Late Night with David Letterman

Nothing in my lifetime has resonated as deeply as this show during the first 6 years that it was on and that I watched it (82-88). I've never enjoyed any tv show as much. For my generation it was the thing to watch, the place to be every night; you felt at the time that this was where the party was and every other place paled by comparison. The combo of Letterman's extraordinarily facile wit and warm leadership with Steve ODonnell's genius writing, Calvert DeForest and Chris Elliott's unique talents, Paul Shaffer's amazing musical abilities and Hal Gurney's creative stewardship as director, made this show magical. For years I tried to get on the writing staff to no avail. I lived 4 avenues away at 50th and 2nd Ave during this time and would BS a kindly woman named Kathy Vasipoli who worked there that I was a famous publicist and she'd unfailingly reserve me last minute tickets to shows (she later married Paul). For some reason I just stopped watching one day, then eventually moved to Los Angeles and that ended that. And the times I tuned into the subsequent CBS show it was apparent that the bloom was off the rose; no more O'Donnell or Calvert or Elliott or Bill Wendell; everything about it slick and shiny and over produced, from the segment graphics to the musical jingles to the announcer to the forced character stage hands, to, sadly Letterman's evolution into a somewhat cynical and neurotic guy who you sensed longed to get out of there, but had no other life plan of what to do. But all fires burn themselves out, and for a short glorious stretch Late Night w David Letterman was the apogee of all that mattered.

"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.

This is hands down the most cool, funny, entertaining talk show that has ever been on television!! Most TV shows only wish they were half this good. If the greedy execs at NBC ever decide to release these episodes, be sure and check it out! That's all that needs to be said really.

Thank God David left for CBS (Crud Broadcasted Seasonally) and took that joke of a band leader with him. I'll grant that Dave had his moments in the 80's, but Paul alone makes his show completely unwatchable. He's often rude to his guests, slow on his jokes, and most of his "good" material consists of stumbling over punchlines and waiting for his audience to respond to the "Applause" sign when it lights up. Can there be anything worse than a comedian who gets his laughs merely as a courtesy, not due to any actual talent?

The temper tantrum he threw over not getting Carson's gig was ridiculous, and given his mediocre performances, he should have seen it coming. Oh well, his decision to jump ship gave the world Conan and Andy, so I guess he deserves indirect praise for that.

While Conan does have one of the best shows on TV now, David Letterman's original Late Night talk show is what created it all. This is where such classic things like "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "The Top Ten List" were born. Dave knows what people want to laugh at, and from that show he did it all, like once leaving an audience member as host for nearly the entire show while he "looked for his fake teeth" and other great things. David Letterman's current show may get more viewers, but this one should never be forgotten.