It’s a red-letter day, PopWatchers: Tonight marks David Letterman’s 25th anniversary as the host of a late night talk show. Starting with Late Night with David Letterman (pictured) on February 1, 1982, Dave kicked off a quarter-century of programming for insomniacs, college students, and convicts (as he might put it), occupying the post-Carson hour at NBC before jumping ship to CBS in 1993 after a kerfuffle over who’d get Johnny’s spot when he retired. Jay Leno may have snagged the desk in Burbank, but Dave got to stay in the city that he loves, taking up residence in the Ed Sullivan Theater for The Late Show with David Letterman and basically replicating his exact same show—but with a shorter building to drop things from.
Oh, how I love the dropping of things. But that’s not all I love about Letterman: At the risk of TMI (like after Sundance that’s possible), I guess I should point out that my personality has largely been formed in the shadow of this giant man, and that it is entirely possible that without his wit and wisdom over yea these many years, I would not be holding down this job, let alone spending my time addressing large groups of people with the diminutive, "Hey, kids." Yes, I was one of those insomniacs who thrived on Late Night, living and dying for every watermelon they tossed off the top of 30 Rock. I dreamed of working at Simon & Schuster with Meg, so I could get phone calls or marching bands in my office. I wished they wanted to see my photos, please. I spent way too much of my childhood practicing my mimed golf/baseball swings and the buttoning and unbuttoning of my double-breasted jacket, in case—just in case—they might want to let a 13 year old girl sub in for Dave one day.
I have so much more to say about this, but before I go on and yammer for a billion words about my life history with Indiana’s greatest export, I’d like to ask you, PopWatchers: What are your favorite Letterman memories from the last 25 years?
(Please: No wagering.)
Here, in a ginormous nutshell, are mine: I got kicked out of highschool in 1992 for having "attitude problems" (can’t imagine wherethose came from), and found myself at an arts college for my senioryear. When I came up to NYC to audition for theater schools, a friend’swell-connected dad got us into a live taping of Late Night atthat teensy NBC studio, and I decided right then and there that NewYork was the only town for me. Meanwhile, I became known for jottingthe day’s Top Ten list on a white board in the hallway of my dorm, andmy journal from that year is peppered with favorite Letterman quotes,some life-changing, some just weird: "Being a smartass is dangerous";"I’m a big fan of the plastic worm"; "Now, let’s measure our swancandleholder"; and the immortal "I don’t think there’s a man, woman, orchild alive today who doesn’t enjoy a lovely beverage."
Letterman moved to CBS at the same time I moved to New York, himlanding on 52nd Street, me in a dorm on 11th. Through a weird freshmanyear twist of fate, I had no classes on Wednesdays, and soon enough Iwas uptown every single Wednesday morning during the fall of ‘93,sitting in the standby line for Late Show tickets. More often than not, so long as I arrived before 7 a.m. or so, I got in. I was living the dream.
Now, as any true Letterman fan knows, the man sometimes goes throughphases where he just gets stuck on a song or an idea or a phrase andrepeats it until he starts to annoy himself. In early 1994, he waspretty solidly fixating on the big musical number from Oklahoma.He was also giving out canned hams. Put those things together, handthem to a theater student, and next thing you know, there I am in theaudience of the Ed Sullivan with a sign that says, "Will Sing Showtunesfor Canned Ham." Letterman came out for the warm-up, saw my sign, andsaid, TO ME OMG HE WAS SPEAKING TO ME, "What are you going to sing?"and I said, "You pick." (I carried a watermelon.) Paul suggested I sing "That’s Entertainment," requiring me to shamefully admit that I didn’t know that song. (I carried a watermelon??)And then it happened: Dave saved me by saying, "Can you do ‘Oklahoma’?"Oh yes, PopWatchers: I could. And I did. And as a CBS page ran me up myham, I knew my life would never get any better than that.
But the story, so endless, goes on: Letterman introduced the show,then said there was a "lovely woman in the audience who did the entireproduction of Oklahoma before the show," and the camera cut tome. That night, relatives from across the country called to celebrateme as the broadcast rolled through the time zones. And the next day,when I showed up in the standby line again—I think it was spring breakor something—virtually everyone recognized me as the Oklahoma Girl from the night before.
Other people recognized me, too—namely the CBS security staff. As Iwalked into the theater for what would turn out to be my final liveLetterman broadcast, I was pulled aside by a man wearing a SecretService-style earpiece and instructed that 1) he’d seen me before and2) I’d been there too much and 3) I could never come back, ever. All Iremember from the rest of that show was Regis Philbin running up theaisle, tossing what I think were Richard Simmons videotapes to thecrowd; perhaps that happened the other way around. I have no idea. Iwas in a daze. I had just been banned from my favorite thing on Earth,because I loved it too much. It made that time I got thrown out ofDisney World seem like a basket of puppies. Getting tossed out of theLetterman kingdom crushed me.
My love for Letterman continues, but it’s far more casual thesedays. I’ll watch tonight as Dave reprises his first-ever show bywelcoming Bill Murray as his guest, but I might forget to watchtomorrow, or I might forget to watch all of next week. I feel a littleguilty, but no one can remain an obsessive stalker forever. (Plus,they’re not really into stalkers in the Letterman camp.)Mostly, on this, his 25th anniversary, I just want to thank Dave foreverything he’s given us over the years: The NBC Library Lady, StupidPet Tricks, Monkeycam, and especially that one time he chewed out BillO’Reilly.
And to commemorate this occasion, here’s a vintage Top 10 list,straight from my high school journal, where it has been preserved forreasons that are unclear:
Top Ten Signs You’re An Extremely Boring Person
(from April 9, 1993)
10. Most common question you ask: "Hey! Where’s everybody going?"
9. Mr. Rogers grabs you by the throat and screams, "Pick up the pace, you simp!"
8. Sominex tablets now available shaped like you
7. Your wildest fantasy: To someday visit Winnepeg
6. Your bedroom walls are covered with photos of Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen
5. During confession, you hear the priest click on his Gameboy
4. The person seated next to you at the dinner party is sawing at their wrists with a steak knife
3. They let you sedate patients for surgery by describing your system for organizing laundry
2. During sex, your wife calls out the name "Irving R. Levine"
1. You think Al Gore is a maniac
(Insert sound of breaking glass here.)
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I, too, was forcefull ejected from the Ed Sullivan Theater. (What’s that? You were only asked not to return?) On my 2nd trip to see the show (front row, asked a question during pre-show Q&A and he referenced me during the show… sadly no camera time for me, though), I broke the “no camera” rule and took a photo of the set. I had respect enough not to take a picture during the show… this was after the show and we began filing out. I was threatened by a CBS security thug and even got the ol’ skunk eye from head security guy Bill DeLace. I probably deserved it, but it crushed me.
I have idolized Dave since Late Night appeared in ‘82. I have three books of Top 10 Lists. One of the highlights of my first trip to NY in 2004 was getting tickets to the Late Show and watching Dave expound to Regis about his heart surgery.
Aside from your best moments, there was the testy interviews with Madonna, Cher and Terry Garr. Sonny and Cher singing I Got You Babe. Dave in a velcro suit juming onto a velcro wall and sticking to it. The time he was in a large bowl with cereal
and had several gallons of milk poured on him. The Christmas show that has Jay Thomas and Dave throwing footballs to knock of a pizza off the top of aq Christmas tree.
The Geat Darlene Love singing Christmas (Please Come Home).
I don’t watch Dave too much anymore. The Colbert Report comes on at the same time. But, I am a huge fan of the man that is the true successor to Johnny Carson.
My favorite Letterman quote is “They pelted us with rocks and garbage” -
Wow. I grew up watching David Letterman. I’m 16 now and I’ll randomly say incredibly random David Lettermen stuff. Anyone remember when he kept on saying “biness” instead of business? Well, I do. I’ve yet to go inside of the theater, but I did go to Rupert G’s Hello Deli and take a picture with him. My favorite guest of his has to be Jack Hanna. It’s always a sure thing that you’re going to cry laughing. I love David Letterman so much!
My best friend and I call each other Buttafuoco as a sign of love and call others Buttafuoco as a sign of their a%#holiness.
Velcro suit + trampoline + velcro wall.
Alka Seltzer water tank.
I loved the 10-ton hydraulic press. “Come on Dave, do a human head!”
My absolute all time favorite segment was the dangerous toys. There were the Battlin’ Blimps, filled with hydrogen and with open flames on the nose. There was the motorized chair with various weapons on it (including a flamethrower). The absolute best, though, was My First Saw Blade Shooter. It was blue and yellow like a Fisher-Price toy, but it was a crossbow that shot circular saw blades. I still want one! When will someone post that segment on YouTube? I’m waiting!
I must say being brought up to not only like Letterman but to HATE Leno was the only accpetable in my house growing up. I remember when my folks would tape Letterman all week & then for 5 hours each weekend, we would all gather in their room & catch up on his greatness. I think what people need to remember & know the most about Letterman is that no matter what jokes or how “immature” he may act, the man is the epitome of class. Between the aftermath of 9/11 to the passing of his mentor, Johnny Carson, people were not only touched but grateful to have someone ease us back into the swing of things. I don’t always catch the show now but every so often ill catch it & it justs brings back the memories of hanging out with my folks & hearing my mom tell me how she wanted to tape her spanish speaking kinder kids say “cinco” & send it to him. I only hope that one day, I can fulfill my mother’s wish & take her to a live showing & for her to proclaim her love to him! =)
BTW- the one quote I remember to this day that STILL makes me laugh is just randomly, he was writing something down on one of his cue cards at his desk and Paul asks, “what are you doing?” & Dave responds with, “just writing a reminder- buy more Rite Aid Vodka”……..I don’t know why but to this day, it was one of the funniest things I had ever heard him say!
You got kicked out of high school? Um, I don’t think it’s going to work out between us…
I love it everytime Madonna’s on. They are so great together. Those are the best shows in the last 25 years.
Whitney Pastorek!!!!!
What a wonderful piece you wrote to celebrate David Letterman’s 25th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, I think Letterman is the best!!!!!!!!!!!
There are so many things that I love about this show. I’m only 19 now so I wasn’t able to watch all his years on TV, but I’ve been watching for at least four years now.
Favorites:
The infamous Thanksgiving episode with Richard Simmons.
Psychic Sandwich.
Payphone Trifecta (where Dave, Alan, and Paul called three payphones that were next to each other and the first one that got picked up was the winner).
Guessing pies with Dave’s Mom on Thanksgiving.
Stephanie aka Monty aka Vicky doing hilarious things for Dave, especially going to the Salt Lake City Olympics.
And no Christmas of mine is complete without watching Darlene Love sing “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” with the full band behind her.
I love Dave, too. One of my favorite Dave moments was when he went back on the air after the September 11 attacks, and he handled everything with such awe, grace and sensitivity, and I realized that in addition to being hysterically funny, he was also a great person.
I stumbled on the wackiness that was Late Night in early 83 one night I was sick and couldn’t sleep. Then Dave was into the Car and Truck Rental Song and the Big Doorknob. I was hooked and have taped Letterman ever since. One of my favorite moments is a Dave one – one week they had museum displays of different animals and for some reason Paul said a bad word. It dropped Dave to his knees. I loved it.
I’ve also enjoyed Paul and the band over the years, especially Will Lee. I still have the Beatle-like video, “Stay Cool” I think was the name of it, they did for an anniversary special on tape somewhere.
I’ll always watch Dave.
I’m so glad that someone else loves Letterman as much as I do! I started watching it with my dad when I was 10, and I’ve been a fan ever since! I’ll be 23 soon, so that’s more than half my life.
It’d be hard for me to pick a favorite moment, but I love those old bits where Dave would work in a fast food drive-thru and harass the customers. And, of course, watching them drop random items off the roof is always golden.
I may be 19, but it feels as if i’ve been watching Letterman my entire life. I used to live for summer when I was allowed to stay up and watch him.
I will always love the Late Show for its irrelevance. How Dave pounds a joke into the ground for weeks/months, and just continues to pummel it until he gets bored with it.
That being said, the things I have loved the most are things like Paul getting all James Brown in the third act, the Dr. Phil messages (with the theme from “Contact” as the intro!), “Something from the meat case, Linda?,” and “Hi Bob. Hi Stan. How’s the go going?”
classic.
i only ever saw him do this once, but it was probably 15 years ago and still makes me (and some family members) laugh and laugh. he would show a picture of let’s say bill clinton at a podium giving a speech, but instead focuses on some random person in the background and says, “But what about THAT guy?” Oh man, so funny. Long live Dave!
25 years, wow. First of all, I want to thank Dave for reminding me how old I am, as I’ve been watching since his ill-fated morning show. Then I hearken back to the moments he let me share with my dad. Dad worked late every night, and I often closed a restaurant I worked at after school. We both got home around 12:30 and so we spent many a night watching Dave and laughing together. I don’t watch as much anymore, so my list is a little dated.
My Top 10 Moments:
10. Tiger cam, it went straight for a terrified Paul
9. Steamroller – precursor to hydraulic press and dropping stuff
8. The first top 10 list
7. Dogs herding sheep down the hall and into the elevator
6. Chris Elliot barbequeing under the stairs
5. First trip to the 5 story tower in New Rochelle to drop stuff off it
4. Carson v. Letterman — case heard and decided by Judge Wapner
3. Cybill Shepard in a towel (hey, I was 17)
2. Exxon Valdez gravy tanker
1. Dear Dave, got any fishing tips? …why cast when you can blast!
Okay, you guys, I am loving these– but mikey wins for the dogs herding sheep into the elevator. That has to be one of my all-time favorite television moments of any kind, period.
keep ‘em coming!
Where the hell are the singing cats?!?!
I totally remember the “tasty beverage” quote and would say it all the time!
I have to second “they pelted us with rocks and garbage.” And Teri Garr was always hilarious and sexy.
“I hate the itching…but I don’t mind the swelling.”
Saw a taping in ‘83 with Larry Bud Melman doing “baseball etiquette”. Had a secret crush on the black barefoot bass player, though I can’t remember his name. He was damn good!Thank you Whitney…that was truly a trip down memory lane.
Great moments in Letterman viewing (since 1982) are too numerous to list here, but here goes:
Leno’s appearances were always hilarious.
Ted Koppel doing impersonations.
Chris Elliot doing anything (especially The Guy Under The Stairs.
Whenever Dave was on Johnny.
When Dave got roasted a la This is Your Life on Phil Donahue (after the infamous countdown calendar).
It goes on and on, but I’ll finish with Dave’s eloquent return after 9/11 (which is just what we needed). Who else could have balanced humor and sadness in such a time of confusion.
Thanks, Dave.
But do you remember … rotating pies?
My dad and I fell over laughing every time for the one week or so when he kept doing that.
I loved the Olympics when he sent his mom to Norway! I always enjoyed Larry “Bud” Melman and I enjoy his bits of “biness” now with Rupert Gee. What about those wonderful Iranian shopkeepers with the miniature Eiffel towers?? So many happy memories of Dave and Paul and their wacky conversations. I love the way he talks about his son! Last, but by no means least, dropping things off the roof. It just doesn’t get much better than that!
Loved your “Oklahoma” story Whitney.
I remember in 1982 reading a review of Late Night in People magazine after it had been on a few months. The reviewer said something about it being on too damn late and talking about how great it was. I remember thinking, “Duh! I could have told you that!”
Somehow I’ve seen all of Dave’s seminal episodes when they originally aired:
- Reuniting Sonny and Cher
- Madonna’s curseathon.
- Dave’s first episodes after 911, heart surgery, and herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
- Warren Zevon tribute.
- Johnny Carson’s cameo.
- Tribute monologue after Carson’s death.
- Michael Richards.
Also, there was a great one when the Today Show was filming outdoors in the Plaza and he shouted derogatory comments to them with a bullhorn out a window while taping his show. He was miffed about their advertisement being larger than his upcoming special in the newspaper.
Gumbel was eternally pi**ed afterward, idiot that he was/is.