"Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) TV series 1993-????

Director:

Randi Grossack

Writers:

Ross Abrash (writer) (2004)
Kevin Etten (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | unknown

Release Date:

30 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Talk-Show

Tagline:

"There is no off position on the genius switch."

Plot:

The Late Show with David Letterman is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk-show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Late Night | Cult Favorite | Cult Comedy | Cult TV

Awards:

Won 9 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 80 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 23	11:35 PM	CBS
Tue. Nov. 24	11:35 PM	CBS

Cast

Paul Shaffer	...	Himself - Band Director / ... (1,677 episodes, 1993-2009)
David Letterman	...	Himself - Host / ... (1,545 episodes, 1993-2009)
Alan Kalter	...	Himself - Announcer / ... (446 episodes, 1995-2009)

Also Known As:

Late Show Backstage (USA) (title for episodes with guest hosts)
Letterman (Australia)
The Late Show (USA) (informal short title)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Company:

Worldwide Pants

Trivia:

Many, including rival talk show host Jay Leno, whom NBC chose over David Letterman as Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" (1962) successor in a bitter competition between the two, saw Carson's "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) cameo appearance as a signal that Carson preferred Letterman over Jay.

Quotes:

Alan Kalter: Dwight, have you had any luck finding a summer job?
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Summer job? When all my friends are playing video games and hanging out at the mall? No way.
Alan Kalter: A summer job means spending money, Dwight. And it teaches you responsibility.
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Oh, responsibility. Like when you brag to your golf buddies about how you cheat on your taxes? And when you hit that car in the parking lot and just drove away? You disgust me, you corrupt old fraud! I hate you! I hate all of you!
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Hi, I'm Dwight the Troubled Teen. This summer, why not help make our nation's highways and byways beautiful. Join a highway clean-up program in your area. You'll be glad you did! This is Dwight the Troubled Teen saying, "Have a fun, safe summer, everyone."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The West Wing: No Exit (#5.20)" (2004)

great fun!

"Late show with David Letterman" is in many ways superior to other talk shows in late night television. Even if Letterman is the main focus, and often tends to act a bit egocentric, he still (or perhaps it`s more correct to say that the writing does) includes many of the crew members in the sketches. This gives the show an excellent flavour of diversity, and make it even more outrageous and entertaining. The writing is very original and innovative, and is able to grasp with current events in a clever, and at the same time, plain crazy way that will make you burst out in laughter.

But of course, the most important person is Dave himself, a highly individual host with his own, unique style. He is by all due respect not a very good stand up comedian, and might sometimes seem quite uncomfortable delivering his jokes in the opening monologue, but he is well aware that this is not his strength, and keep it to a minimum, 3 or 4 minutes (as a comparison, Jay Leno`s monologues last for 10 minutes) Also considered harsh, sarcastic and unpredictable, Letterman is not loved by everyone, and these traits might sometimes make him a bit unhuman, but at the same time, his unpredictability is also his genius, and what makes him stand out from his fellowships.

His greatest strength is his exceptional ability to ad lib and deliver funny comments to almost any situation, and that is why the writing includes a lot of segments where the camera is capturing the life and people in New York City. In this way, Letterman can easily comment on what he observes and ask silly questions to the people on camera, and the fun will soon appear. Despite his reputation as a bad boy, he is a great ironic, and is able to joke with himself in a way that most comedians can`t. Still, he is just not goofing around all the time, and might appear quite serious when he is interviewing his guests with curios questions, especially those who have something to say.(unfortunately, not many do)

The music director Paul Shaffer plays a major part in the show, and functions as Lettermans sidekick with his funny, and some times not very well thought comments(and yes, i agree, he sometimes looks as a parody in his flamboyant suits) Their relationship is extremely established, and their chemistry is also fabulous, so it`s unthinkable to imagine anyone else as the music director. So, if you wan`t to watch a very special and imaginative talk show with a touch of pure genius, "The late show" is the right vehicle. And if you haven`t become a regular viewer yet, you better hurry up, because it`s hard to say for how long David will keep going. By all means, im not a prophet, but i will guarantee you that David Letterman is too unique to be replaced. Watch the show regularly, and you will understand what i mean.