Robert DeNiro was saluted, Dave Brubeck took five and Mel Books got teary eyed during the CBS broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors Tuesday night.

DeNiro, Brubeck, Brooks, Grace Bumbry and Bruce Springsteen were feted for their careers in the arts during the show, which featured speeches, performances and a little bit of funny stuff.

One of America's greatest TV icons has been officially recognized as one of its greatest humorists. Yes, he's still one of the greatest TV icons, but giving him another honor for his work in TV is like giving Jay Leno a free car.

Bill Cosby received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Monday at the Kennedy Center.

The event, set for broadcast on PBS on Nov. 4., featured presentations and words from comedy notables such as Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. It also featured a Cosby Show reunion of sorts with Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. It's a good thing Dr. Huxtable didn't take his boy out of the world after all.

'31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors'
(9PM, CBS)
Controversial New York Senate contender Caroline Kennedy hosts. Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Twyla Tharp, Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey are being feted.

And performances include Beyonce crooning 'The Way We Were' to Streisand, Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood paying tribute to their pal Freeman, Garth Brooks rocking out to Jones tunes and Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas singing the Who's 'Baba O'Riley.'

But we're betting that you, like us, are going to tune in just to get a glimpse of Babs planting a smooch on her political enemy, President Dubya Bush.