Late Show With David Letterman - General Discussion

[Kromm]

Here are some #thanks Dave tweets:

 

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/letterman-finale-barack-obama-1201502074/

There was an interesting one with Sia.  She put aside her faux-shy routine long enough to tweet a clip of a Letterman appearance of hers BEFORE she started pretending she hates to appear on camera (yes, it's a stunt., although a clever one).  She sings really well in it, but the telling part is the end of the clip (around 3:30) where you can see she's absolutely floored/overjoyed to be standing next to Dave on that stage.

 

I actually hadn't been aware that Dave was big enough in Australia for a resident to be THAT thrilled about being on his show.  I gotta contrast that with James Corden, who barely was able to pretend he knew anything about Dave that his writers didn't whip up for him.

 

BTW: just an aside... looking something up about Sia, I found it hilarious and unexpected (even if not Dave related) that her father is named "Phil Colson" (not the same spelling, but close enough!)

[Kromm]

Here is what the inside of the Ed Sullivan theater looks like today: https://instagram.com/p/29EteaDEwi/

 

Here is what the outside looks like: http://nypost.com/2015/05/21/cbs-throws-david-letterman-set-into-dumpster/

A dumpster doesn't seem like a good idea--it should be in the Smithsonian. (EDIT - I actually typed that without reading the full article and just saw someone within said the EXACT same thing.  Then again, we all know what's REALLY going to happen.  People likely walked up, grabbed bits, and they're all probably already on eBay already.)

 

That said, they've got a lot of work to do getting it ready for its next gig, and they certainly want to change things enough so it doesn't remind people of the Letterman days.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Kromm

[Kromm]

She did have the line of the night and I love her. I'd rather have lost Barbara Walters for Regis. Or Jim Carrey.

Walters being there really puzzled me.  I don't see how Dave is actually close to her.  Someone must have canceled.  

 

I joked last night that maybe it was Bill Cosby's designated spot, but in all seriousness if they had this planned out like a year ago, then Cosby would have been there. But of course it would be a recent cancellation for her to be there now. 

Edited May 21, 2015 by Kromm

[dcalley]

AP: 13.76 million viewers, more than any prime-time show last night, and best ratings for The Late Show since February 1994 (post-CBS Olympics). The Late Late Show had 4 million, the best it's done with Corden or Ferguson.

[Grommet]

Wow, that's a lot of viewers. It was a great show, so I'm glad lots of people saw it.

[HelenBaby]

I was wrong about Pres. Carter being on the cold open, but I know he was in there somewhere, maybe when they did the montage.

[lou ann b]

Had a few hours to think things over...and I love the show even more upon pondering.

Totally classy, entertaining, and heartfelt.

Some thoughts:

I choked back a tear or two when Dave thanked the band and Paul, and Paul's "Thank you, Dave, you changed our lives".

Also teared up when Biff walked out for his "curtain call".

I thought Dave saying his goodbye from the desk was appropriate. That's how I'll remember him..

LOVED the "kids with Dave" montage:every Christmastime, I still hear "You are not, you are not, you are not funny" in my head.

Awesome Top Ten List. And Julia DID have the line of the night.

"A Day In The Life Of The Late Show" was so freaking cool. As I recall, Johnny had a similar sequence on his last show, so this warmed my cold heart.

Lastly, That Montage With Foo Fighters. Simply the most stunning montage I've ever seen. If Worldwide Pants/Dave/production staff/whoever doesn't win an Emmy...there are no Emmys.

"I love you;and that's all that matters, isn't it?" to Regina and Harry. ...that is the David Letterman that surfaced after his heart surgery and Harry's birth....that is the David Letterman I will miss.

 

 

 

 

[biakbiak]

Yes the had a shot of President Carter in the final clip package.

[alynch]

The montage was put together by Barbara Gaines. She'd been working on it since December.

[lou ann b]

Just pulled the montage up on YT to watch it up close. God..it's even more amazing tonight. Barbara Gaines has a lock on the Emmy...hopefully

[xaxat]

The Late Show debuted when I was in college, and my friends and I would regularly get high as fuck and watch.

 

It's been decades since I smoked pot, but last night a friend and I fired up a bowl and watched just like old times. . .

 

and it was awesome. 

[stonehaven]

I hope Dave got to take some stuff for Harry...and the thought that it's now in a landfill to rot for a thousand years is really sad...That stuff could have been sold at auction or recycled...better for the enviroment....

[Kromm]

Lastly, That Montage With Foo Fighters. Simply the most stunning montage I've ever seen. If Worldwide Pants/Dave/production staff/whoever doesn't win an Emmy...there are no Emmys.

 

The montage was put together by Barbara Gaines. She'd been working on it since December.

I don't know if there's an Emmy category specific enough for one segment, or if the entire episode would have to be judged.  There are awards for editors, but Barbara Gaines came up as a P.A., until she finally climbed to Executive Producer, so she might not even qualify for an editing award normally (I'm sure they have their own Guild/Professional org she's probably not a member of).

 

EDIT - Yup.  It's The Motion Picture Editors Guild (Union Local 700), which yes, is also inclusive of TV.

That said, if there is any way... she'd deserve it for that epic montage.  It was the best done one I've ever seen, and with ALL of Letterman's long history, if it missed anything... it was minor.  And in only 6 minutes!

[Juneau Gal]

I hope Dave got to take some stuff for Harry...and the thought that it's now in a landfill to rot for a thousand years is really sad...That stuff could have been sold at auction or recycled...better for the enviroment....

Hopefully Cosmo Kramer will walk by that dumpster, retrieve the set, and start his own replica of the show in his apartment.

[stonehaven]

Oh yeah..just paused that Simpsons clip shown in the monologue and Maggie's blocks spell out "Worldwide Pants"...awwwww...

[opus]

Instead of a Mentalist and James Corden rerun, CBS should just run the finale again tomorrow.

[Lone Wolf]

• He hasn’t done it in years that I can remember, but in introducing somebody plugging a movie, “…opening in selected theaters – and I hope to God your theater has been selected.”

"Phone the neighbors, wake the kids..."

"You know her, you love her, you can't live without her,..."

"My, oh my..."

[jjj]

Instead of a Mentalist and James Corden rerun, CBS should just run the finale again tomorrow.

Seriously, I knew "CBS reruns" were on the menu, but it was such a jolt to pull up the schedule and see "The Mentalist".  They think they will recover their audience after four months of this? 

[pandora spocks]

Why couldn't CBS finish out the week instead of foisting Mentalist reruns on us?

[LJonEarth]

Seriously, I knew "CBS reruns" were on the menu, but it was such a jolt to pull up the schedule and see "The Mentalist".  They think they will recover their audience after four months of this? 

Are we sure that this is CBS's doing?

[jjj]

Oh, I have no idea who is doing this, or if Dave has made his shows unavailable, but four months of reruns was someone's decision in programming! 

[opus]

Somebody better adopt the Piedmont kids!

[LJonEarth]

Twitter is pretty funny right now. I've counted three pleased tweets. I suppose this could help to reset expectations for Stephen in the Fall, but it just seems like a dumb move all around.

[stonehaven]

As much as people loved to point out how cranky and bitter he got, I just never saw that...I rewatched that finale tonight and his smile and laughter were all over the place...and when something made him laugh, that always got me...and him trying NOT to break during the KIDS segment was even funnier....

 

I did notice one thing..He thanked Les Moonves but not CBS directly....and with the news that CBS is trashing his set and forcing everyone to clean out their offices by Friday, they are acting just like NBC would...

[nowandlater]

Yes, I'm really nitpicking about this. But I keep hearing/reading that Letterman is the last of his Baby Boom generation, the last Baby Boomer talk show host...But the Baby Boom generation stretches from 1946 to 1964. And so, technically, Conan is a Baby Boomer. And so is Stephen Colbert.

 

I sort of get CBS not rerunning the final show, though I would prefer that they did re-air it. They want finality to the final. Time to move on.

 

If you want to get your Letterman fix, MSNBC's Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell -- where Bill Murray fell off the chair the other night -- has devoted segments to Dave Tuesday, Wednesday and tonight.

 

Here's tonight's segment: http://on.msnbc.com/1KnQVtE

 

I did notice one thing..He thanked Les Moonves but not CBS directly....and with the news that CBS is trashing his set and forcing everyone to clean out their offices by Friday, they are acting just like NBC would...

 

The staff has known for months Wednesday would be the final day. They get two weekdays to clearn out their offices. That's plenty of time, if they haven't already done so. Rob Burnett already finished cleaning out his office Thursday.

 

Remember, we're heading into a Memorial Day Weekend, which is a natural break between the old and the new.

 

Stephen Colbett's staff needs to get going. They have a lot of work ahead.

 

And a lot of renovation needs to be complleted on the Ed Sullivan Theateer.

 

 

As for Les Moonves, I'm glad Letterman acknowledged how the CBS boss has had to be patient with him. It's understandable that Dave wouldn't trust this guy. But if Moonves wasn't there, I doubt Dave would be, too. I think it was Bill Carter who said that Moonves doesn't believe in pushing TV icons out. So thus it became solely Letterman's decision when to retire. Letterman should also be happy that Moonves made CBS the No. 1 network for most of the last two decades (well, at least in total viewers). When Moonves first started in the mid 90s, CBS was struggling. 

 

If Moonves wasn't there to lead a stable and successful schedule, CBS could've easily been...NBC.

 

Imagine if Letterman was on NBC. Imagine if he got The Tonight Show. If Dave was on NBC, he'd probably be in his 10th year of retirement by now.

 

(Note: This past season, NBC was the No. 1 network in the 18-49 demo thanks to the Super Bowl, while CBS was No. 1 in total viewers.)

Edited May 22, 2015 by nowandlater

[LJonEarth]

Like Cher said, when Dave didn't care for a guest, it showed. I wonder if the cranky thing came from the fact that he wouldn't bend over backward to do all of the interview work for the Paris Hiltons of the world. He didn't play nice to certain guests whether it be in a playful way or in slightly more serious matters. Add that to his going after NBC, Jay, CBS, Les, etc. all on air and I think that's where it's coming from.

 

As for the Mentalist reruns. I get the cutting ties thing too. But, why wouldn't they air a show that will be around in the Fall, perhaps one that struggled a bit this year. The Late Show was the only CBS show I've watched since Raymond ended, but there's got to be a better lead in for the Late Late Show.

[Lnmop]

Instead of a Mentalist and James Corden rerun, CBS should just run the finale again tomorrow.

Or every night...

[jjj]

The staff has known for months Wednesday would be the final day. They get two weekdays to clearn out their offices. That's plenty of time, if they haven't already done so. Rob Burnett already finished cleaning out his office Thursday.

Yeah, the staff does not work there anymore, and I do not see it as punitive that they needed to have their offices cleared out two days after the finale.  And they did preserve the GW Bridge part of the backdrop, so that will end up on display somewhere.   

[SanDiegoInExile]

Sadly, I bet the reruns on The Mentalist will match Dave's "normal" ratings, if not do better.  His ratings spiked over the past 6 weeks, but they were rather dismal before the Farewell Hype began.

 

In past years, the last Wednesday of Sweeps led into 7 rerun episodes (TH-F-MTWTF) of the Late Show, usually surrounding Memorial Day.  

 

I am surprised that they chose the final season of The Mentalist to air.  I sorta thought they would show last summer's Under The Dome or Extant, leading up to their summer debuts.  I wonder if Big Brother will get some airtime once it starts in June.  The Corden show does reruns every Friday, so it could be prime for preemption too.

[whatsatool]

Corden makes more sense. Or 48 hours news not murder. I always thought Dave was wearing Ted Koppel's mantel in recent years, more than Carson's. Did Dave ever have a substitute like Carson did or did he just have reruns?

Edited May 22, 2015 by whatsatool

[alynch]

Regarding the set dismantling, according to Deadline, Worldwide Pants owns the sets, not CBS. So that means what portions of the set were preserved or trashed was a WWP decision. CBS only owns the theater. Beyond that, this is something that happens pretty much whenever a show wraps production. Sets get struck. It just usually happens in some private studio space rather than on a theater on a public street where the NY Post can histrionically "report" on it.

 

Another thing worth keeping in mind, this is the first time there's been a window to do any sort of major renovations to the theater since the Late Show started. While it certainly looked great on air, I'm sure there were lots of things that were in desperate need of upgrading.

 

And just to answer the question of what Julianna Margulies was doing at the theater last week. Apparently there was an ER sketch with Clooney that was intended for the finale but got cut prior to taping (source: one of the Alt.Fan.Letterman fans who saw a copy of the script). It would've been in the monologue and introduced in a manner similar to the Simpsons and Wheel Of Fortune jokes. Clooney and Margulies are in scrubs and operating on somebody. She says, "Doug, can you believe Letterman's retiring?" and Clooney replies, "Can you believe we're doing an ER skit in 2015?" They then both glare at the camera.

Edited May 22, 2015 by alynch

[nowandlater]

Corden makes more sense. Or 48 hours news not murder. I always thought Dave was wearing Ted Koppel's mantel in recent years, more than Carson's. Did Dave ever have a substitute like Carson did or did he just have reruns?

 

I don't know. My speculation is that they don't want Corden to get comfortable in the 11:30 slot and/or they don't want to take a chance that his ratings may be really good and even better than Colbert's in the fall.

 

And just to answer the question of what Julianna Margulies was doing at the theater last week. Apparently there was an ER sketch with Clooney that was intended for the finale but got cut prior to taping (source: one of the Alt.Fan.Letterman fans who saw a copy of the script). It would've been in the monologue and introduced in a manner similar to the Simpsons and Wheel Of Fortune jokes. Clooney and Margulies are in scrubs and operating on somebody. She says, "Doug, can you believe Letterman's retiring?" and Clooney replies, "Can you believe we're doing an ER skit in 2015?" They then both glare at the camera.

 

How can they leave that out? If they're going to run 17 minutes long, why not 20 minutes? And why not put it online?

[stonehaven]

One other thought on the finale I loved how the staff reaired that Mary Tyler Moore clip during "The Day in the Life"..that was easily one of the highlights of the last month...

Edited May 22, 2015 by stonehaven

[opus]

Has anyone stumbled across a reason Regis never got that one final sit down at the desk?

[LJonEarth]

There are a few frequent guests I'm wondering about. The final Top Ten was nice, but only a few of those people do I specifically associate with the Late Show. But maybe there were concerns with still trying to stick with A-list (or close to it) people.

For Regis, maybe the pop in was done, because that's how he often appeared on the show for so many years. Run in from nowhere, screw with Dave and run off.

[dcalley]

Top 10 Musical Moments from The Late Show with David Letterman.

The James Brown appearance Paul named as one of his favorites:

 

A quick random thought: I was glad to see Tony Randall in the dead guys portion of the montage. He was a good friend of the show.

I can only hear his name in Tom Hanks's voice thanks to SNL from 1990.

 

... the beginning of the Corden show, which was actually pretty good (he did a great Top 10 List and said he's going to carry on the tradition).

I watched parts of this episode, and I didn't get the impression that he was going to do top ten lists regularly. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was just the one time. "We're bringing back ______" is a recurring bit on his show, so I think he was just referencing that.

 

And just to answer the question of what Julianna Margulies was doing at the theater last week....

Thanks! Have you heard of anything else that was cut? You mentioned auditions for Stupid Pet Tricks.

[pagooey]

Another thing worth keeping in mind, this is the first time there's been a window to do any sort of major renovations to the theater since the Late Show started. While it certainly looked great on air, I'm sure there were lots of things that were in desperate need of upgrading.

Good point. I got to attend a taping last December--bucket list!--and we were seated in the balcony, which was steeply pitched, had no real sightlines, and was a pretty tight fit for the ever-expanding American ass, mine included. I was still in heaven, but the old Ed Sullivan was getting precarious.

 

Of course had I been in New York yesterday I'd have been fighting someone in the street over a chunk of plywood skyline, heh. 

[jjj]

According to one of the 30-second squibs on NPR this morning, there was a fair amount of Dumpster-diving at the Ed Sullivan Theater yesterday! (My stations don't play those 30-second spots anymore, but they are online every day). 

[alynch]

Thanks! Have you heard of anything else that was cut? You mentioned auditions for Stupid Pet Tricks.

 

They definitely held auditions. My best guess is that when the producers looked at the applicants, they just didn't like any of them enough to give them time from any of the final shows, which is kind of a shame considering how iconic the bit is. Based on accounts I have read from people who were in the audience, no major cuts were made from the actual taping. What we saw is what they did.

[nowandlater]

Has anyone stumbled across a reason Regis never got that one final sit down at the desk?

 

And what about Tom Brokaw? Maybe he was jealous of Dave's relationship with Brian Williams.

[kib]

As for Les Moonves, I'm glad Letterman acknowledged how the CBS boss has had to be patient with him.

Far be it from me to miss an opportunity to once again for the last time quote this line:

"My name is Pascual"

(For those of you scoring at home, Dave repeatedly ran a clip of Les Moonves appearing on "Cannon" back in the mid-70's when Moonves was a full-time actor. Moonves was pretty early into his job as president of the network and it didn't help that CBS's biggest star was showing clips of him as an Acapulco cliff diver on a dumbass crime show.  Yeah, Moonves eventually showed a lot of patiences with Letterman)

Edited May 22, 2015 by kib

[nowandlater]

By the way, who owns the Top 10 list? Worldwide Pants, right?

 

Anyways, I don't think anybody can legally start doing a regular Top 10 list, without permission. (Of course they can do it as an homage.)

[opus]

 

 

I watched parts of this episode, and I didn't get the impression that he was going to do top ten lists regularly. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was just the one time. "We're bringing back ______" is a recurring bit on his show, so I think he was just referencing that.

 

 

You are correct. On a related note, I kept that whole episode on while I was playing with my tablet, and I thought at end he said in a couple of weeks they'll be doing a tribute to David Letterman. But by this point it was about 2 a.m., so I wasn't quite sure I heard right, not paying full attention or being totally awake.

[biakbiak]

By the way, who owns the Top 10 list? Worldwide Pants, right?

 

Anyways, I don't think anybody can legally start doing a regular Top 10 list, without permission. (Of course they can do it as an homage.)

I don't think anyone "owns" the Top 10 list the format is used far and wide even with humorous takes ala Letterman.

[alynch]

By the way, who owns the Top 10 list? Worldwide Pants, right?

 

Anyways, I don't think anybody can legally start doing a regular Top 10 list, without permission. (Of course they can do it as an homage.)

 

Top Ten list has two owners. NBC owns the Late Night incarnation. Worldwide Pants own the CBS version. Technically, the CBS version's official name has been "Late Show Top Ten" all these years.

[jjj]

NBC claimed many parts of Dave's NBC show as "intellectual property", such as Viewer Mail and Larry "Bud" Melman dropping items from buildings.  There are ways around this!  So, "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag," and other people dropped items from buildings, or Bud Melman did it as Calvert deForest.  Man, I would love to bill hours for making the case that dropping watermelons from a building is "intellectual property". 

[nowandlater]

Here's Charlie Rose's show from last night, featuring old interviews with Dave. (You have to fast-forward 11 minutes or so to get past the highlights of the final episode.)

 

 

Also, some of  you may have heard this already. Letterman's 1981 interview with Terry Gross. Starts at the 28:00 mark.

Edited May 22, 2015 by nowandlater

[Lone Wolf]

Farewell gift to the Pantsers...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/david-letterman-drops-over-dollar60k-on-parting-gifts-for-staff/ar-BBk8Dl0

Edited May 22, 2015 by Lone Wolf

[Kromm]

And just to answer the question of what Julianna Margulies was doing at the theater last week. Apparently there was an ER sketch with Clooney that was intended for the finale but got cut prior to taping (source: one of the Alt.Fan.Letterman fans who saw a copy of the script). It would've been in the monologue and introduced in a manner similar to the Simpsons and Wheel Of Fortune jokes. Clooney and Margulies are in scrubs and operating on somebody. She says, "Doug, can you believe Letterman's retiring?" and Clooney replies, "Can you believe we're doing an ER skit in 2015?" They then both glare at the camera.

Maybe that got cut because Margulies' name is mud lately (all the details of her pissy attitude having come to the forefront lately in the press).

[Kromm]

According to one of the 30-second squibs on NPR this morning, there was a fair amount of Dumpster-diving at the Ed Sullivan Theater yesterday! (My stations don't play those 30-second spots anymore, but they are online every day). 

And most of that stuff is probably already up on eBay (what did you all think it was for people's OWN memories?)