Andy Rooney was America's bemused uncle, spouting homespun wisdom weekly at the end of "60 Minutes," a soupcon of topical relief after the news magazine's harder-hitting segments.

Peering at viewers through bushy eyebrows across his desk, Mr. Rooney might start out, seemingly at random, "Did you ever notice that…" and he was off, riffing on pencils, pies, parking places, whatever. Then he was done, slightly cranky revelations delivered in a neat three-minute package.

Mr....