The Bottom Line
Pros
- The classic late night talk show
- David Letterman reigns supreme as King of Late Night
- As important in his time as Carson was his
- When Dave is on his game, no one’s funnier
- The best band in television
Cons
- Often described as cold and distant
- Humor can be a bit scatological
- New York flavor sometimes plays rough in the Heartland
Description
- Airs Monday through Friday at 11:35 a.m. EST on CBS
- First guest on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman: Bill Murray
- First guest on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman: Bill Murray
- Letterman’s Top Ten Lists are notorious, often quoted, and frequently read by surprise guests.
- Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest on the final episode of Late Night … He sang Glory Days.
- Rupert Jee, owner of New York’s Hello Deli, has appeared on the program nearly 300 times.
- Dave’s late night tenure will top 25 years in 2007.
Guide Review - Overview: Late Show with David Letterman
The Late Show with David Lettermen is, today, what The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was 30 years ago. It’s the show you tune into before you go to bed, watch while you’re in bed, and listen to as you fall asleep. And while its format may be familiar, its humor a bit long in the tooth, and its host a mellowed version of the maniac that tossed melons out of windows, it remains relevant and ground breaking.
It would be difficult to imagine a viewer who has not seen Dave’s show, but if you have not, you’re in for a treat. That is, if you can acquire a taste for Dave’s brand of comedy and interview. Letterman is often interpreted as cold and distant, but the truth is that he’s not one to suffer fools and braggarts. And for some viewers, that’s quite refreshing.
Each show opens with an extended discussion of life in general with CBS Orchestra band leader Paul Shaffer. The two are diametrically opposed – even if it’s just in character – with Paul acting the air-headed goof to Letterman’s consternated older brother. Skits and games, such as “Will it Float?” in which various everyday items are placed in a pool to see if, as the title suggests, they will float, are one of a kind.
Letterman’s guests are almost always A-list stars of film and television, notably including Oprah Winfrey, who avoided Letterman for several years (because of a seemlingly unknown beef between the two) before accepting an invitation in 2005.
