List of Late Show with David Letterman episodes

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The following is a list of notable episodes from Late Show with David Letterman since its inception on August 30, 1993. Late Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman that ran on CBS between August 30, 1993, and May 20, 2015.

Contents

1993

August 30

The premiere of Late Show, [1] featuring actor/comedian Bill Murray and singer Billy Joel, attracts 23 million viewers. [2] Murray, who had been Letterman's first Late Night guest on NBC in 1982, spray-painted "Dave!" on the front of the host's desk. [2] [3]

1994

March 31

On March 31, 1994, pop star Madonna appeared on the Late Show. The "Queen of Pop", who is known for controversy, infamously swore thirteen times throughout the interview and refused to leave at the end. Letterman, who asked her questions on various topics—including her nose ring, music, and love life—was soon branded a "sick fuck", after he suggested Madonna kiss a member of the audience. Madonna went on to ask if Letterman was wearing a "rug", whether he wanted to smell a pair of underwear she brought on the show, or whether he thought the microphone was sexually big. In between this, Madonna often swore and referred to sexual themes, including her vagina, saying: "Did you know it's good to pee in the shower?" Eventually, she swore so much that the producers went to commercials and showed comedic monologues of Madonna. Letterman has since stated, in USA Today : "I'm not pleased with the way I handled it. I should have said, 'You say that word one more time and you're gone. That's it. Adios.' And I didn't." Madonna appeared days later on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . Although she appeared briefly at the stroke of midnight on Valentine's Day, 1995, to present Letterman with a bouquet of roses, her return to the show as a guest was not until 2000, while promoting her album Music . During that interview, and other subsequent interviews on the show, Letterman joked that he still had the panties that she gave him.

During the September 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna was a presenter and was escorted onstage by Letterman, who kissed her hand and stated, "I'll be in the car. Just... watch your language," and walked off stage to applause.

May 13

During a week of shows taped in Los Angeles, Johnny Carson made a surprise appearance on the show after leaving The Tonight Show . [4] Carson maintained a friendship with the show for the years that followed, even secretly writing jokes for the monologue. [5] This rare surprise appearance was Carson's final major television appearance before his death, [4] and to many, his way of acknowledging Letterman as his successor (even if Jay Leno was doing his former show at the time). Carson never appeared on Leno's version of Tonight.

December 2

Hello Deli owner Rupert Jee makes his first appearance, on a segment called "Fun With Rupert". [2]

1995

April 12

After finding out it was Letterman's birthday, [2] Drew Barrymore gave him a "little impromptu birthday present": she "hopped up on his desk, did a sexy little dance, turned her back to the camera and flashed her breasts". [6]

May 16

A week of shows, with most crew and cast, was filmed and broadcast entirely from London, United Kingdom, featuring guests Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, and a musical performance by Elvis Costello. A segment featuring Zsa Zsa Gabor was also taped. In addition, sitting in with the CBS Orchestra were Little Richard and Chuck Berry.

1996

September 20

In early September 1996, it was announced that Late Show would experiment with a commercial-free format. The September 20 broadcast of the show did not contain traditional commercials, although there were breaks (within the show) to acknowledge sponsors. Pearl Jam was the musical guest on this night. [7]

1997

June 5

Farrah Fawcett visited the show for the first time promoting a Playboy pay-per-view special and appeared disoriented and incoherent.

1998

February 16

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt does the Top Ten List after winning the Daytona 500.

1999

February 23

Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, a former professional wrestler who had assumed office on January 4, visits the show for the first time. [8]

December 31

Late Show broadcasts in prime time for the year 2000 New Year's Eve. Kevin James is the guest, with a performance by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and cameo appearances by Dick Clark and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. [2] (Under normal circumstances, Letterman does not broadcast a show on New Year's Eve, opting instead for a repeat.)

2000

February 21

On January 14, Letterman announced on Late Show that he was undergoing an angiogram the following day, after doctors had recently been concerned about his high cholesterol and family history (his father died of a heart attack at 57). Soon it was discovered that he had blocked arteries and had to undergo a quintuple bypass. During his recovery, after a few weeks of rerun broadcasts, the show was hosted by guests for several weeks. [9] On his first show after recovering, Regis Philbin was his first guest; [10] Letterman brought out all the doctors and nurses on the show who had helped him during his surgery and recovery. [2] Despite nearly breaking out in tears during the show,[ citation needed ] Letterman seemed to find humor in his situation; while referring to one of his nurses, he said: "This woman saw me naked!" He continued to joke about the event for weeks after his return.

Additionally, Letterman invited the alternative rock band Foo Fighters as musical guest. [11] The band performed their 1997 single "Everlong", which Letterman personally requested, [11] and Letterman introduced them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song." [12] During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they canceled to come play on his comeback episode. In 2015, the Foo Fighters would play the song again for the final episode of the show, transitioning into the final credits. [13]

2001

September 17

On September 17, 2001, David Letterman was the first major American comedy performer to return to the television airwaves after the September 11 attacks. In his opening monologue, absent the usual musical opening credits and cheering audience, an uncharacteristically serious and very emotional Letterman struggled with the reality of the attacks and the role of comedy in a post-9/11 world, saying:

The reason we were attacked, the reason these people are dead, these people are missing and dead … They weren't doing anything wrong, they were living their lives, they were going to work, they were traveling, they were doing what they normally do. Uh, as I understand it—and my understanding of this is vague, at best—another smaller group of people stole some airplanes and crashed them into buildings. And we're told that they were zealots fueled by religious fervor, religious fervor. And if you live to be a thousand years old, will that make any sense to you? Will that make any goddamned sense? [14]

Letterman went on to praise Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the NYPD/FDNY in the monologue and ended the segment by saying "If you didn't believe it before, you can absolutely believe it now. New York City is the greatest city in the world." From that point on, Alan Kalter's opening narration at the very top of the show, which up until then poked fun at the city, introduces New York as "The greatest city in the world!" However, beginning in January 2013, Kalter's opening was changed to "From New York! Broadcasting across the nation and around the world!" and in early 2015, once again began to feature bizarre openings, minus the derogatory remarks about New York. Moreover, the opening shot of the credits, which at that time was a view of Battery Park and the World Trade Center, was changed to a dynamic helicopter view of the Statue of Liberty (used ever since) and an aerial shot of the Empire State Building.[ citation needed ]

His first guest that night was then- CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, who broke down twice in tears. [15] Letterman's longtime friend and colleague Regis Philbin later joined Letterman to help lighten up the somber mood.

Time magazine named Letterman's return to the air after the attacks the Best TV Moment of 2001. [14] Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "He's snarky. He's snide. But when a solemn Letterman returned to the air Sept. 17, 2001 (his was the first late-night comedy show to air after the attacks), his off-the-cuff monologue showed the shell-shocked audience it was okay to laugh…and to cry." [16]

2002

October 30

The musician Warren Zevon was featured as the only guest for the entire hour. The episode concerned his recent terminal peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis, a rare form of cancer caused from exposure to small asbestos fibers. The band played Zevon's classic song "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. Zevon was a frequent guest and occasional substitute bandleader on Letterman's television shows since Late Night was first broadcast in 1982. (Letterman had also performed some backing vocals on Zevon's "Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)", with Paul Shaffer on organ.) Zevon noted, "I may have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." It was during this broadcast that, when asked by Letterman if he knew something more about life and death now, he first offered his oft-quoted insight on dying: "Enjoy every sandwich". He also took time to thank Letterman for his years of help, calling him "the best friend my music's ever had". For his final song of the evening, and his final public performance, Zevon performed "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" at Letterman's request. In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: "Here, I want you to have this. Take good care of it." [17] Zevon died less than a year later, shortly after the release of his album The Wind .

2003

November 4

Letterman announces that "last night at 11:58, I became a father." The previous night, Letterman's long-time partner, Regina Lasko, gave birth to his son, Harry. [2]

2004

March 17

Singer Courtney Love flashed Letterman while standing on his desk, her bare back to the audience. [18]

March 29

Singer Janet Jackson made her first network television interview following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. [19]

May 14

Letterman decided to tape the episode for May 14, 2004, at 4 a.m. EST that morning with a full studio audience. The guests for the show included rat expert Robert Sullivan, humorist Amy Sedaris and the indie rock band Modest Mouse. Highlights included Late Show staff member Bob Borden oversleeping, looking for rats with Robert Sullivan on West 53rd Street, Biff spending the night with the NYPD and Amy Sedaris giving a tour of her neighborhood at 4 in the morning. There was also a special version of the show's intro showing a montage of Late Show staffers sleeping on their desks and at their workstations, Letterman riding to the Ed Sullivan Theater on a horse and a video of Hillary Clinton introducing the show.

June 21

The rock band Phish, making their final television appearance before their farewell concert that August, performed an afternoon set atop the Ed Sullivan Theater's marquee for the taping of that evening's episode of Late Show. Although only one song was specifically taped for the show, Phish also performed five additional songs for the hundreds of fans that had gathered outside the theater. [20] [21] Phish would reunite in 2009, but they did not perform on Late Show again until 2014. [22]

2005

January 31

Letterman's first show after long-time friend and mentor Johnny Carson had died. The show had been on a one-week hiatus since his death. As a tribute, Letterman's opening monologue included jokes written by Carson (news reports in the weeks leading to Carson's death revealed that he had been regularly writing and sending Letterman some jokes) as well as clips shown from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . Other tributes to Carson in this episode included the band playing "Johnny's Theme" at the conclusion of Letterman's monologue, and use of title cards with the phrase, "More to Come" around commercial breaks (a standard feature of The Tonight Show during most of Carson's years there that has continued under Jay Leno's and Conan O'Brien's tenure). While describing how he felt about the news, Letterman stated:

There are so many things you miss about Johnny Carson... I was nearly this sad when the guy retired... Johnny Carson was like a public utility. At the end of the day, that's who you wanted to be there. The way that you know that Johnny was such a tremendous part of your life was when there was a guest host. You would be waiting all day to see Johnny and you'd tune in and there would be a guest host. And it would make you angry. And you'd be steaming mad, [though] not at Johnny, you would always take out your anger on the guest host.

The guests for the episode were Peter Lassally, the executive producer of The Tonight Show during Carson's tenure, and former Tonight Show band leader Doc Severinsen. [23]

December 1

In what Dave jokingly referred to as the "Super Bowl of Love," Oprah Winfrey made her first appearance on Late Show—and her first on any Letterman show in over 16 years. [24] At the end of her appearance, Letterman escorted her on-air across 53rd Street to the opening of The Color Purple , the new Broadway show she was there to promote. [25]

The episode, the fourth-most-watched in Late Show history, was followed 14 months later by a Super Bowl XLI Late Show promotion that featured her with Letterman, each wearing the jersey of the Super Bowl team from the city with which they are associated. [24] [26] In 2010, a Super Bowl commercial featuring Letterman, Oprah, and Jay Leno aired. As before, the trio sat on a sofa, watching the game.

2008

January 2

During the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, the show went into reruns for two months. In late December 2007, Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, reached a contract agreement with the striking writers. This put Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson back on the air with their full staff of writers. The show opened with Hillary Clinton making a cameo appearance saying, "It has been two long months but Dave's back. Oh, well, all good things must come to an end."

Letterman returned sporting a full beard; Robin Williams was the first guest for the show's return— Letterman displayed a photograph of Williams on the picket line with Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel, two of the show's writers. [27]

September 24

During the 2008 presidential election, Republican candidate John McCain was scheduled to appear as the first guest on Letterman's show, the first appearance since McCain informally announced his candidacy on the show months earlier. According to Letterman, McCain called him personally to inform Letterman that he would not be appearing on the show that day, but was on his way back to Washington, DC to help draft a proposed bailout of the financial system to soften effects of the Financial crisis of 2007–2008. MSNBC show host Keith Olbermann (a longtime critic of McCain) became the replacement guest for the night.

Throughout the show, and especially during the monologue, Letterman made various jokes about the situation. During Olbermann's interview, Letterman cut to a live internal feed of that night's CBS Evening News with Katie Couric , when Couric was taping an interview with McCain during the same time of Letterman's show. When it became apparent to Letterman that McCain was not on his way back to Washington as he said he was, Letterman became visibly irritated. Although he knew McCain could not hear him, Letterman publicly said to McCain, "Hey John, I got a question, do you need a ride to the airport?" [28] McCain spokeswoman Nicolle Wallace later stated McCain canceled his appearance on Letterman because it "wasn't a night for comedy".

The episode also seemed to have an effect on internal CBS operations: both the Late Show and the CBS Evening News are aired on the network. According to the New York Post, unidentified CBS News executives were reportedly "aggravated" about the use of the feed. Also according to the report, CBS had no knowledge of the use of the feed until the finished Late Show episode was being fed internally for distribution [29]

October 16

After canceling his September 24 appearance at the last minute, John McCain appeared on October 16. The episode attracted over 6.5 million viewers, three million more than his recent typical number of viewers and the best he has scored since Oprah Winfrey was a guest on Dec. 1, 2005. [30]

2009

January 30

Late Show aired the October 1, 1993, stand-up performance from comedian Bill Hicks, which Letterman chose to cut from the original broadcast as too controversial. [31] Hicks' routine covered homosexuality, abortion, as well as his wish to murder then-popular musicians Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bolton, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and Marky Mark. To help introduce the segment, Letterman invited Bill Hicks' mother, Mary, to be a guest on the show. Letterman apologized to Mrs. Hicks for having put her son and their family through the ordeal, especially as it was so soon before Hicks' untimely death from pancreatic cancer. Letterman declared he didn't know what he had been thinking when he pulled the routine from the original show and said, "It says more about me as a guy than it says about Bill because there was absolutely nothing wrong with it."

February 11

Late Show features an unusual interview with Joaquin Phoenix, there to promote Two Lovers . Phoenix was "sporting his Grizzly Adams beard, a black suit and dark Miami Beach grandma sunglasses" and "nervously chewed gum during the entire sitdown, often looking down as if asleep. He answered Letterman's queries with one or two befuddled words and acted surprised when the audience and host laughed at his apparent cluelessness." [32] Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone described Phoenix's appearance as "either Phoenix completely locked into his hoax character (the Bearded Rapper) or the most paranoid, drugged-out interview ever"; Kreps favored the hoax theory, noting that Phoenix repeatedly broke out of character, appeared to end the interview acknowledging Letterman for playing along, and noting that Casey Affleck, director of a documentary about "Phoenix's hip-hop dream, was reportedly at the CBS studios yesterday, no doubt filming this landmark interview." [33] Letterman humorously closed the interview with the line, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." [6]

Entertainment Weekly pointed out that the interview was similar to one he did in October 2000 when he was there to promote his film The Yards . [34] Back in 2000, executive producer Maria Pope commented on Phoenix's behavior: "The first couple of times we thought there was a gas leak in the greenroom. Now we've determined, no, that's just Joaquin."[ citation needed ] On the February 19, 2009 episode of The Late Show, Letterman told guest Barbara Walters that he believed Phoenix's performance was "a goof" but he "sure can take a punch".[ citation needed ] The incident was also compared to Crispin Glover's 1987 appearance on Letterman's NBC show. [35]

Someone claiming to have attended the taping posted on IMDb's message board, saying the appearance was performance art and Joaquin was not in his rapper persona during off-air breaks. According to the post, during breaks Letterman and his staff worked to quickly come up with new material before going on-air. After taping the interview, Joaquin thanked the audience and waved. [36]

Affleck's mockumentary on Phoenix, I'm Still Here , was released in 2010. [37] Phoenix returned to Late Show in September 2010, and he apologized to Letterman for his behaviour during his previous appearance. [38]

March 2–6

Irish rock group U2 appeared as the musical guest on all five episodes for the week. This was the first time in the show's history that a single act has ever appeared on five consecutive nights. The band's appearance on the show, billed as "U2 Week," was in support of their latest album, No Line on the Horizon , which was released on Tuesday, March 3. The band started the week by performing "Breathe," which was followed by "Magnificent" on the second night, "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" on the third night, "Beautiful Day" on the fourth night, and "Get On Your Boots" for the final night. The band also contributed Top Ten lists and sat down for an interview during the week.

June 9–10, 16

Letterman received criticism for jokes on the June 9 show about Alaska governor Sarah Palin and one of her daughters, in which Letterman joked, "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez." [39] Following controversy, Letterman addressed the situation on June 10 and 16, accepting full responsibility and apologizing directly to the Palin family. Palin issued a statement in which she accepted Letterman's apology while calling on such comedy to "evolve". [40] Palin's spokeswoman later credited this incident as one of the reasons behind Palin's resignation as Alaska's Governor. Letterman's ratings were boosted in the weeks following the episode.

July 15

Paul McCartney returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater 45 years after The Beatles made their U.S. television debut there on The Ed Sullivan Show . McCartney was interviewed by Letterman, then moved outside to do a concert from the theater's marquee for a crowd of about 4,000 people. [41] The episode attracted 4.4 million viewers, [41] about six percent of the 73.3 million that McCartney and the rest of the Beatles attracted in 1964 [42] but 75% more than the 2.5 million watching The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien that same evening. [41] Earlier that day, The Late Show received five Emmy nominations. [41]

September 21

Letterman with President Obama. President Barack Obama with David Letterman 09-21-09.jpg
Letterman with President Obama.

President Barack Obama appeared on the Late Show, marking the first time that a sitting President of the United States appeared on the show, [43] and only the second time a sitting president appeared on a late night talk show. In coming to the show, Obama had primarily proposed to defend and effectively communicate the widely disputed health care reform proposal in a light-hearted setting. He also discussed other topics of interest such as the Iraq War and objectives in Afghanistan. Obama had visited The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 19, 2009. [44] [45]

This show also helped lead the Late Show with David Letterman to record ratings and big wins over rivals The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Nightline . [46]

September 24

After Letterman finished his monologue, he announced that this was his 5,000th episode on late night television. Letterman expressed how he couldn't be happier with his work and life.[ citation needed ]

October 1

After his opening monologue, Letterman revealed to the audience [47] that he was the victim of an extortion attempt and had to give grand jury testimony for a sting operation. The blackmailer had threatened to write a book and screenplay detailing sexual affairs the talk show host had with female members of his staff and college student interns, who worked on The Late Show for college credit and to obtain high-profile work experience in the broadcasting industry. Letterman gave few details, except to say that he cooperated with police, wrote a "fake check" for $2 million, and that the blackmailer was apprehended. [48] According to The New York Times , this segment was not transmitted via closed circuit inside the CBS headquarters, where employees usually are able to watch the Letterman show live. [49] The revelation of the extortion plot was national news ahead of the show airing, leading to a 22% surge in ratings. [50] [51]

2010

August 31

Actor Michael Douglas, appearing on the Late Show to promote Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps , was interviewed by Letterman in what was the actor's first interview since Douglas went public with the fact that he has throat cancer. Douglas said he had already started treatment and doctors had given him 80% chance of a full recovery. [52] [53]

2011

August 22

A few days after a posting on the Shumukh al-Islam web forum that called for his assassination, [54] Letterman opened his monologue with a joke referencing the threat: [55]

"Tonight, you people are ... more than an audience. You're more like a human shield."

That evening, his Top Ten list, "Top 10 thoughts that went through my mind after hearing about the threat," included "Someone wants to silence me? Get in line," "This seems like Leno's handiwork" and "Oh my God! They canceled the George Lopez Show ." [55] In spite of the jokes, it had been made public a few days earlier that the threat had resulted in the tightening of security at the Ed Sullivan Theater. [56]

December 19

Letterman announced the death of long-time makeup artist Michele O'Callaghan, [57] whom he had worked with since 1991. The episode featured a speech by Dave followed by a montage of O'Callaghan's onscreen appearances.

2012

February 1

Letterman celebrated his 30th anniversary on late night television with guest Howard Stern. The Top Ten List, Things Staffers Would Like to say to Dave on his 30th Anniversary in Late Night, was presented by staff members who had been with Letterman since his time at NBC.

May 17

After 13 years, late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien appeared on the Late Show.

October 29

With Hurricane Sandy battering New York City, the audience for that evening's taping is sent home and Letterman hosts the show in an empty Ed Sullivan Theater with actor Denzel Washington as his guest. [58]

2014

April 3

Letterman announces his retirement, after 22 years of hosting. Then, on April 10, a week after Letterman announces his retirement, CBS president Leslie Moonves announces that The Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert was announced as Letterman's replacement.

April 22

Stephen Colbert makes his first appearance on the Late Show since being unveiled as Letterman's successor.

August 18

In his first new show since the death of Robin Williams, Letterman paid tribute to the comedian, whom he had known dating back to their days at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. "I had no idea that the man was in pain, that the man was suffering," Letterman said of Williams, who committed suicide. A montage of clips aired featuring Williams' multiple appearances on The Late Show, as well as an episode of Mork & Mindy in which Letterman was a guest star. [59] The tribute was the week's most watched late night talk show video, receiving over 3.3 million views online. [60]

2015

May 20

In a show that ran 17 minutes past the regular 60-minute length, Letterman hosted his 6,028th and final show as a late night host. Played more for laughs than for tears (Letterman remained dry-eyed throughout), the show featured the following: [61] [62]

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The Dennis Miller Show is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Dennis Miller. The show launched in January 1992 and was hosted by the former Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor as an attempt by syndicator Tribune Entertainment to carve out a niche in the late-night television landscape; an opportunity to do so was anticipated due to Johnny Carson's retirement from The Tonight Show that May and his replacement by Jay Leno. Miller's show was unable to build a significant audience, however, and was cancelled after seven months.

<i>The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien</i> American late-night talk show (2009–2010)

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fifth installment of The Tonight Show. Hosted by Conan O'Brien. It aired from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, replacing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was replaced by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Jimmy Brogan, sometimes credited as Jim Brogan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has made numerous stand-up appearances on the talk show circuit including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He was a writer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for 9 years. As an actor, he starred in the ABC sitcom Out of the Blue.

<i>Late Night</i> (franchise) American late-night talk show franchise

Late Night is an American late-night talk and variety show airing on NBC since 1982. Four men have hosted Late Night: David Letterman (1982–1993), Conan O'Brien (1993–2009), Jimmy Fallon (2009–2014), and Seth Meyers (2014–present). Each iteration of the show was built around its host, and maintained distinct identities aside from the title, time slot, and network. The longest-serving host to date was O'Brien, who hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien for almost 16 years, from September 1993 to February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Late-night talk show</span> Genre of comedic talk show, airing late at night

A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show, originating in the United States. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It is characterized by spontaneous conversation, and for an effect of immediacy and intimacy as if the host were speaking directly to each member of the watching audience. Late-night talk shows are also fundamentally shaped by the personality of the host.

2010 <i>Tonight Show</i> conflict American late-night talk show fiasco

The 2010 Tonight Show conflict was a media and public relations conflict involving the American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, over the timeslot and hosting duties of the long-running franchise The Tonight Show.

<i>The Late Shift</i> (film) 1996 American television film directed by Betty Thomas

The Late Shift is a 1996 American made-for-television biographical film directed by Betty Thomas, and written by New York Times media reporter Bill Carter and George Armitage. Released by HBO Pictures and produced in conjunction with Northern Lights Entertainment, the film premiered on HBO on February 24, 1996.

<i>The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</i> American late-night talk show

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incarnation of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise, with Fallon serving as the sixth host. The show also stars sidekick and announcer Steve Higgins and house band The Roots. The Tonight Show is produced by Katie Hockmeyer and executive-produced by Lorne Michaels. The show records from Studio 6B in Rockefeller Center, New York City, which is the same studio in which Tonight Starring Jack Paar and then The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson were produced from 1957 until 1972.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Letterman Marks A Milestone". CBS News. February 2, 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  3. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Bill Murray appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  4. 1 2 Smith, Sid (2005-01-24). "Johnny Carson; 1925-2005". The Chicago Tribune . Chicago, Illinois. p. 1.
  5. ↑ "So long, Johnny, pt. II - Johnny Carson, 1925 - "I'll be right back"". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . Daytona Beach, Florida. 2005-01-25. p. 04A.
  6. 1 2 David Letterman's Top Ten Most Insane Interview Moments, a February 13, 2009 post from the Yahoo! TV Blog
  7. ↑ Carter, Bill (September 4, 1996). "Letterman: No Interruptions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  8. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Jesse Ventura appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  9. ↑ Fisher, Luchina (2009-06-10). "Who's loyal to Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman?". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  10. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Regis Philbin appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  11. 1 2 Basham, David (2000-02-16). "Foo Fighters To Welcome Letterman Back To "Late Show"". MTV. Archived from the original on July 1, 2001. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  12. ↑ Millman, Joyce (2000-03-20). "The top 10 reasons David Letterman's heart bypass operation was a good thing". Salon. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  13. ↑ Foo Fighters Perform “Everlong” For Dave’s Final Show | Letterman , retrieved 2023-08-30
  14. 1 2 TIME Best & Worst 2001 -- TV, Time Magazine, January 2002
  15. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Dan Rather appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  16. ↑ Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84
  17. ↑ Dave At Peace, Rolling Stone Magazine Issue 1061 (Sep/2008) Archived April 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Courtney Love appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  19. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Janet Jackson appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  20. ↑ "Phish Plays Surprise Show For Letterman Atop NYC's Ed Sullivan Theater In 2004". JamBase. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  21. ↑ "Jun 21, 2004 Setlist - Phish.net". phish.net. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "Jun 24, 2014 Setlist - Phish.net". phish.net. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  23. ↑ "Dave delivers Johnny Carson's last monologue". EW.com. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  24. 1 2 Dave, Oprah bowl over game gazers from a February 2007 column in The Columbus Dispatch
  25. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Oprah Winfrey appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  26. ↑ Dave & Oprah's Super Bowl of Love from the CBS Channel on YouTube
  27. ↑ "David Letterman's notable guests and moments". Robin Williams appearance. Newsday . Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  28. ↑ Letterman skewers McCain for canceling ‘‘Late Show’’ visit from blogs.reuters.com
  29. ↑ Mad about Letterman, a September 26, 2008 article from the New York Post
  30. ↑ McCain Helps Letterman Beat Leno’s Ratings, an October 17, 2008 article from The New York Times
  31. ↑ Entertainment Weekly article: "David Letterman airs the 'lost' Bill Hicks routine".
  32. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (February 12, 2009). "Joaquin Phoenix Unravels On Letterman". MTV. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  33. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix Appears On David Letterman, Kind Of, a February 12, 2009 article from Rolling Stone
  34. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix and late night: What's old is new again, a February 12, 2009 article from Entertainment Weekly
  35. ↑ "Joaquin Phoenix channels the spirit of Crispin Glover on Letterman". The Guardian. 12 February 2009.
  36. ↑ ryeriver (February 17, 2009). "I was THERE; It WAS a JOKE". IMDb Message Board Post. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  37. ↑ "I'm Still Here". Magnolia Pictures. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  38. ↑ Walker, Peter (23 September 2010). "Joaquin Phoenix tells Letterman: I hope spoof didn't offend you". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  39. ↑ McGevna, Allison (2009-06-11). "David Letterman Slammed For Sex Jokes About Palin's Teen Daughter". FoxNews.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  40. ↑ "Letterman Apologizes to Palin for 'Bad Joke'". FOXNews.com. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
  41. 1 2 3 4 Carter, Bill (July 16, 2009). "Helped by a Big Name, Letterman Bounces Back". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  42. ↑ "Beatles top three in US TV list". BBC News. 4 February 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  43. ↑ Letterman Tonight, a September 21, 2009 blog post from the website of the White House
  44. ↑ Leonard, Tom (September 21, 2009). "Barack Obama tells David Letterman that he has always been black". The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  45. ↑ "President Barack Obama to appear on 'Late Show with David Letterman'". Chicago Tribune. September 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  46. ↑ Carter, Bill (October 1, 2009). "Late Show beats Tonight by Widest Margin in Years - Record Ratings for 'Late Show'". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  47. ↑ Tape of Letterman announcing affairs/extortion attempt on Late Show, 1 Oct 2009. TMZ.com.
  48. ↑ "CBS producer pleads not guilty to trying to blackmail Letterman - CNN.com". CNN. October 3, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  49. ↑ Carter, Bill (October 3, 2009). "Letterman Extortion Raises Questions for CBS". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  50. ↑ Collins, Scott (October 2, 2009). "CBS Employee Charged With Letterman Extortion Plot". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-10-03.[ dead link ]
  51. ↑ Long, Colleen, Jennifer Peltz and Lynn Elber (October 2, 2009). "Letterman's blackmail scandal boosts ratings 22%". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2009-10-03.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  52. ↑ "Michael Douglas speaks of throat cancer". BBC News. September 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  53. ↑ Brooks, Xan (September 1, 2010). "Michael Douglas reveals his cancer has spread". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  54. ↑ Dillingham, Maud (August 18, 2011). "David Letterman earns jihadist death threat: What did Letterman do?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  55. 1 2 Payne, Ed (August 18, 2011). "Letterman jokes about jihadist website death threat". CNN. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  56. ↑ McGevna, Allison (August 19, 2011). "David Letterman Beefs Up Security After Jihadist Threat". Fox News. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  57. ↑ Fretts, Bruce (20 December 2011). "Cheers & Jeers: A Red Letterman Day". TV Guide . Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  58. ↑ "Hurricane Sandy: David Letterman Performs Eerie Monologue to Empty Studio (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter . October 29, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  59. ↑ "David Letterman Had The Most Touching Robin Williams Tribute Of Them All". Huffington Post . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  60. ↑ Kumar, Kruthika (August 22, 2014). "Late Show with David Letterman & Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Have the Two Most Viewed Late-Night Clips for August 18–22". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 25, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-22. This week on The Late Show With David Letterman, Letterman paid tribute to Robin Williams, recalling their early days as stand-up comics and their thirty-eight year friendship. This video has received over 3.3 million views, making it this week's most watched late night talk show video.
  61. ↑ "David Letterman Signs Off As Latenight Host," from AP via TVNewsCheck, 5/21/2015
  62. ↑ "The Top 10 Ways David Letterman's Final Late Show Was Perfect," from AdWeek, 5/21/2015
  63. ↑ "Final Top 10 List For David Letterman," from AP (accessed 5/21/2015)
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