Original title
Late Night with David Letterman
Released
2/1/1982
Origin country
US
Genre
Comedy, Talk
Production companies
NBC Productions, Carson Productions, Worldwide Pants
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
12
Number of episodes
1377
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 with Conan O'Brien then filled the time slot. As of March 2, 2009, the slot has been filled by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. It will be filled by Seth Meyers in the spring of 2014, after Fallon becomes host of The Tonight Show.
Dave remotes from Radio City Music Hall in New York City to reminisce on ten years of 'Late Night with David Letterman' on NBC. Bill Murray stops by to say hi between various collections of clips of his many guests and musical acts over the years plus a live demonstration of "Stupid Pet Tricks." Bob Dylan performs live backed by the "World's Most Dangerous Band" led by Paul Shaffer. Sitting in with the band are such greats as Carole King, Chrissie Hynde and Steve Vai.
Episode 1 / Bill Murray, Mr. Wizard
Episode 2: Pat Paulsen, Steve Tesich
Episode 3: Terry Gilliam, Hank Aaron, Al Albert
Episode 4: John Candy, Joe Flaherty
Episode 5: Francis Ford Coppola
After being bumped from the debut episode of Late Night, Warren Zevon finally appears on the show, performing ""Excitable Boy.""
Remote: ""Celebrities and their Dry-Cleaning.""
A (bogus) look at the 1982 World's Fair; Hank Williams, Jr. is interviewed, and sings ""A Country Boy Can Survive;"" ""Celebrities and Their Auto Body Repairs;"" Elayne Boosler does stand-up; director John Carpenter plugs The Thing.
""New Dial-It Services;"" Bill Cosby; comedian-juggler Michael Davis.
Dave invites poorly-seated audience member Cathy Renault to sit onstage; Andy Kaufman & Freddie Blassie visit; Alba Ballard and her assistant show off costumed birds.
""Bad Phone Call"" to TV's Larry Hovis; Dr. Ruth Westheimer answers audience questions; Tommy Casabona drills a hole in Dave's desk to accomodate the desktop microphone cord (the legendary RCA 77DX); former ""Saturday Night Live"" creator/executive producer Lorne Michaels visits.
Dave introduces his Columbus Day gift collection and fronts an Afterschool Special called ""They Took My Show Away;"" Gilda Radner promotes Roseanne Roseannadanna's ""Hey, Get Back to Work!"" book, which has an unusually long forward. Later she and Dave call Mrs. Elizabeth Gilles, the prototype for Gilda's Emily Litella character on ""Saturday Night Live.""
R.E.M. performs ""Radio Free Europe.""
""Brush With Greatness;"" Dave brings Rickey Henderson in from the hall for a wave to the audience; John Lowe of Hammacher Schlemmer shows gifts and gadgets; Eddie Murphy plugs Beverly Hills Cop.
Dave unveils his Kitchen of Tomorrow, but not all of the props work.
Dave returns to his Kitchen of Tomorrow with the Crouton Toaster. Later he and Paul stage a Rocket Chair Race. The Stupid Pet Tricks segment include a dog that can buy beer and a cockroach walking a tightrope. The postponed ""Know Your Staff"" piece highlights show guitarist Steve Cahn.
Leno suggests why aliens never visits MIT.
Cold open: Dave rips Arnold Schwarzenegger's sport coat; ""Viewer Mail;"" Dave talks with Arnold and tries to coax fiancee Maria Shriver from the green room; a confused Chris Elliott is under the seats for ""The Fugitive Guy;"" Julia Child makes an omelet; a surprise walk-on from George Burns.
Included: ""Brush with Greatness,"" now with writer's embellishments.
Tom Hanks plugs Volunteers; Chris Elliott is ""The Fugitive Guy;"" Mickey Mantle visits.
Returning NBC affiliate WSAV in Savannah, GA., is brought up to date throughout the show with ""Al Frisch's NBC Theatre;"" ""Viewer Mail;"" Ohio State Fair blue ribbon prize winner Seth Miranda displays giant fruits and vegetables; Chris Elliott with a look at ""The Fugitive Guy;"" a tour of 46th St.; fashion designer Dianne Brill visits.
It's the 552nd ""Late Night"" program, and the fourth to originate in L.A. County. The Hollywood sign behind Dave reads ""El Monte."" Within that backdrop, Mayor Tom Bradley throws things behind Dave's desk, with the obligatory crashing noises. Johnny Carson drops by with a quick-to-assemble ""Tonight Show"" desk.
""Top 10 Complaints About Brent Musberger;"" ""Dumb Ads;"" Lily Tomlin; Dave answers the NBC complaint line; Sting and Branford Marsalis perform ""Roxanne,"" and talk about Bring On The Night.
Cold opening: ""Grant Tinker"" comments on sending ""Tom and the gang"" to Tokyo for the Late Night ""Japanese Show;"" Dave and interpreter Mako Hatori look at New Gift Items; Kenny Rogers visits; Larry ""Bud"" with ""Ask Mr. Melmansan""; Randy Bass on being an American playing professional baseball in Japan; Japanese game show producer Masahiro Takahashi is interviewed by Dave and Mako.
General Electric has responded to the show's first batch of jokes. As such, Letterman has his own pushbutton and a brochure on pushbuttons, courtesy of G.E.'s General Purpose Control Department in Bloomington, Illinois. Before getting to the guests, Letterman shows off actual Christmas items.
Recapping the Mets/Astros bet with Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire; ""Viewer Mail"" features eight letters (#6 twice); Paulina Porizkova; director John Waters; Bonnie Raitt sings.
""Viewer Mail"" features Dave proving he does have a ""romantic bone"" in his body; Rodney Dangerfield ""drops by,"" complete with a Top Ten list and a clip from Back To School; Rosanne Cash; ""Grant Tinker"" with the history of Studio 8H; Dennis Miller; Rosanne performs ""Second To No One.""
Dave does a mini-rant on the all-nude, NYC cable access show, ""Interludes After Midnight;"" ""People Who Won't Be On The Show"" goes awry because it's ""dog night"" in the control room; Dave crashes the set of ""Live At Five,"" and Marv Albert's interview with Wayne Gretzky (anchors Jack Cafferty and Sue Simmons and weatherman Al Roker are briefly seen); Connie Chung disappoints the audience by refusing to do impersonations; another look at the Mayfair House hotel in Coconut Grove, Fl.; Wayne Gretzky brings his Pro Stars breakfast cereal.
A bullhorn-toting Larry ""Bud"" -- outside the Soviet mission to the United Nations -- tries to get Russians to defect; Lee Marvin promotes Delta Force; kid inventors; comedian Bill Hicks.
Test video from the failed first attempt at the ""Late Night Monkey Cam;"" ""Supermarket Finds;"" Michael Keaton plugs Gung Ho; another ""Regulator Guy"" promo; a call to Arnie Barnes; Mariel Hemingway; Roseanne (Barr) does stand-up.
With the baseball season underway, Dave chats with all-time Home Run king Hank Aaron, then meets George Brett of the '85 World Series Champs, the Kansas City Royals.
Lincoln BurnhamGoodbye to the Rough-tailed Jellyfish; ""Viewer Mail"" kills another actor/singer; Jonathan Winters gets a surprise visit from worshiper Robin Williams; Judy Mowatt sings; New Hampshire farmer Lincoln Burnham tells why he refuses to acknowledge Daylight Saving Time.
Cybill ShepherdThe Giant Topaz; in response to Dave's cajoling about her dress that had arrived at NBC one week prior to her appearance, Cybill Shepherd appears, clad only in a towel; golfer Mac O'Grady; 80-year-old rock singer Gert Mulvin.
More with the remote-controlled Neanderthal skull; after ""Small Town News,"" Dave has to rescue one of the Stupid Pet Tricks dogs from a burning green room; video: making a frequent stop at the same New York State Thruway booth; Marv Albert; actor Ron Silver.
Al Franken draws the United States on a dry-erase board in just two minutes.
Dave talks with Glendora Buell, host of the New York City cable access show, ""A Chat With Glendora.""
Dave experiences spotlight trouble; ""Top Ten Least Known Norman Rockwell Paintings;"" Gerard's ""Family Circus"" scrapbook; a visit with ""Connie Plesko;"" Goldie Hawn plugs Overboard; ""Kenny The Gardener"" stops by; gourd lady Minnie Black; Bob Sarlatte.
Connie Chung narrates ""Dave Letterman's Old Fashioned Christmas,"" with Teri Garr, Ted Nugent, Bobby Rahal and Dave's ""family.""
Viewer mail: Anton bites the head off a ""canary.""
""Viewer Mail;"" Tracey Ullman visits; a look at the ""Chris Elliott, Jr. Show;"" comparing ""Cats"" and the Tyson/Holmes fight; Mike Ditka; guitarist Neal Schon sits in.
""Viewer Mail;"" Pat Sajak; Dave goes to NYC fortune tellers; Buster Poindexter sings; NFL player Timmy Smith.
Paul congratulates Dave in the wake of Late Night's 1,000th broadcast. As a present, NBC head (and G.E. crony) Robert C. Wright gave the show a four-slice toaster. Thus Dave breaks out a whole loaf of bread and makes toast for everybody who attends this strike-breaking show. Hal Gurnee calls on two acrobats for a Network Time-Killer.
A visit to a NYC laundromat via satellite; Jackie Mason; Dave's suit fitting continues; Iggy Pop.
Cold open: Dave & Paul send up the Quayle/Bentsen debate; a crowd at Shea Stadium's parking lot watches the show on Diamond Vision; a Super SloMo camera demonstration; Sid's birthday; Tom Hanks with vacation photos; Mike Wallace visits; Eddie Money sings.
""Who Asked For It?"" Candice Bergen calls Dave a ""poodle;"" another plea from Calvert to come home from the Goodwill Tour; Jon Lovitz gets in a plug; Boz Scaggs sings.
The annual (bogus) lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza; another call from Calvert's Goodwill Tour.
""Elf Night;"" A NYC Christmas tree vendor shocks Dave by charging $75 for trees; Art Donovan talks about drinking beer and promotes the paperback edition of his autobiography Fatso; a look at Paul's new Christmas movie; Geena Davis.
""Viewer Mail;"" a less than talkative Cybill Shepherd talks about dating Elvis Presley; Larry ""Bud"" (in a bird suit) flies through a window; Elvis Costello performs.
Dave rants about having his driver's license suspended; ""Viewer Mail"" features Paul torching a box of baby chicks, Chris Elliott in a dog food taste test and Hal Gurnee making out with staffer Deirdre Dod; Shelley Winters plugs her second book; ""Head of Homicide;"" future murderer O.J. Simpson talks about driving 170 MPH in his Ferrari Testarossa on the San Diego Freeway.
Bruce Willis shares his memories of ""Moonlighting"" and plays harmonica on ""10th Avenue Tango"" with the WMDB and guitarist Robben Ford; higlights of Dave's tour of the U.S. House of Representatives with Congressman Jack Buechner; Dave and Garry Kasparov begin their chess match.
Via satellite from Tulsa: Roy Clark washes his truck; Roseanne (Barr) plugs her book (My Life As A Woman) and movie (She-Devil); more long distance chess with Garry Kasparov; Phil Collins sings ""Another Day In Paradise.""
Paul does a commercial for new Late Night fragrances, ""Letterman,"" and ""Forever Biff.""
Dave chats with artist Reinhold Marxhausen, inventor of the ""Stardust"" sound sculpture (which puts Dave ""in the mind of fairies"").
Dave gets a hug from an audience member; ""Viewer Mail,"" assisted by the PUMA 260 robotic arm; locked out California Angels Mark Langston and Scott Bradley play catch in the hallway; Tom Hanks plugs Joe vs. the Volcano; Jack Hanna with animals; Natasha Richardson visits.
Chris Elliott makes the first of his many ""Triumphant Returns"" to Dave's show.
Dave opens up with talk of the NBC affiliates' convention, at which it was agreed that all late-night programs would begin Monday through Friday at 11:35 P.M. starting the next season. All that affiliates' talk was lost, of course, with Johnny Carson's late cameo.
Billy Crystal shares stories of his family and his new movie City Slickers. Dave tries to take his nephew on a tour of New York, but he spends the day with top models.
In a taped ""Staff Talent Show,"" Assistant Producer Barbara Gaines eats an entire Carvel cake.
Don Novello of ""SNL"" fame promotes his new one-man show off-broadway; Dave welcomes the recently reunited Procol Harum.
Included: ""A Day in the Life of Laurie Diamond,"" showing Laurie's many (bogus) responsibilities as Dave's assistant: getting him breakfast (a bucket of soft-serve ice cream); signing for daily fudge deliveries; helping Dave with his ""Golden Girls"" scrapbook; helping him get his hand unstuck from a cashew jar; finding his shoes; avoiding his ""mom;"" playing a prank on Willard Scott; answering his fan mail.
Included: a tribute to Johnny Carson on the night of his final ""Tonight Show.""
Bette Sussman fills in for Paul, while Tom Brokaw talks about fly fishing.
• Clip from December 10, 1987: Steve Martin's card trick. • ""Best of Stupid Human Tricks,"" including Scott Vassil using his tongue to stop an operating electric fan (first performed on February 25, 1987). • Reprise of ""The Strong Guy, The Fat Guy, The Genius.""
Clip from March 28, 1989: Pestering Joan Collins on the ""Live At Five"" set.
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