, Charles! Huh? So there you go."

"Look at Oprah. Six point three, with a 16 share," he adds.

He must be doing something right.

And their audience sure agrees. They wait one year for tickets.

"Very quick," one fan says.

"He is funny, he has charm, has character," says another fan. "In my next job I want his job. Makes it look easy."

It's easy for Regis maybe, but not for others.

"I don't really realize how hard the work is until he takes a day off," Kelly says. "And then I feel that this job is work. Because when it's him leading the show — it's just fun for me."

He's 75, with many more millions of dollars than years of age. Yet he hustles like an unknown trying to make it.

On weekends he does stage shows.

For a famous while he was host of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

He's been on David Letterman at least 85 times.

"Regis is the best," Letterman says. "Day in and day out, Regis has the single most entertaining hour on television".

Letterman sometimes returns the favor:

Regis has been in show businesses fifty years — forty years on television. He now holds the Guinness World Record for most hours on TV.

This Christmas season, Regis has a new pet project — a CD of Christmas Carols. Donald Trump joined him on the album, and Letterman's show, with "Rudolph."

Trump is more than his singing partner, he's a friend.

"And the beauty of Regis is that he is a big star and he does not know it and it comes across," Trump says. "Regis does not really understand how important he is and there is something very beautiful about that."

And there is something very beautiful about Christmas carols — and the memories they evoke.

"You know there was one song in the bunch that came out in the forties, and a lot of them did come out in the forties," Regis says. "But my father was in the Marine Corps, World War II, and he would be naturally in the Pacific. And so this one song meant a lot to me when I was a kid.

"Because it actually is my story with my father, you know. And hopefully him singing, 'I'll Be Home for Christmas.' So that song always stuck with me. You know that song?"

"You bet," Osgood says.

When much younger, he enjoyed singing — off stage. Then first time he got a chance in public was when Regis was the sidekick on the Joey Bishop show:

"Well, as a little kid, I wanted to be Bing Crosby. I knew all of his songs," Regis says.

"So then I get Bing Crosby on the show. They wanted Bing to sing," he continues. "So on the show, Joey said, 'Bing, this kid is your biggest fan. He knows all your songs. Regis. Sing a song for Bing. Sing 'Pennies from Heaven.'"

"And the next day I had a recording contract," he adds. "It just happened that way."

Now, 37 years later, he's singing and selling his Christmas CD and is busier than ever.

Will he ever step down like Johnny Carson and Jack Paar — former kings of talk with whom he is now compared? Well, Regis recently signed a new contract for two more years, for a rumored $20 million per year.

His wife Joy has an informed opinion about his future.

"I thought he was gonna slow down," she says. "He seems to be picking up speed. I don't know what's come over him."

"And I do enjoy it," Regis says. "I have a lot of fun with Joy. Whoever's sitting next to me. And the days go by. And you wonder what it would be like without that."