"Late Night with David Letterman" (1982) TV series 1982-1993

Writers:

Tracy Abbott (writer)
Ted Greenberg (writer) (episode)

Seasons:

1 | 11 | unknown

Release Date:

1 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Talk-Show

Plot:

David Letterman hosted this popular late-night comedy/talk-show. Often, Dave would go on location or to the phone lines to play pranks...

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Run Over By A Steamroller | Cult Favorite | Cult TV | Telephone Prank

Awards:

Won 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 37 nominations

Cast

David Letterman

...

Himself - Host / ... (276 episodes, 1982-1993)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Carson Productions

Trivia:

Letterman left "Late Night" in 1993 for "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) on CBS when NBC give the "Tonight Show" to Jay Leno following the departure of Johnny Carson in 1992. However, NBC refused to allow Letterman to use elements that made the show famous such as "Larry 'Bud' Melman" or "The Top Ten List". NBC claimed those bits were their "intellectual property". "The Top Ten List" was renamed "Late Show Top Ten" and "Larry 'Bud' Melman" used his real name, Calvert DeForest.

Quotes:

Larry "Bud" Melman: Good evening. Certain NBC executives feel it would be a little unkind to present this show without just a word of friendly warning. We're about to unfold a show featuring David Letterman, a man of science who sought to create a show after his own image -- without reckoning upon God...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: The White Stripes (#17.30)" (2009)

The Greatest Comedy-Variety Show Ever.

"Late Night with David Letterman" is without a doubt the most clever, experimental (apologies to Steve Allen and Ernie Kovacs), and downright hysterical television program in TV history. To describe it would be pointless, because so many different things would happen in a given show. From about 1986 to about 1990 was Dave's finest period (he was still smiley sarcastic Dave and hadn't yet become angry sarcastic Dave), but the show was very solid overall. The Top Ten lists on those shows were 50 times better than the lists on the CBS show, and to me are some of the most valuable comic documents of this century, a sort of numerological Dave Barry.

Kids, you think Tom Green was the first person to get into confrontations on camera? Check Dave when he went to bring "those weasels at G.E." a fruit basket and was promptly escorted out. Sure Viewer Mail and Stupid Pet Tricks were Dave's trademarks (both superior to the CBS versions), but it was things like the "Late Night Thrill Cam" and "Network Time Killers" and the show filmed in an airport, and the show that was played at a high speed to "save time," etc. that made Late Night the best thing on TV when it was on.