Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S.
late-night talk showIn American television, the late-night talk show is a specific kind of comedy-oriented talk and variety show that airs late at night. Characteristics of the genre include topical monologues in which the host makes fun of the day's news, comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances...
hosted by
David LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's
music directorA music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
and band-leader of the house band, the
CBS OrchestraThe CBS Orchestra is the house band, led by Paul Shaffer, that plays for David Letterman's CBS late-night talk show, Late Show with David Letterman...
, is
Paul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
. The head writers are brothers
Justin StangelJustin Stangel is one of the head writers and producers of the Late Show with David Letterman. His brother Eric Stangel is also a head writer and producer....
and
Eric StangelEric Stangel is one of the head writers and producers of the Late Show with David Letterman. His brother Justin Stangel is also a head writer and producer....
. The announcer is
Alan KalterAlan Kalter is an American television announcer from New York City. He is best knownas the announcer for the Late Show with David Letterman since September 5, 1995.-Career:...
, who replaced
Bill WendellBill Wendell was an NBC television staff announcer for almost his entire professional career.-Biography:...
in
1995The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. Of the major U.S. late-night programs,
Late Show ranks second in cumulative average viewers over time and third in number of
episodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s over time.
In most U.S. markets the show airs at 11:35 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time, but is recorded Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. The second Monday episode usually airs on Friday of that week.
In 2002,
Late Show with David Letterman was ranked #7 on
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeTV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is TV Guides list of the 50 most entertaining and influential television series in American pop culture...
.
In June 2009 Worldwide Pants committed to continuing the show until at least August 2012. Letterman was previously the host of
Late Night with David LettermanLate Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from
1982These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1982. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
to
1993These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1992. All times are Eastern/Pacific....
.
History
When Letterman moved to CBS and began
Late Show, several of
Late Nights long-running comedy bits made the move with him. Letterman renamed a few of his regular bits to avoid legal problems over trademarkA trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
infringement (NBC cited that what he did on Late Night
was "intellectual propertyIntellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
" of the network). "Viewer Mail" on NBC became the "CBS Mailbag", and Larry "Bud" Melman began to use his real name, Calvert DeForestCalvert Grant DeForest , also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.-Early life:Little has been published about his early life...
. Paul Shaffer's "World's Most Dangerous Band" became "The CBS Orchestra", a not-so-subtle jab at NBC regarding the show's new home, and a play on the NBC Orchestra of the long running The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
. Letterman's signature bit, the Top Ten ListThe Late Show Top Ten List is a regular segment of the television program Late Show with David Letterman. It is adapted from Letterman's NBC show Late Night...
, was perfunctorily renamed the "Late Show Top Ten List" (over time it was simply referred to again by its original name).
After Letterman was introduced on Late Show's
very first episode, NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
anchor
Tom BrokawThomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
accompanied him on stage and wished him "reasonably well". As part of a pre-arranged act, Brokaw then proceeded to retrieve a pair of cue cards while stating that "These last two jokes are the intellectual property of NBC!" After he carried them off stage, Letterman responded, "Who would have thought you would ever hear the words 'intellectual property' and 'NBC' in the same sentence?" In his opening monologue, Letterman said "Legally, I can continue to call myself Dave" but joked that he woke up that morning and next to him in bed was the head of a
peacockThe National Broadcasting Company has used several corporate logos over its history, yet the peacock is its most well known.-Microphone logo :...
(while the orchestra played the theme from
The GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
).
In ratings, Letterman's Late Show
initially dominated Leno's Tonight Show
for its first two years. However, Letterman was more reluctant than Leno's Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based show to capitalize on the 1994-1995 O. J. Simpson murder caseThe O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
. Finally, Leno pulled ahead on July 10, 1995, starting with a Hugh GrantHugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
interview, after Grant's much-publicized arrest for picking up an LA prostitute. Leno also benefitted from the lead-in provided by NBC's popular Must See TV"Must See TV" is an advertising slogan used by the NBC television network to brand its prime time blocks of sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured such popular sitcoms as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, A Different...
prime time programs of the mid- to late 1990sFile:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. Likewise the CBS network was hurt by affiliation switches in late 1994 relating to FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
picking up CBS's National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
rights, stunting the Late Show
just as it was beginning to gain traction. At times Late Show
even came in third in its timeslot (behind Nightline
, most recently in November 2008), once prompting Letterman to arrange for a ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
billboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
proudly declaring himself and his show to be "#3 in Late Night," aping an older, nearby billboard which promoted Leno and The Tonight Show
as #1.
In recent years, Letterman and Late Show
have openly made jokes in reference to Leno, although it is often done in a self-deprecating manner. Such jokes usually refer to The Tonight Show's consistent lead in the ratings, a common example being where a guest presenter of the Top Ten List will use one of the entries to declare his or her preference for Leno, resulting in Letterman feigning humiliation or surprise. In a "What Things Cost" sketch in 2000, Letterman explained that it cost $10,000 to keep an open phone line with actor
Leonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
. Upon thanking Nimoy for his help, Nimoy tersely admitted that he was unable to talk because "I'm watching Leno".
When
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
announced he was running for
presidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, he said that the "official" announcement would come later. Shaffer then remarked that he was "saving it for Leno".
From November 11, 2002 to February 14, 2003, the show was simulcast on several CBS-owned radio stations. The show's Top Ten List continues to be syndicated as a short-form feature by
Westwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
.
On June 1, 2009,
Conan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
(who had succeeded Letterman as
host of Late NightLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
in 1993) took over as host of The Tonight Show
- an event Letterman referenced in his own show's Top Ten List on that night - and Letterman's "feud" with Leno temporarily ceased. In 2008 Letterman told Rolling Stone
that he would welcome Leno on his show once Leno's tenure ended. Letterman said on competing with O'Brien, "I still find it hard to believe that Jay won’t be there." The interview was held prior to Leno announcing his return to NBC for The Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
. The Letterman/Leno feud was revived in the wake of the 2010 Tonight Show conflictIn early 2010, American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, engaged in a media and public relations conflict over the host and airtime of The Tonight Show, the network's long-running late night program...
, which saw Letterman side with O'Brien. However, Leno would appear in a Late Show
promo with Letterman and Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
aired on CBS during Super Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.
In the second week after Letterman and O'Brien began their opposing broadcasts, viewer ratings for Tonight
began to slip and Late Show
was poised to beat Tonight
for the first time in over ten years, a fact pointed out by Letterman's guests on air (Howard SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
and Julia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
). Letterman quickly tried to change subject in the interviews and tried to avert a new rivalry. In fact, the June 9, 2009 episode of Late Show
featuring Roberts rated better than Tonight
with a 3.4 household rating nationally to O'Brien's 2.9.
In June 2009, Worldwide Pants and CBS reached agreement to continue Late Show until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension is shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past; the expiration of the contract will come at the same time Letterman reaches the milestone of 30 years hosting a late-night talk show, matching
Johnny CarsonJohn William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
. Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the prevision contract.
Studio and set design
The show has taped at the
Ed Sullivan TheaterThe Ed Sullivan Theater, located at 1697-1699 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th, in Manhattan, is a venerable radio and television studio in New York City...
at the corner of Broadway and fifty-third Street in midtown Manhattan since its inception. Formerly called CBS Studio 50, it had been home to several TV programs over the years, most notably
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. Letterman has made use of the immediate neighborhood surrounding the theater for his show, closing off the portion of 53rd Street that goes past his studio for various stunts on occasion. Nearby merchants gained fame after making frequent appearances on the program, including
Rupert JeeRupert Jee is an American entrepreneur and television celebrity who has gained fame through frequent appearances on Late Show with David Letterman...
, owner of the Hello Deli at 213 W. 53rd St., and
Sirajul and MujiburSirajul Islam and Mujibur Rahman are businessmen in New York City who are known for numerous guest appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman....
, Bengali immigrants who worked at a souvenir shop close to the studio.
The stage layout has followed the same basic structure Letterman employed at 30 Rock: the house band appears on the far left, followed by the performance area and then the interview set.
Same-day tapings
When Letterman is not on vacation (which he takes roughly ten weeks per year), he and his crew work four days per week, taping Friday's show earlier in the week. From October 2001 until May 2004, Friday's show was taped on Thursdays, but since 2004 Friday's show has been taped on Mondays. For Friday's show, the Late Show monologue topics, sketches, and other segments are chosen for their lack of topicality, with few if any references to current events or any subject which would run the risk of seeming dated.
Episode structure
On rare episodes, the show begins with a
cold openA cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
with Letterman in a
baseball capA baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
interacting with a
celebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. The show's
opening creditsIn a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
feature a series of shots of New York City as the CBS Orchestra performs the Late Show
theme (a livelier variation of the more jazzy Late Night theme). The announcer presents the names of that night's guests, as well as Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra, then introduces Letterman.
Letterman then walks out on the show stage to perform his stand-up
monologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
, which may begin with a reference to something an audience member said to him during the pre-show question-and-answer session. The jokes are based on pop culture, current events, and politics. He then introduces one or two video jokes such as a running gag or fake commercial/public service announcement. The monologue is followed by Letterman's introduction of Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. Beginning in 2009, a commercial break replaces Letterman's trademark 'crossing to the desk' which he had done since the early years. Letterman then chats with the audience and Shaffer, sometimes relating an anecdote from his personal life, sometimes discussing his anticipation of a particular guest; a
running gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
may be featured.
Letterman reads the Top Ten List at this point before turning to guest interviews with a celebrity, politician, or other public figure. On most episodes, the first guest stays on through the commercial break and continues the interview.
Following the first guest is a short segment to bridge two commercial breaks sequentially. In earlier episodes, Letterman would return to his running gag during this break, or retry a failed stunt from earlier in the show. Later episodes include a brief comedy announcement from announcer Alan Kalter while showing the audience cheering.
The final segment consists of a live musical performance, a comedian performing a stand-up routine, or another guest interview. The
CBS OrchestraThe CBS Orchestra is the house band, led by Paul Shaffer, that plays for David Letterman's CBS late-night talk show, Late Show with David Letterman...
frequently accompanies musical guests in performing their songs. Episodes occasionally conclude with Letterman recommending viewers stay tuned for '
Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
', but usually he simply waves to the camera, saying, "Good night everybody!" Of late, the admonishment to watch Craig Ferguson has been delivered by Alan Kalter, via
voiceoverVoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
.
Regular sketches
Late Show has various repeated
absurdistIn philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
segments, including those involving cast members' and audience participation. The show will also take a camera crew into the Hello Deli to show games such as "What's on the
iPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
?" and "Beat the Clock," or onto 53rd Street or the roof to record various stunts there.
Staff
Announcer
Bill WendellBill Wendell was an NBC television staff announcer for almost his entire professional career.-Biography:...
retired and left the show on August 18,
1995The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. He was replaced by
Alan KalterAlan Kalter is an American television announcer from New York City. He is best knownas the announcer for the Late Show with David Letterman since September 5, 1995.-Career:...
on the show's next episode which came after a two-week hiatus.
In
1996The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, long-time producer
Robert MortonRobert "Morty" Morton is an American television producer most notable for his work as a producer and later co-executive producer of the NBC program Late Night with David Letterman....
left and head writer
Rob BurnettRob Burnett is a producer, director and writer, best known for being the executive producer of Late Show with David Letterman. He is also the president and CEO of Worldwide Pants.In 2008, Burnett received the P.T...
was promoted to executive producer.
Director
Hal GurneeHal Gurnee is an American television director who directed all of the television shows hosted by David Letterman on NBC. Gurnee directed the Emmy award-winning but short-lived NBC daytime program The David Letterman Show, then moved with Letterman to Late Night with David Letterman in 1982...
and producer
Peter LassallyPeter Lassally is a former Carson Productions executive who served as the executive producer of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, and the Late Show with David Letterman...
left the show soon after to pursue other interests. Gurnee was replaced by Jerry Foley. Burnett was absent from the day-to-day operations from 2000 to 2004, and was replaced by Barbara Gaines and Maria Pope, both of whom continue to serve as executive producers, with Gaines currently acting as on-air producer. In
2003The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, producer Jude Brennan was added to the team of executive producers.
Lassally, who had served as an executive producer for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show
, was invited back to Late Show
in January 2005 as a guest to discuss the recent death of Carson. Lassally currently serves as executive producer for Worldwide Pants' The Late Late ShowThe Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS hosted by Craig Ferguson since 2005. It immediately follows Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated...
(dating back to its years under original host Tom SnyderThomas James "Tom" Snyder was an American television personality, news anchor and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows The Tomorrow Show, on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and The Late Late Show, on the CBS Television Network in the 1990s...
) as well as the Tony Mendez Show
, an online webcastA webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
featuring Late Show's "
cue cardCue cards, also known as note cards or idiot cards, are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the audience...
boy".
Sheila Rogers-Biography:Sheila Rogers began her career as a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine as its Random Notes columnist in 1986. She later branched out into special feature articles including interviews with the Rolling Stones, the Eagles , Phoebe Snow , Billy Idol, and Bonnie Raitt...
, the
producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
responsible for booking guests on the show, has worked for Letterman since before
Late Show began.
High-definition broadcasts
The show began broadcasting in
high-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HDTV) on August 29, 2005. About two weeks later, Tim Kennedy, the show's Technical Director, commented on the transition in the show's official newsletter:
The biggest challenge in the HD conversion was to renovate and upgrade our old control room, audio room, videotape room, and edit room while still doing five shows a week... This entailed pulling a remote production truckTelevision Production trucks were developed to take television studios on the road so video productions could be made at distant locations for a remote broadcast, outside broadcasting , electronic field production with multiple-camera setup and a support of a number of different technologies to...
on 53rd Street running somewhere in the neighborhood of 50,000 feet of video and audio cable just to tie the truck to the existing technical plant...
The coolest piece of equipment is our new control room Virtual Wall. We have done away with the conventional monitor for every video source and replaced it with four 70-inch rear projection screens and within those screens we can "virtually" place as many video images as we want, anywhere we want them, and when we want it.
Kennedy and his crew won an
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Series" during the nearly-four-month-long transition to HDTV.
Notable episodes
Among the show's highlights—according to CBS:
- the premiere, which attracted 23 million viewers;
- the March 1994 episode featuring Madonna;
- a visit from Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
during which she "jump[ed] on his desk and flash[ed] her breasts" in a "birthday gift he'll never forget";
- his return to the airwaves on September 17, 2001 following the September 11 attacks in a show that featured Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
and Regis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
—it was "hailed by the New York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
as 'one of the purest, most honest and important moments in TV history'."
- Since this episode, Kalter's announcement at the start of the show that it was coming "From New York..." has been followed by "...the greatest city in the world!", rather than a self-depreciating joke targeted at the city itself.
A notable, more recent episode was his October 1, 2009 revelation that he had been the target of an extortion attempt.
Physical comedy
Letterman himself is known for his quirky
physical comedyPhysical comedy, also known as slapstick, is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall , a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy...
, which he has used in varied degrees throughout the years. Examples are throwing his blue note cards through the prop window behind him or throwing pencils at the camera (always followed with a
sound effectFor the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
of shattering glass), slapping the camera, pausing to take a long drink of his coffee, exaggeratedly loud coughing and clearing his throat, showing the inside lining of his suit, showing his receding hairline, long awkward moments to organize his note cards on his desk, flipping pencils upward and trying to catch them one-handed (à la
Johnny CarsonJohn William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
), wiggling his tie, adjusting the height of his chair, stirring his guests' coffee with a pencil before they arrive, and pausing to clean his glasses. In earlier episodes he would often throw objects into the audience.
Though Letterman is typically well-attired and neat, a common gag is his pretending to eat or drink excessive amounts of both edible and non-edible items, for instance, eating mayonnaise straight from the jar, allowing it to slop onto his face and onto the front of his suit. During a cooking segment with
Martha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
there was a table set up with ingredients to demonstrate how to prepare some sort of meal. Letterman feigned clumsy disinterest, measuring the wrong amounts, throwing raw eggs at the band, gulping down bottles of wine, eating half a stick of butter, and generally wreaking havoc. Stewart tried to continue her cooking presentation, until finally, succumbing to the fun, took a big bite of butter herself. A similar situation occurred during a cooking segment featuring
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
Jamie OliverJames "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
, beginning with Letterman eating raw onions and resulting in Oliver, the episode's first guest
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, and later Paul Shaffer, and him all drinking from a bottle of
olive oilOlive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
.
One-liners
Another Letterman trademark is his penchant for odd,
non-sequiturA non sequitur is a conversational and literary device, often used for comedic purposes. It is a comment that, because of its apparent lack of meaning relative to what it follows, seems absurd to the point of being humorous or confusing....
one-linersA one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
. Often they come from obscure sources with little to no explanation and appear to be mostly used for Letterman's own amusement. One of these is "I bet that guy makes his own gravy," often referring to overweight people who perspire. Whenever venturing into dangerous territory, Dave often rescues himself with a one-liner, "and I don't even know what that means" or "I wouldn't give his troubles to a monkey on a rock!" Shaffer will often laugh at the jokes, although this is usually due to the repetition and familiarity of them, rather than the nature of the jokes themselves.
Self-deprecation
Letterman will often poke fun at himself, ranging from the content of his show (such as admitting when a joke is not particularly funny), his personal life (portraying himself as a reclusive loner), his physical appearance (his hair or "advanced age"), and his staff's supposed frustration with him (being forced to work on holidays). Such jokes will be made through impromptu remarks made by Letterman, or even in scripted material presented by Letterman or various staff members. In one episode, foreigners would appear on stage one by one, hurling a flurry of insults at Letterman in their native languages. Another more common gag consists of audience members finding ways to leave the show to Letterman's embarrassment.
Guest hosts
Occasionally, Letterman will use guest hosts; in the past, he has done so when he has taken an extended medical leave.
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
,
Adam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and
Bonnie HuntBonnie Lynne Hunt is an American actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.- Early life :...
are among the many substitute hosts that have been used on
Late Show.
In 2000, after Letterman had quintuple bypass surgery, the
Late Show Backstage was aired. This featured many celebrities reminiscing about their experiences as guests on his show. Bandleader
Paul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
was among those who hosted, when he interviewed
Jerry SeinfeldJerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
. These interviews were interspersed with past footage. Previously, only reruns without any special introductions had been aired since Letterman's temporary leave from the show.
Letterman returned on a limited basis on February 18, in a show which premiered three days later. To help ease the transition, guests hosts were temporarily installed.
Bill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
and
Regis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
(his former
Live co-host
Kathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
would later guest-host as well) filled in on the first week.
In the summer of 2003, Letterman had guest hosts for a month. They were
Tom GreenMichael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
,
Tom ArnoldThomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
,
Kelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, and
Jimmy FallonJames Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
(who later went on to become the host of Letterman's old show,
Late NightLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
). The rating separating Letterman and Leno increased and Letterman ended this experiment a month after it began.
Primetime Emmy
Late Show with David Letterman has been nominated as
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series is a category in the Primetime Emmy Awards. It is awarded annually to the best variety show or similarly formatted program of the year....
for its entire 16 season run from the
1993-94These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1993. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
season through the 2008-09 season. Including the nominations for the NBC
Late Night variant, the Letterman cast and crew has been nominated 26 consecutive times in this category.
In what Tom O'Neil called a "jaw-dropper", the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards were the first since
Late Show began in which the show was not nominated; O'Neil attributed the omission to the fact that
The Tonight Show with Conan O'BrienThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
, a show that
lasted less than 150 episodes, had received a nomination that year.
Late Show with David Letterman won the award six times:
- 1993-94
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1993. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California in 1997. They were presented in two ceremonies hosted by Bryant Gumbel, one on September 13 and another on September 14...
- 1997–98
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1997. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 13, 1998. It was broadcast on NBC. Nominees and winners are listed below, winners are in bold.- Outstanding Comedy Series :*3rd Rock from the Sun, NBC*Ally McBeal, FOX...
- 1998–99
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1998. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 12, 1999. The awards show was hosted by Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce. It was broadcast on Fox...
- 1999–00
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 1999. All times are Eastern/Pacific...
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 52nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 10, 2000. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC...
- 2000–01
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 2000. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were finally held Sunday, November 4, 2001, seven weeks late. The awards show was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and was broadcast on CBS. The ceremony was re-scheduled twice from its original date of September 16 at the Shrine Auditorium because of the September...
- 2001–02
These are the late night Monday-Friday schedules on all three networks for each calendar season beginning September 2001. All times are Eastern/Pacific.Talk/Variety shows are highlighted in yellow, Local News & Programs are highlighted in white....
winner Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesThe 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 22, 2002. Nominations were announced July 22, 2002. The awards show was hosted by Conan O'Brien and was broadcast on NBC...
David Letterman also received the first Johnny Carson Award at the First Annual Comedy Awards, where a clip show was shown showing his achievements, funny moments, sketches, and memorable guests.
See also
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
- Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
(NBC show, 1982–1993)
- List of late night network TV programs
External links