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The David Letterman Show
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The David Letterman Show was a live morning NBC talk show hosted by David Letterman every weekday from June 23 to October 24, 1980.
ecursor to 1982's Late Night with David Letterman, the show was a critical success but the edgy comedy did not go over well with morning television watchers, more used to talk shows, soap operas, and game shows. The show had replaced the daytime version of Hollywood Squares, High Rollers, and Chain Reaction on NBC's schedule.
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Encyclopedia
The David Letterman Show was a live morning NBC talk show hosted by David Letterman every weekday from June 23 to October 24, 1980.
Background
A precursor to 1982's Late Night with David Letterman, the show was a critical success but the edgy comedy did not go over well with morning television watchers, more used to talk shows, soap operas, and game shows. The show had replaced the daytime version of Hollywood Squares, High Rollers, and Chain Reaction on NBC's schedule. The president of NBC considered also canceling Wheel of Fortune to make room for Letterman, but decided against doing so.
The original hire for the show's producer was Bob Stewart, the veteran quiz-show creator who had enlisted Letterman as a panelist on Pyramid from 1978 onward. However, due to creative differences, Stewart left the show four days before its premiere. Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers wrote the opening theme of the show.
Behind the scenes were Hal Gurnee directing and Barry Sand producing. The writing staff consisted of Merrill Markoe, head writer, Valri Bromfield, Rich Hall, Gary Jacobs, Harold Kimmel, Edie McClurg, Gerard Mulligan, Paul Raley, Ron Richards and David Letterman.
Lou Del Prete, was the associate producer, Stephen H. Schwartz, was the creative consultant. Joan Gelman, Christine Lalonde, and Willie Stein were the talent coordinators. Lisbeth Anderson was the production manager, Terri Guarnier was the unit manager. Francine Bergman was the production coordinator, Cynthia Kayan was the researcher. Kathleen Ankers was the art director, Joyce Hurley was the associate director. Chrissy Frances was the music coordinator.
The production staff consisted of: George Callahan, Kim Carney, Lee B. Chernick, Barbara Gaines, Edd Hall, Tim Holton, Brian J. McAloon, Meg Mortimer, Dency Nelson, and David Reale.
The news producer was Alan Mohan, news writer was Nick Allen. Bill Kelley was the technical director.
Guests
Valri Bromfield, Edie McClurg, Rich Hall, Gerard Mulligan, Merrill Markoe and Paul Raley all appeared on the show and served as writers. Edd Hall (later the announcer on Jay Leno's Tonight Show) and current Late Show producer Barbara Gaines were both production assistants, while stage manager Biff Henderson and director Hal Gurnee would follow Dave to his next two shows. Announcer/comedian Bob Sarlatte was replaced partway through the run by Bill Wendell, who would also announce on Dave's next two shows. Music director was Frank Owens. Longtime NBC newsman Edwin Newman provided live news updates in the studio during each broadcast; studio audience members would often interrupt his reporting with laughter or groans, as if Newman were an anchor on Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update.
Among guests who appeared were Steve Allen, Andy Kaufman, Wil Shriner, Judy Collins, photojournalists Jon & Keiko Alpert, and Jeff Greenfield, who reviewed the first show on the air and as it happened was rather apathetic toward the whole thing.
Bill Maher can be seen in the audience of the first episode (though he was not an official guest), and Conan O'Brien claims he hitchhiked to New York just to see a broadcast in NBC's Studio 6A (which has also been home to some of Jack Paar's NBC programs, later Late Night with David Letterman and finally Late Night with Conan O'Brien).
Episode status
The first 30 episodes were all 90 minutes, but on August 4 the show was cut to an hour for the last 12 weeks (60 shows).
Of the 90 episodes broadcast, 83 or so survive in the Late Show archives in New York. A brief clip from #90 was shown on Dave's 15th Anniversary show in 1997 and is known to be held by collectors.
Some episodes are apparently available for on-site viewing at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York.
External links
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