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Late Show with David Letterman

  • TV Series
  • 1993–2015
  • TV-PG
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
15K
YOUR RATING
David Letterman, Regis Philbin, Barbara Gaines, Biff Henderson, Alan Kalter, and Paul Shaffer in Late Show with David Letterman (1993)
The Late Show With David Letterman
Play trailer0:22
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyMusicTalk Show

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.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.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.

  • Creator
    • David Letterman
  • Stars
    • David Letterman
    • Paul Shaffer
    • Alan Kalter
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    15K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creator
      • David Letterman
    • Stars
      • David Letterman
      • Paul Shaffer
      • Alan Kalter
    • 53User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 9 Primetime Emmys
      • 16 wins & 127 nominations total

    Episodes6696

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    Videos1

    The Late Show With David Letterman
    Trailer 0:22
    The Late Show With David Letterman

    Photos342

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    Top cast99+

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    David Letterman
    David Letterman
    • Self - Host…
    • 1993–2015
    Paul Shaffer
    Paul Shaffer
    • Self - Musical Director…
    • 1993–2015
    Alan Kalter
    Alan Kalter
    • Self - Announcer…
    • 1995–2015
    Biff Henderson
    • Self - Stage Manager…
    • 1995–2015
    Regis Philbin
    Regis Philbin
    • Self…
    • 1993–2015
    Barbara Gaines
    • Self - Executive Producer…
    • 2004–2015
    Tony Mendez
    • Self - Cue Card Boy…
    • 1994–2012
    Stephen Colbert
    Stephen Colbert
    • Self - Host…
    • 2005–2015
    Al Chez
    • Self - Horn Section Yay-Sayer #2…
    • 1997–2011
    Jack Hanna
    Jack Hanna
    • Self…
    • 1993–2015
    Rupert Jee
    • Self…
    • 1995–2015
    Tom Malone
    Tom Malone
    • Self - Horn Section Yay-Sayer #1…
    • 2005–2015
    Bruce Kapler
    • Self - Horn Section Yay-Sayer #3…
    • 1993–2011
    Pat Farmer
    • Self - Stagehand…
    • 1997–2011
    Johnny Dark
    • Stanley Cronkite…
    • 2006–2010
    Chris Elliott
    Chris Elliott
    • Self - Guest…
    • 1993–2015
    Jeff Altman
    Jeff Altman
    • Self…
    • 1994–2014
    Joe Grossman
    • Self - Staff Writer…
    • 2008–2015
    • Creator
      • David Letterman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews53

    7.014.5K
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    Featured reviews

    jENNA007

    WOW, The best talk-show EVER ~!

    David Letterman is a smart and insanely funny man. He's brought us this amazing show that has about a thousand unforgettable moments and a mouth-full of witty remarks. The thing I love about his show the most is that it has such an unpredictable-feel to it, its much much better than Leno, and any other talk-show I've seen. Letterman is great at being a talk-show host, its like he was born to do it. I also love Paul Shaffer, he is an awesome music director and a lot funnier than any other music director i have ever seen! I hope this show keeps going forever!! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT ~!!
    weidelman

    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.
    SandraD82

    Dave is turning back to the old Dave!

    I have been a big Letterman fan for years. I would tape shows when I was only 13, never missed a show. I agree that Letterman had his years where you could tell he felt like a failure and didn't put much into it. But I will add that he is much more real than Jay Leno. Jay Leno is your typical phony talk show host. You really saw how real Dave is if you saw his show on January 31, 2005 remembering Johnny Carson. I saw both his and Leno's shows on Johnny. Jay seemed much more scripted and fake. This was probably due to how the death of Johnny Carson hit the two, being that Dave was close with Johnny. (Johnny even wrote jokes in retirement and sent them to Dave to use). I have noticed lately that Dave's comedy is turning back around to the old Dave. Hopefully he realizes that he is appreciated and keeps up the turn around!
    Poivoroinen

    Dave is the man.

    I recently watched the Late Show when Janet Jackson was the guest. She had a very toppish top on that kind of embarrassed Dave. I laughed like never before. Despite him being embarrassed, he deliverd some lines that were simply perfect. "Need help with the zipper?" "I'm 54, I'm not used to these kind of things." Paul: "You have always loved fast women, Dave."

    Well, Dave cracks Leno everytime. He is just more personal than mr standup.
    medrjel

    The show that set the new standard

    Dave is King of Late Night. If rumors are true, Carson chose Letterman to replace him, but NBC exec's decided otherwise. I can believe this. Letterman's run of 10 years on late-late night TV was brilliant, though a bit "cheap".

    Well, with this show, some of the "homey" feel of the small show has gone, but the humor and style has stayed the same. From classics such as "Stupid Pet Tricks", to new skits such as the adventures of Mujibur and Sirajoul (apoligies for spelling) - two guys who ran a shop next to the theater where the Late Show was on, Dave finds a way to make anyone entertaining to everyone. It is rare that he can't find a chemistry to work with someone on stage with him, and that's the secret. Steve Allen, Jack Paar (to an extent), and Carson all had that gift. With the larger budget, Dave got bigger, grander, and funnier, while maintaining the "individual" appeal of a smaller budget show. There was Taxi Tic Tac Toe, the cross country trip of our two friends listed earlier and the van of gifts. The only thing missing was "Larry Bud Melman". Calvert DeForest shows up from time to time, but very rarely, and not with the same type of style that we had from Bud.

    Dave is the King. It's a shame he had to leave the old court and build a new one.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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

      [David is working at McDonald's]

      David Letterman: Welcome to Mc Donald's.

      Customer: Get me a cheeseburger.

      David Letterman: Your order is a cheeseburger?

      Customer: Yep.

      David Letterman: Are you busy right now?

      Customer: I gotta head to work. Why?

      David Letterman: Could you swing by the grocery store and get us a bag of onions?

      Customer: A bag of onions?

      David Letterman: Yeah. We're running low.

      [Later, David takes new customer]

      David Letterman: United 16957, 727. This is Kennedy Ground Control. What's the problem? Power it on in.

      Customer: I have your onions here.

      David Letterman: What?

      Customer: The ten-pound bag of onions.

      David Letterman: You're got the onions? All right. Come on through. We really appreciate it. Thanks for helping out.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys (1996)

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    FAQ20

    • How many seasons does Late Show with David Letterman have?Powered by Alexa
    • Why is it always daytime during the outdoor scenes?

    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 30, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Late Show Backstage
    • Filming locations
      • Ed Sullivan Theater - 1697 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Worldwide Pants
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby

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