Favorite Recurring Bits And Characters

[alynch]

Post here if you want to discuss recurring bits and characters from the show's past and present. Although this technically the forum for the Late Show only, I see no reason why we can't just treat this as the Letterman forum and discuss things from Late Night and the morning show.

Most of the NBC stuff, while brilliant, is before my time. They exist only in YouTube for me. My favorite recurring thing of more recent memory is Lyle The Intern. I really wish they didn't stop doing them. I don't know if it was because Jimmi Simpson is in too much demand to do them, or their interactions just became a bit too creepy after the scandal, but I still miss him. I hope he makes at least one more appearance before the end.

[Prevailing Wind]

Aw, who gives a rat's ass?

 

(See, in your mind's eye & ear, Pete Fatovich playing the accordion.)

[Happy Belly]

I think two of my all time favorite bits are the F**k you guy and How many people dressed in a _______ suit can fit in Starbucks (or McDonalds, etc). The thing that cracked me up the most is the bizarre costume choices that came out when the selected suit of the day was no longer available. I truly had tears in my eyes every time that bit was on. 

[alynch]

The only two of those I can find online are Spider-Mans in a Jamba Juice and Pirates in a Subway. There might be more, but the changing title of the bit makes it hard to search unless you know what they are.

 

Another bit I always liked: Alan Kalter's Celebrity Interview.

Edited June 19, 2014 by alynch

[Prevailing Wind]

A bunch of suits crammed into an H&R Block, didn't they?

[HelenBaby]

I was watching the rerun last night with Dave Chappelle and seeing the bit with Todd the intern reminded me of all the great trips Biff used to take on behalf of the show. I guess he's still the stage manager although I haven't seen him in a while.

[Grommet]

I also love all the "how many guys in a --- suit" bits.  And I loved Will it Float and Is This Anything, mostly for the interplay between Dave and Paul.

 

Todd the Intern has been a good successor to Biff with all the remote segments.

 

I'm so old I remember The Car and Truck Rental Song and It's Just Plain Big.  Good times.

[opus]

If we're going old school, Meg from across the street.

[Prevailing Wind]

I always liked charts & graphs.

[Happy Belly]

Another favorite is Jay Thomas' Lone Ranger story "they'll believe ME citizen!" and on the same show, Darlene Love's Christmas Baby Please Come Home. But speaking of that show, I miss Paul and his Cher impression.

[Mamiesan3]

Peggy the Foul-Mouthed Chambermaid and one of Dave's female staffers who was "pregnant" and they would always have her on a high ladder. These two both go back to the NBC show and would always get a giggle out of me.

[dcalley]

I loved Trump or Monkey (even though orangutans aren't monkeys, they're apes, just like humans).

[Kindred Spirit]

I miss Will It Float? and Is This Anything? and hope to see both bits again before Dave leaves the air. Though if I have to choose just one, I vote for Will It Float? I also always enjoyed the CBS Mailbag, and particularly the theme song. ("Letters, we get letters! Stacks and stacks of letters!")

[opus]

The song comes from here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7o7FbUipg

[grooveshinney]

Another favorite is Jay Thomas' Lone Ranger story "they'll believe ME citizen!" and on the same show, Darlene Love's Christmas Baby Please Come Home. But speaking of that show, I miss Paul and his Cher impression.

I heard Jay on the radio say he'll be on Friday the 19th for his final appearance to do the Lone Ranger story. It's one of my faves, too.

[SanDiegoInExile]

Twenty-plus years of the Best Three Minutes of XMAS...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfurmGiKZ5k

[Mumbles]

Showing my age, I always loved "Dave's Record Collection."

[jjj]

Is this the place to talk about Jay Thomas?  I was so sorry to see he passed away today.  For so many years, my two favorite scenes each year were Dave's Mom and the Thanksgiving pies, and Jay Thomas with the Lone Ranger story and football toss of the Christmas Tree meatball.   RIP, Jay, it was a joy to watch you.

ETA: to add an article about Jay -- with an internal link to an article about the last meatball toss:  http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/comic-actor-jay-thomas-dead-69-article-1.3439508   

Edited August 24, 2017 by jjj

[Calvada]

1 hour ago, jjj said:

Is this the place to talk about Jay Thomas?  I was so sorry to see he passed away today.  For so many years, my two favorite scenes each year were Dave's Mom and the Thanksgiving pies, and Jay Thomas with the Lone Ranger story and football toss of the Christmas Tree meatball.   RIP, Jay, it was a joy to watch you.

ETA: to add an article about Jay -- with an internal link to an article about the last meatball toss:  http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/comic-actor-jay-thomas-dead-69-article-1.3439508   

The holidays haven't been the same without Dave & his mom and her pies, and no Darlene Love and Jay Thomas.  

[Beroglide]

wasn't there a segment with Alan called "Dwight the Troubled Teen"?  I could have sworn there was, but can find nothing on it

[ebk57]

9 hours ago, Beroglide said:

wasn't there a segment with Alan called "Dwight the Troubled Teen"?  I could have sworn there was, but can find nothing on it

There was - from Googling "Dwight the Troubled Teen Letterman", I found a few Dwight quotes and a bunch of stuff written about Michael Zegen, who, it seems, ended up on "Girls."

[Mumbles]

He did this more on NBC, but my favorite semi-recurring bit was Dave's Record Collection. And Products Rejected by the FDA, if only for Dave introducing the bit with a made-up story about having a friend at the FDA (with Paul piping in, oh I met him at your barbecue last summer) that gave him all the stuff.