Letterman retiring.

[mtgguitar]

He certainly started appearing worn out during the last few years but I enjoyed his show. I'm not a fan but he certainly changed late night TV with his relaxed attitude. Some of the stuff that happened on his show would have been cut by other talk shows.

He is a pro but it is time to go. Now we have Jimmy Fallon with his giggling celebrity butt kissing and silly games.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh5n9wwuUGQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh5n9wwuUGQ[/ame]

 

[rockstar232007]

Letterman retired YEARS ago...but nobody decided to tell him, until now.

 

[DLChance]

Letterman's frat-boy stoner humor and tired warmed-over bits with Paul got old to me sometime around 1990, and I haven't missed it.

Maybe it was because local severe weather coverage preempted regular network programming, but a Saturday Night Live from 1997 ran here in late prime time this past Saturday evening, and the guest was Kevin Spacey. One of the sketches had Norm MacDonald as David Letterman, with Spacey as William Hurt. It was as perfect a representation of what the Letterman show became as I've ever seen! I can't find the clip on YouTube, but it must be out there somewhere.

Between him and Carson, I preferred Carson. But between him and Leno, I preferred Letterman.

Still, to each his own.

 

[HenryHill]

I just hope the Replacement is funny.


From what I've seen, the guy following Jon Stewart ain't very funny.

 

[Benjammin]

Never much cared for Letterman or Leno, I'll take Conan O'Brien any day of the week

I just hope the Replacement is funny.


From what I've seen, the guy following Jon Stewart ain't very funny.

It's hard for me to imagine him in a straight talk show context, I'm not expecting much

 

[Stinky Kitty]

I like Elvira best.

 

[NRBQ]

During the 80's Letterman reinvented the late night talk show, he really just set the whole thing in its collective ear. He was young and he was a rebel in talk show terms. The suit of Alka Seltzer, the monkey cam, the guy under the seats, guy on the street interviews, the wall of velcro, there was a bunch of cool bits he did. Thank his writers because all the bits felt like he wrote them, but most were written by those guys. One time he set up a stand right across the street from the Russian Embassy that read "Common and Defect" and on the table was toasters, and blenders and things to tempt a Russian into coming over to the other side, so funny. He also did the classic bit of getting people to support women's suffrage, and of course people wanted to help, after all who wants to see women suffer right? Or vote for that matter, no I kid. He wore sneakers with his suit, and people thought that guys a radical. It was fun times.

To me it was more of a comedy show with talk, more so that it was a talk show with comedy, if that makes sense. After he got to be the establishment on CBS I sort of left town on him, but in his day he was revolutionary to the industry, and his impact is still felt today. Jimmy Fallon seems to be a blend of Letterman and Carson, with a pinch of Steve Allen thrown in.

 

[electric head]

I have always gone to bed before any of these shows came on so
no big deal to me..

 

[So What]

My wife and I were big fans in college, 85-90.

Sadly, after we got married and started life, we lost the youthful bliss that allowed us to enjoy the juvenile bits.

And, as Dave aged, his political views worked their way into his material.

Loved those Top 10 lists!

.

 

[Brians Evil Twin]

There was a time, before the Internet, DVRs, cell phones, YouTube etc., that watching a late night show was a highly anticipated event, and necessary to be current around the water cooler.

Now it seems life is too busy and complicated to waste time staying up late to see something you can record for later (if you ever actually get the time to watch) or just Google it if there's something worthwhile.

Fallon fits the current culture, but even he will seem dated in 20 years. I'll be going to bed around 7 PM then, so I probably won't even notice.

 

[defcrew]

In the early 80s I used to watch him a bit and thought he was funny. Shaffer's band was terrific--Steve Jordan, Hiram Bullock, Will Lee. I've probably watched it 3 or 4 times at the most since 1990. About the same for Conan. Never seen Fallon. Never liked Carson--at all. The late night talk show is kind of like the nightly news which seems like an outdated format in today's instant access to info scenario.

I recall Charlie Watts being on DL's show way back when with Rocket 88. Charlie is such an odd fellow...always stammering and never finishing his sentences or just giving the vaguest answers. When he went off Dave said, "You get the feeling that Charlie has talked to way too many people?" Thought it was funny and maybe that is what has happened with Dave. The Guy Under the Stairs and Regulator Guy were really funny.

 

[Bluesky]

What's Paul Schaffer gonna do with his life now?

The Loyalty there was pretty cool. Every show. He was there.

 

[Steven]

I enjoyed Letterman with his sardonic glib humor.

 

[Spurholder]

What's Paul Schaffer gonna do with his life now?

The Loyalty there was pretty cool. Every show. He was there.

Paul Schaffer's got more irons in the fire than most people...

 

[Bluesky]

Lets not forget "Stupid Pet Tricks"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFF4rmLJ2wo

 

[michaelinokc]

Hmmm. I thought he was already dead...

 

[houston]

I like Elvira best.

Yeah, they were great.

 

[Rob H.]

IMO it's time to retire the late-nite shtick altogether.

 

[questionman]

Hes been retiring for months now.

Hang it up Letterman, the jokes got old 25 years ago.

 

[James Carney]

a Saturday Night Live from 1997 ran here in late prime time this past Saturday evening, and the guest was Kevin Spacey. One of the sketches had Norm MacDonald as David Letterman, with Spacey as William Hurt. It was as perfect a representation of what the Letterman show became as I've ever seen! I can't find the clip on YouTube, but it must be out there somewhere.

https://vimeo.com/96035511