Countdown to Late Show w/David Letterman, July, August 1993

Ridge of the 64th all-star classic will continue after this message and a word from your local station coming this summer get ready for a whole new late night on CBS love songs nothing but love songs starting on this 30th same Dave better time news station order now and receive a handsome tote bag Late Show with David Letterman an important reminder from this network's noon Late Show host you can't spell scuba without CBS same days better time news station what's the new Late Show with David Letterman going to be like it's like trying to drink scalding hot coffee with a face full of novocaine and now a promise from CBS's new Late Show host that's quality with a capital K same-day better time doom station later this summer look for David Letterman on CBS you know if you remove the glass from your television set you can feed me peanuts later this summer a new world of late night television begins on CBS think of it as a miniseries that never ends starting August 30th same Dave better time new station if someone frying Bologna this is CBS [Music] so mark and I are back 17 minutes after the hour so look who is on the cover of Time magazine that hits the stands today David Han rested he's ready he's got a week to read that and he kicks off next Monday one week from tonight that's right the television event of the season hits the screen when Late Show with David Letterman debuts right here on CBS it's a story that started to take shape back in January when CBS plucked the peacock Network I just want to at this point thank these people for certainly their patience I mean could it have dragged on a little longer and also I would like to thank them for their generosity because ever since David Letterman signed his big late-night deal with CBS he's been the most talked about and written about man and television even though he hasn't made a television show in months that doesn't mean Dave's been taking it easy he spent lots of time with the press where the first question is almost always about the fight with his former bosses about which comedy routines can switch networks along with Dave will just do all of the stuff that we want to do and that'll be fine we'll do all of the stuff that we want to do and they'll sue us and you know that'll be fine and by the way if that comes to trial get a seat down front people also wonder if Dave's sense of humor will work as well an hour earlier it'll either seem very odd to see me an hour earlier or it'll seem okay I think it'll it'll I you know I see myself almost every hour of the day and I think that's fine and a few journalists wonder if Dave's fans will hate him now that he makes so much money if that happens I'll just you know buy a new audience well he certainly had the loss of timing during his time off what else has been going on with Dave well he picked up this year's American television award for best talk show honestly nothing makes you feel more like a winner than entering through a storm drain thank you and once that award show was over Letterman was joking about it on the Larry Sanders Show where Garry Shandling plays a talk-show host who's upset that Letterman got the award I'm not kidding around this time taken please it would mean a lot to me to take it go ahead okay here insane this is what's been going on in Dave's new home while he's been out on the road construction workers and technicians are turning the old and decrepit Ed Sullivan Theater into a state-of-the-art television studio a multi-million dollar job that's going down to the wire and all along New York's famous Broadway Dave's new neighbors already telling stories about encounters with the great one or at least with members of his staff we did work with Letterman a few times in the past are you dad - sure when he was over at the other Network how come you don't have on the window you know dresser to the stars or working on something we have something in the works oh I did you give it to maybe without giving you away a little sneak preview of what we might say some kind of a list of some of the reasons why you should shop the Academy tuxedo well the rumor is going around it you've got the best piece in New York City well that's what I say does Dave know that yet yes he's been the FD a-- time has he even been that as what did he want - when it came down to you know while he used to once owned a restaurant yes we mostly either like a villa something vulgar that's a cementation also has potato to Verona and Angelus one day I read from newspapers I was wrong you know let's become really good places that was really shocking if he were to come in here what things do you think he might like to play with and look at if you got a lot of new stuff in here yeah maybe he's some character thing or t-shirt and this will probably be Dave's favorite neighbor and we're 60 high heels step off progress just around the corner from his new theater he'll find animal acts the pet department store where you can always find an audition going on for a stupid pet trick has she ever been a letter no she goes we thought we would wait to see if it the program gained any dignity and consider a woman with paw prints up the side of her dress talking about dignity we're going to show you some of that this week on Wednesday Paul shaping the whole band now called the CBS Orchestra will play for us that on Thursday and Friday David himself will be here so it's a big week for all of us here at CBS this morning stupid pet tricks and B's I kind of like those Paul Paul throwing up the left side already gone I ran right up the side of this woman right before we got there you know I can't believe looking at the Letterman that he actually frequents that restaurant I mean he was thirty five panel he doesn't yell isn't how he loses it yeah exactly 23 minutes past the hour still ahead John stare helps you start saving no matter how old you are and Sofia Lara will be back it is 15 minutes after the hour stay right here for Paul Shaffer and later the whole band helps us count down the week till David Letterman CBS debut [Music] [Music] all week we've been counting down to David Letterman's arrival next Monday night on CBS with his new Late Show also means to return to the tube for the fabulous Paul Shaffer and it's incredible band Paul in the band put out an album while they waited for the new show to start it's called the world's most dangerous party and Paul joins us this morning hi Paul - all Natalie dressed as always it's a news thing and so I'm wearing the news actually wearing it on my on my body well I lived the news you were aware the news we're going to get to the album in a second one thing I always wondered people you've had a lot of different lives on television with Comedy Central out we see you on Saturday Night Live how did you make the jump how did you meet Dave how did you become part of the Letterman experience I have after the first five years of Saturday Night Live went on which I appeared as pianist and writer and sort of supporting performer I spent two years freelancing as a studio musician and one day out of the blue just got a call from somebody from Dave's office Dave Letterman is starting up a new late-night show he'd like you to come in and speak to him about being his bandleader well I had started watching the show that he had had on live in the morning so I was very excited about the chance to go in and talk to Dave about this not only that but I heard it was going to be on later even after you know Johnny Carson and I thought wow something that comes on after The Tonight Show this is even later this I got to be there you know this has got to be the hippest show I said this is a guy who I would want to work for well that band which became the world's most dangerous band is on the album the world's most dangerous party and I say this with the great respect kooky nutty kind of wonderful little record here I thank you very how you put this record together over the 12 years of working with day people say them you know I wish I could hear more of a band you you play the introduction society and then you fade into commercial I'm just starting to get into it I wish I had a record with the whole songs so that was the basic reason why we did it doing a new thing where we don't fade into commercial where we actually start songs then finish them it's a nutty new thing that were in to do that we added this concept of having a party when Todd Rundgren came aboard his producer he said what if you're hosting the party like Hef at the mansion if always that cool part well you know you remember those things yeah you've been a boy after dark and stuff that we used to see where he'd say you know come on in Barbie's here and Bill Cosby was literally on the back entertaining the kids yeah I've always wanted to do something based on that type of genre so this was the time to do it and on the record it does sound like I am hosting the party ala Hef well there speaking of hosting we have a little home video of some of the people who stopped by let's take a look right I think there's Todd Rundgren right there who's that great leather jacket you've got there Paul I've got to look the part LL Cool J one of the people I see the people to stop by and did cameos is Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in between cuts you hear these people kind of rapping with me hey and I say welcome to the party some of them sit in like David Sanborn great so explore the greatest and we recorded them individually one at a time then we recorded the music also separately then we had a party in the studio invited a lot of people in to listen to the tracks that we have done and we recorded the sound of them singing along grooving to the music and then Todd sort of married all three of them together so it sounds like everybody's in the same room having the greatest party in the world real quickly the band is going to change when it comes onto CBS no it's not going to change the core of the band remains the same to new editions but we've got two new editions very excited to have a gal named Felicia Collins on guitar very very neat player just recently came off the road from doing a Cyndi Lauper tour on keyboard the great innovator funk innovator Bernie Worrell very great you know so we he invented a lot of the funk keyboard and bass funk laughs that that we heard with George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic sang Simon a used to vernacular I understand exactly with all of us the guys in the band are very excited we are so pumped around here at CBS to have you and David coming aboard we're just thrilled pleasure to talk to you all that is it is so nice to me this morning and at CBS in general I am very excited about because we love you just about a half an hour from now Paul we'll be back with the band and a tune from the album they recorded on summer vacation Paula she's going to wake us all up 23 minutes past the hour still ahead on CBS this morning work David sharp 17 minutes before the hour Paul Shaffer and his band coming up [Music] get ready to have some laughter and meet the man himself David Letterman in the first or two exclusive interviews that's tomorrow on CBS this morning now just a few minutes ago Paul Shaffer and I talked about the countdown to David Letterman's Late Show right here on CBS we also talked about Paul's new album the world's most dangerous party they recorded when they were known as the party boys of rock and roll now there Paul shade from the CBS Orchestra the song you're going to hear is a great tune something about you [Music] [Music] you [Music] this portion of CBS this morning was sponsored by tide if it's got to be clean it's got to be tied he's an excellent musician okay if you get Comedy Central he's like this guy who keeps popping up the Saturday Night Live skit the sketches when Bill Murray singing his a star that's Paul Shaffer in the back plunk him on the piano I've got to spend a couple hours with him once if he was trying to arrange something for the two of us to do cello and piano I have never laughed so hard and he's very smart guy very funny well I just wanted to warn you to the magic of videotape tomorrow Harry Smith will be joining us on Taylor with me we got to spend a couple hours with David Letterman as well and he's some very interesting things to say about the bill laughter not who did David ask about a bathroom oh oh yes about you twice yeah where's the guy where's the guy but he also has very funny things to say about potential fathers would in the offing and how he might feel about that if he's graced that way David Letterman he doesn't say who the woman would be but he does talk about it would be like a hobby you're watching [Music] so what if we're making David nervous by having a little clutch guillotine every day I don't think he's nervous I think he's ready he is ready he's like just four days ago before CBS debut just head in this half hour and have exclusive interview with him welcome back to CBS this morning I'm Paula Zahn and I'm work aquiline Harry is off this morning so what can we expect when Dave makes his debut Monday night what is it going to be like for him to be back on Broadway or the answers and a whole lot more coming up with David Letterman I couldn't believe his attitude when hearing I said Alice she doesn't seem to be at all threatened by the amount of publicity is getting and radars that are going to ended and ready he's got the three things they're also coming up Mel Gibson gives up his good looks and a man without a face you can catch him tomorrow on CBS this morning ten minutes before the hour just a few days from now before the long-awaited debut of David Letterman's new Late Show right here on CBS but this morning Dave makes his debut on CBS this morning and Harry I talked with him recently our first question has he been taking it easy the last couple of months I've been doing other things I've had no time off I've been doing been doing a lot of traveling I've been to a lot of places I've been meeting a lot of people and also in conjunction with that we moved from our old offices to the brand-new offices at the Ed Sullivan Theater so all of that had been terribly exciting and a little scary the offices met your ex take office here at Ellen avian offices are great Romeo view the offices are beautiful I'm right on Broadway I like right down there I can see the Great White Way my roots as you know are in theater I was in he didn't know this I was in the original seriously at the original production of Oklahoma and and then Annie Get Your Gun yeah yeah and I would hit anywhere thing I would do a whole lot of Michael Moore exactly yeah that rousing the of course the number that everybody associates with Oklahoma that was me as a young boy and the sort of you back on Broadway dream come true for me we're glad to have you back so what can you tell us about the show what is going on I want to know if it's going to be any different than what we've been watching over the last 10 years I wish I could say there was going to be completely different but it's probably not probably gonna be the same old thing but you know that was fine people love the the same old thing and I think too much change is a bad thing in a person's life so we're going to sort of comfortably ease into the program to establish new viewing habits for the people who have not seen us heretofore yeah now this legal battle has drawn on and on and on about whether you're going to be able to use your stupid pet tricks and the top 10 list what does that then like for you to watch it from a distance it's actually money yes it I find it amusing because I don't take it seriously I think that the people involved are just having some fun with themselves and also with us some of the elements we used on on the morning show which was a show that I actually own so we feel like we're entitled to those certainly and and everything else that we did on the show we stole from other people so it's those other quacks yeah those other people it's not a matter of we don't want any see this we just want to make sure the right people sue us your origin worried that the people who got late-night will get whatever you're going to do an hour earlier well let me tell you something Harry I was there for 12 years and I still don't get oh I don't think I don't think that the problem is not much there to get it's it's me in a suit and with peculiar-looking hair depending on the humidity and we just it's we just tried to do an amusing silly entertaining show if we have a guest on we want them to be interesting and inner talk about it so it's David Letterman you can't sort of see it in print anyplace where that it says hip and it's you know and all of that other sort of stuff so would be are you concerned are you feeling pressure no I'm not feeling pressure please try to restrain yourself area maybe just a little so much enthusiasm and that question than watching Mike Wallace know you know first of all I I never thought of myself as being hip I mean in high school not that I'm not now I couldn't have been a bigger dork in high school and look at me now I really haven't grown out of it not much very so I never considered myself to be hip even if you want to apply that and I'm not saying it ever applied I don't think that automatically eliminates everybody who owns a television set so I'm not worried I think I think a lot of the questions about this program will be answered early on very very like the first night will be judging from here David nice to see thanks Paula nice to see you we probably don't have to remind to many of you that the Late Show with David Letterman debuts Monday night whether you went are there are pennies he's not around right now he's outside of the studio but that is Eastern Time right right that right on CBS we're going to continue our discussions the weather guys coming or not will the weather guide not man just because you used to do the weather right so you want to you want to take a stab in the web are you have a fad weather guy no he'll get you you got it nothing about a Shaolin to have him beat without a beat this man up wants to do the weather he says well we're gonna have to give them that weather Bourdain you can have it I'll help you beefed up and I'll be down with you you know what he followed me wants to catch a rising star on stage when I was doing stand-up one most terrifying moment I was in completely intimidating right but now this guy is shrinking you can't what he is like 35 pounds lighter than he was to reform under way here way to eat wait doesn't disappear from a planet just gets redistributed here in here you got tomorrow part two of our exclusive interview with Dave we asked him some pretty interesting questions over the next couple of days like kids for example getting married because he already has to say five minutes before they all say with us this portion of CBS this morning was sponsored by post great nut cereal breakfast with Grape Nuts helps keep you going strong all morning long all right so it's all this David Letterman hysteria you've probably been wondering what's the new light show t-shirts are going to look like we've got one of the first ones for you to look at here this morning very cool I got anything sell really well very cool so maybe we'll get David to wear one of ours one time and just want to remind you that tomorrow and on Monday again Harry and I sit down and spend more time with David Letterman he talks about kids wives girlfriends among other things and eating oysters well okay attend until the hour there'll be plenty of surprises when David Letterman comes with CBS but we can probably expect plenty of appearances by Teri Garr now recently I asked her why she and Dave have this mutual admiration thing I have great respect for David Letterman because he's a he's a his artist in his own way and he's very talented and smart guy and he works his butt off you know it works very hard you know some people let him in throws people sometimes on the show but he never never is throwing you not literally but I mean in a figurative he tries too doesn't it if you go I think you just took people tell me that okay he's so horny I go I don't notice that I don't notice it we just have a conversation but then it isn't just conversation is it look it's something else but you know I'll tell you why I admire him too is that he really has got to stand up for himself because look at this situation I'm not saying anything bad any particular networks or anything but here NBC had him for so long and they said no no you're not getting this this tonight on spot we're giving it to someone else and we're just going to leave you right in there and you're trapped as a prisoner in that time slot and he had to have a gust to say no I'm not I'm going to move on I mean that chicks got just you really have to be stronger than that not and then when he did it they said we're just gonna make this really hard on you you can't take any characters that you created you can't have anything that you did on our show anything you didn't our building you can't take with you and you leave your clothes there too I heard that they can't take any of it folks well I mean that's you know so they're being a little bit eighth grade about at all when you walked out that first time to sit in that guest chair what was going through your mind you remember well I think I was very nervous although I had done the show before with him and not at his show a show when he was in the radio in Indianapolis and I was promoting you know young Frank Stein I drove through there and I met this guy on a you know on radio station and so then when he did that show did you remember me do you remember me it was the girl that she what kind of car unit so yeah yeah I remember he even sent me the tape of the show that we did so I thought it would be I wasn't nervous I was much more nervous to the Tonight Show I think well this know was going to watch it anyway found within 15 how many times have you been on the David Letterman Show do you know 100 600 signal and all I'm just making that but let's see the show's been on for 10 11 years or so in 11 years when I've been out at least three times here so what is that 33 times embarrassing why do you think you've been on the most on the show I think kind of Chandana mouth nice okay why do you think you've been on in the time I can't agree because I'm a nice person and because a lot of times they call me up you know and say can you do the show on Thursday and then I go oh who died no no no and I we just like they call me on Tuesday and I'd say well what the hell I'll do it I don't care I like I like to do it's fun it was like an experience like a Disneyland ride - that one sure but now some people tell me don't do this you're just ruining your career by doing this show too much and I think you know we're already dead someday we're going to go to my grave ago you did Letterman - bunch of us died I don't care I'll do it you know as I did it cuz it was fun because they asked me I'm sure they asked a lot of other people who had more scruples than I did how do you think he's going to do with an earlier time slot oh I think he'll do very well he's pretty good at this or what it does I really think he's created a whole new life and a whole new art that wasn't there before it was like Marlon Brando recreated acting in this country David Letterman recreated a like a host there was never anyone like him before or anybody like him since we now now so he it's interesting to watch I'll watch it like watching a train wreck not really now it's watching something very even ever seen before Renee lien believer monetary is not good days well as frequent get that honor goes to sportscaster Marv Albert and she's coming to CBS as well she's going to be on good advice I was Shelley Long this season is going to play Shelly's sister so we get Dave on this network we good Terry honestly with the right neck network to park your body and she was lovely it's so funny lovely lady way to go Terry let's see how many weeks we'll take to get her on the show maybe the third day what's it five minutes before the hour we'll be right back and be with us tomorrow on CBS this morning for more with David Letterman and Mel Gibson as well have a good day everybody see in the morning [Music] experience CBS News I'd ever wonder every morning today is watching this if we're making him nervous he says not we're getting psyched bottom of the ninth he wants to hit the pitch you're right and I hope he does good morning everybody welcome back to CBS this morning I'm Paula Zahn and I'm work with you and Harry will return on Monday we're going to bring me bringing you part two of our exclusive interview with Dave this morning through the magic of television even my partner Harry is here even though he's probably sitting trying on some beach don't play someplace in it hopefully this country of art and the Late Show doesn't even start until Monday night but you never know what to judge from the fans who turned out for rehearsal we'll talk to some of them just a couple of shaking now here is what is happening at the top of the news this morning today after a chance to see The Late Show even if it was just a rehearsal this morning some of those fans are with us Veronica Harris is a graduate student at the University of Maryland and Dave Woodward is a broadcasting major in Ohio Northern University good morning to both of you hey Veronica I went to the University of Maryland so I feel like yeah absolutely College Park okay Veronica toughest ticket in the country how did you get in to see David Letterman last night well beyond a few the day I heard he was going to be changing I started sending letters and postcards and I feel very fortunate to have been here and all I can say if you really want to do it see the term and go on your paws up that's alright that's what I will do okay let's talk to today when we're Dave how did you get your tickets to go to the David Letterman last night well as soon as I found out CBS was bitten Letterman I just sent a letter and they just sent me the tickets about three weeks ago and just showed up stuffed myself in a boxcar and show ah to be young and in America I tell you well this I let's just throw this question you Veronica what do you like about David Letterman I like the fact that every day after a work day a school day I can expect to be entertained be someone who's familiar and most of all going to makes me feel comfortable they mix the joke and he's our television friends and if we only knew how serious I think that every day every night I said I look forward to him and he's past what sixty-five days have been pretty tough all right well you've known David Letterman BC before CBS Howard's it shows yeah how do you have the show look last night how is it different how was it how was it the sale why gold flame is the catchphrase for me it just looked like a man in charge a man with a show that he's so proud of and if sumia could ask for anything else I really like to know what it was Veronica I like you Dave let's talk to you did you think you are nice I'm getting back new Dave tell me about some of the bits that he use any of the old stuff that you saw at that other Network yeah he kept the standards the things you need he kept the top ten was and the monologue all the important things it was it was the same but it was more yeah we're just amazing I can't I can't imagine that even the first show would be better than last night it was amazing it's just the best show I've ever seen him do talk to me about the band had the band sound last night me at Sullivan Theater amazing very powerful they added two new musicians and they helped it and you could just feel it hitting you it was just a very powerful band what the adult in theatre looked like in fact if we haven't been able to show it just get a completed version well it's a lot bigger than the old studio was about twice as big so he can do a lot more things like last night he was punting football into the crowd so it really welcomed me if you were lucky to be up there yeah so he can really do a lot more with it I think all right you monitors everywhere so there's not a bad speak all right well Dave I want to mention I like you too okay this one meant to me Dave Woodward Veronica Harris thanks a lot for being with us and hey watch Monday night all right all right boy it's a shame we couldn't get to enthusiastic fans this morning Paula 24 minutes before the hour what can you teach your baby even before it's born well dr. Howard torment has the answer coming up next on CBS this morning ten minutes before the hour David Letterman is just a weekend away from his CBS debut on the new Late Show and this morning in part two of the conversation Harry and I had with Dave mr. Letterman's got his mind on food good morning again very good morning to you and all my best thank you very much happily you came back happy to have you here are you are you so tired of this frenzy this craziness a what we're in a transition period because we went off the air at the the old network and now we're getting ready to start here on the new network and you know how you pursue a schedule and everything falls into place day in and day out it just it happens a schedule forms for you by itself after a while and that's good because you don't have to think twice your intuitions can go to other things you know that your schedule is going to be a through Z each and every day and it won't have much fluctuation well now that we have been out of production for quite some time there is no schedule and so you find odd ways to fill up your free time and we were out the other day with one of our I won't mention the man's name but he occupies a very important part of our staff and and the talk turned to oysters shellfish generally specifically voices and our director how gurney was remarking that he knew of a Bolivian family that once a year came to New York City and went to the Grand Central boy stur bar which by the way if you come to the city go down there it's just great I need yourself silly on oysters and he said the Bolivian family would come up for shellfish and they had a 13 year old kid who would and had I guess only once ate four and a half dozen oysters so I'm thinking this is unbelievable like an 11 12 year old kid from Bolivia just pounding himself alloys and getting miserably ill I would guess and and so this other gentleman who occupies a high position on our production staff right I could do that and I said you're nuts and he said yes I absolutely could do that and I said I'll bet you a hundred bucks you can't eat 50 orders and I'm thinking to myself this guy will be lucky to get two dozen oysters now and he says I can do that and he says it's not much of a bet and I said well you were the one who started boasting and I said all right 150 dollars to eat 50 oysters and then and then any oyster over 50 became a $10 bonus oyster so yesterday and give you an idea how busy we've been yesterday in my office we send down to the Grand Central a stir bar for five dozen oysters that's 60 Easter's I had a few I had like four oysters I pull so he comes in and he sits down and he's got the cocktail sauce he eats 50 oysters uh and he said I'm not done so we ordered another four dozen oysters and he ended up winning for me about $200 and and the final count was 60 oh cool huh I can't imagine I think I'm glad in your back at work I don't know why I take such pride in telling that story but you know it's the only story I have right you're skinny yeah I will happen to you one day inadvertently I get on scales just as a matter of you know Oh scales let me see I weigh 205 pounds this is way too much I'm six-two I've always been thin and I panic because the last time I checked on scales was like ten years ago I weighed 170 - so I've gained like 35 pounds and I see this as a trend I I don't see that this I've leveled off at 205 I to me it seems like I'm just building up steam at 205 you were exercising it wasn't like you were sitting well I was running like four and a half miles a day and when you run four and a half miles a day you have the sense of invincibility and I would go in and I said I'll have the meat loaf sandwich and the pork chops and the chili you and Bill Clinton exactly well see there's a perfect case here this guy thinks he looks great because he's running every day and he's never been tubby oh that's what was happening to me so I because I think I'm running it all off I'm eating as much as I can because I really I enjoy eating so would you like to give us the diet here well you know it's not easy and I sympathize with people who have a weight problem large or large or small hairy large or small hey it's worth expecting a child you look the right now and I'm feeling guilty yeah because you eat a lot here you know why you have to drop you just have to stop eating I just had to quit eating like and so I'm down to one meal a day but we're you know with that blessing comes the curse I'm always hungry what do you expect eating one meal is that can you imagine gone late might as well you know to take over the races carbo loading right before he goes other year lots of pasta Davis it when I first realized that I really liked David Letterman is on The Tonight Show he's talking about he said you know that two things that you see around the sink they make great after-dinner world's cookin I thought this guy the funny year what a no idea we have more of a conversation with David Letterman coming up on Monday this is my favorite part of the interview where he tells us about getting married and eventually having kids which you see what he does when he pretends he has a baby on his shoulder it's a different kind of David Letterman five minutes before the hour we'll be back this portion of CBS this morning was sponsored well okay letterman fans our long national nightmare of summer reruns is almost over Dave's new show clear the cigar smoke premieres here on channel 2 Monday night and Bri Walker's here right now with more on that great dramatic thanks Bob this is one of the most expensive moves in history has to be Letterman got 14 million dollars through from NBC to CBS I talked to Dave recently about his new show and that new salary later man it's over it's over for David Letterman at NBC but he's just beginning here at CBS you can't spell scuba without CBS doesn't matter the big news came last January Letterman moving to CBS reported fourteen million dollars also I would like to thank them for their generosity the grubbers since then he's been the talk of nearly every magazine and newspaper in the country but when I spoke to him Dave seemed genuinely humbled by the hoopla I thank my lucky stars each and every day that I'm in a position where I don't have to worry about money because I know a little of what that's like and and I think one of the reasons that I have this money now is so you know I can help friends of mine and people I know who who aren't as fortunate of course that doesn't stop him from needling his new bosses like he needled the old ones is there anything different about dealing with CBS and dealing with NBC I find that the spelling is better they seem to be and then the grammar is better than the guys the way we used to deal with it the NBC plenty of colorful puppets and peppy musical numbers in it oh no I'm thinking of the CBS Evening News I'm sorry Letterman finds himself competing against an old friend at 11:30 Jay Leno David is terrific as I said he should be breathing down my neck if I drop the ball pick it up run with it Jay thinks Leno has nothing to worry about belly's not right away I think well well for a time we'll be maybe third you know Heidi Fleiss might do well as a consultant on your show why what do you suppose is going on there exactly well I thought you know yeah oh sure I'd know yeah why what have you heard ha ha monday some more bits of wisdom from Dave and from his bandleader Paul Shaffer tomorrow night at 11:30 a special behind-the-scenes look at the Letterman Show you know he's still just a nice guy wrote you know did me you daddy brought you some thank you for the interview hope he is not good and now an important announcement from this network's new Late Show host I'm Dave and I want to be your TV friend same day better time new station plenty of colorful puppets and peppy musical numbers in it oh no I'm thinking of the CBS Evening News I'm Dave and I want to be for a TV friend tonight from New York City join me Paul as a Dave Letterman dancers a conversation with David Letterman this is Times Square the center of New York's theater district I'm Harry Smith good evening just up the street from us is the new home a Late Show with David Letterman the setting for the most interesting story in this fall's television season over the next 30 minutes with his show set to premiere here on CBS David Letterman will share with us his thoughts about himself is comedy and how a guy from the Midwest ends up on big-time TV here in the heart of New York City this is one sort of the microphones are off because you really caught it up I kept Lasky thank God John any time Harry this is great this is cool [Music] isn't as cool as you thought it to be yeah oh it's great I mean isn't it the best you get up in the morning and you get to be on TV I mean how can it not be cool no it's exciting what you don't think so huh well you've got this you've got the band you've got the audience you have the biggest stars in America well that's okay their thing I'm going to have a heart attack because he's going to chew now it's very exciting there isn't in the 12 years we were on the air at NBC there wasn't a night that I didn't get excited I was always excited not not nervous some nights very nervous some nights anxious not like I'm here today with you before Letterman has a way of putting you at ease and leading you unsuspectingly into punchline after punchline it's true that's what he did last January when it was announced that he would leave the NBC network for CBS we are truly delighted to welcome this great star to the CBS network January 14th and the CBS Karen Lawrence dish delivers the news during the rumors are true David Letterman is in with an earlier time slaughter and a very lucrative deal and I want to thank them for their support and also I would like to thank them for their generosity because [Laughter] this this deal certainly would have put a smile on Jack Benny's face even in in the condition he's in now he was by July Letterman was in Los Angeles ready to meet the press for the first time since the January announcement I've been reluctant to meet the press yeah so maybe it's naughty questions like that do you have any worries about moving from one network to another you know I want the thing to work and work really well but like I said earlier maybe I'm just dumb but I don't find myself kind of in a cloud of anxiety about this of course I'm full of Jim Letterman jokes about it but ever since it became clear that he would leave NBC after more than a decade with that network many have wondered just how he felt about it I was at Blackrock the night you announced your leaving NBC to collect raka big CBO's and on a lift huge important building and I thought to myself he's doing this for more than money I've never done anything for money so it's it's nice it's comforting but it's never been a motivator in my life why why come here I've been very lucky because there was a time about a year ago when NBC chose Jay Leno the host of the nitro it seemed to me that I was superfluous it just didn't seem to me to make any sense to have Jay Leno doing an hour of a talk-show and then I would come on afterwards doing an hour of a talk show and I really felt like you know maybe my time had come to step out of network television and I wasn't happy about it it just seemed to be the reality of the situation so then through the ensuing months when I found out that there was interest from CBS I became cautiously optimistic I didn't I didn't want to take a job anywhere else I listened to a lot of people who had unbelievable offers is a couple of guys in business of syndication of television shows and they it's the King brothers and and these guys are the richest people in though they have all the money and they came in and they said that will give me a show we everybody gets bad law insurance like we where we'll get you some gold watches get your change we'll get you your own theme park how would you like that your own theme park well it's gotten silly huge amounts of money David Letterman leaves NBC his home this place that nurtured him and loved him and today I know wait a minute now please you're talking through your head here there there was not a great deal of love at NBC are you hungry for the competition I'm hungry I'm describing myself I'm like a fighter I'm eager to try and do a really good show because that to me is the you know your work as your ultimate satisfaction not not the ultimate satisfaction perhaps but it certainly makes the day nicer if you think you're doing a good job so I think we're all eager all hungry to use your word to get on and do a nice show and to show a bigger audience what we think is a pretty good show we hope you know we're going to try very hard you feel any pressure actually I'm getting hungry now could I have a BLT I feel like a cookie Oh [Music] I just think it might have been easier to renovate Ed Sullivan than the theater is sorry this is the place David Letterman likes to joke about the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway getting this place ready has been no easy task ever since ed Sullivan's last show back in the 70s this theater had been falling into disrepair so turning it into the new home of Late Show with David Letterman has required total renovation last count we actually saw more rats than seats unclear so Topo Gigio the old build mounted in a stairwell even old grilled cheese sandwich er he looks horrible the years the years have not been kind to Topo Gigio the the theater it's it's unbelievable to watch you go in there any time day or night literally a crew of 200 people hammering nailing plastering painting and they're doing a great job and I just I so hope that it's ready despite all the chaos everybody knows the Ed Sullivan Theater is going to be ready by the time the show goes on the air we're ten floors above that now in the production offices where they decide everything about how the show will go including which celebrities to invite as guests in a party I'm hoping from today and I said we want to offer him the first Friday of the week most of these people moved from NBC to CBS to stay with David Letterman holding the team together was an important reason for keeping the show in New York we had a chance we could have gone to Los Angeles we could have done this show out of brand-new CVS facility in Los Angeles which you could walk into tomorrow and do a first-rate show that beautiful things and and we kind of like the idea of staying in New York it's a bit of a differentiation for us that we want to kind of protect and and also it would have required 40 or 50 people moving to Los Angeles and living somewhere in your barstow I don't know so we decided to stay here and the writing staff is coming with us the the talent staff the people who research and book talent and prepare the segments all of those people are coming with us I think we're about 75% of the people who were with us at NBC are coming with us to CBS Paul Shaffer write returns yes yes in his same capacity oddly enough he's running camera for us on the new show okay he'll be with us but it's a little different job the show's musical director Paul Shaffer has been with Letterman from the start creating a unique sound that helps set the show's move to the banjo I'm adding to the Ben I have the same four guys as the core guys I'm adding two new guys death second guitar and a second synthesizer clamors because we've got some language for Anna so the music will change a little but not too much Paul Shaffer when we talked with the leaders of the production team everyone said the same thing Dave is Dave wine s with success when we're doing our jobs properly we're serving him we're booking the show to his liking we're designing the show that his liking and he's somebody who has a very definitive sense of what works and what doesn't work and him he is extremely funny and in the sense Dave doesn't really need writers so what you have to guard against is falling into a situation where you start to write things like well give Dave spoon he'll be funny with spoons and the fact of the matter is he would be funny with spoons but that's not exactly a you know an idea let me just jump that down cannot be said about is it for you technically is it a different if there is a different show to do at 11:30 10:30 versus the old real late night show idea there was a great fear that you're going to have a big barn of a place and and and you know people will come and say oh you couldn't get a laugh in a place like this but you can forget laughs in this place the ceilings been lowered I would take the beggining laughs oh I'm sorry this is Rob our head writer don't get a memory attic we know this is not the time to drop a bombshell our idea is there a way back when Network new opportunity we can show those guys we were really the ones who ought to be on television at this time yes no we wanted to be on at 11:30 for a long time and we're very excited about it and more people will see us and more people who hopefully like us is there a sense among you about competition honey we're well aware of what they're doing but does it worry us when I get top oh yeah I want to kiss his head all joking aside the Letterman team has had to deal with some controversy these last few months NBC said it owned the rights to Letterman Show much has been written this summer about the disputes between the network's I understand NBC's position in owning the show they feel that they own every aspect of it they own they own my socks I have an artificial tooth they own that they they own every element they own the format I understand them saying all of that and from a legal from just a reasonable point of view I understand somebody making that claim if they say absolutely not Dave you can't use the artificial tooth that you used on NBC 5 they can have the artificial - what's one nation nervous one nation anxious my own shortcomings my own ineptness my own limitations when you realize you're in over your head you know when somebody says something to you and it occurs to you that you haven't been listening and then you think oh geez I well I wish I had been listening because I'm not the smartest man on television I'm not the funniest man on television I ought to be able to pay attention but you know there are those circumstances and I've had a couple here already with you where you're just not listening to a thing anybody is saying and that to me what makes me nervous when I realize I should have done that I should be better than any guest make you nervous yeah occasionally you get a guest who you see them looking at you oddly if I sense that they're distressed then it one of two things will happen you either rise to the occasion and try to put them at ease and I've never done that and or the other thing is you just kind of then both sort of feed symbiotically off each other's ill-at-ease feeling so that that's a that's no good can I confess to you that the only time I did your show I have no memory of that by the way sorry there's my confession line were backstage and as the producers all left and the music was playing during the commercial break it's a Friday night the reason you were there on a Friday night of course was because Marv Albert was out of town yeah I'm so I knew that [Music] just as I'm coming in here tonight a man comes up to me and he's very excited to see me he's squealing with delight and I'm getting jumpier the more the guy squeals uh uh and he says you know he says I think your show is great he said I I watched your morning show I thought that was great he said I seen every one of the shows you've done at NBC ah I can't begin to tell you how excited I am you're going to CBS and he's going on and on and on and on and on and I'm embarrassed and I'm a little excited myself finally all I could really do is I shook the guy's hand and I said well thank you very much mr. Tisch and that was it I don't Larry Tisch that is chairman president and CEO of CBS incorporated Letterman is known for occasionally including his bosses his new one no exception me and Larry down there oh I got cheap suit they're deadbeat right Larry bacon and the deal to bring Letterman to CBS was announced back in January dave was asked what if Paul Shaffer would be coming to with Larry Tisch looking on Letterman did this Oh [Laughter] have you got a little extra for brawler you got an entire big corporation to land before you have individuals now you've like a really rich guys married ish yeah but it's not exactly a mom-and-pop shop is it it's a it's it's anything can be used as a focus of comedy and and I think we have a full play here at CBS not much sense in something doesn't it I didn't mean it to be that way but it's the same situation as General Electric CBS is now the most successful commercial Broadcasting Network General Electric is the largest global corporation so it's you know we don't care how big just as long as they're big and and we can't damage CBS we're making fun I'm just as we couldn't damage GE by Maegan phenomena although lord knows we trust a little teeny-tiny party that says I want to kick NBC no but now first of all I think it's unrealistic to assume that we could based on the structure of the two networks as I said before NBC has been a powerhouse and has dominated and and they have Johnny Carson to thank for that he people well actually goes almost back to the beginning yeah Jack Paar and the Steve Allen before that and Jerry Lester I think had the first version of an NBC late-night show so NBC is or CBS is in second position in him late night to be sure so there's not much I can do about that so there's no point in feeling pressure about something you have no control over I'm hopeful that things go our way and that after a while stuff falls into place but I can't worry about that now I'm more worried about eyeliner blusher lip gloss because does that change with the buildings and when you go to different with the different lighting it makes it you know go ahead and laugh go ahead and walk me Harry but it makes a huge difference to me what did you see when you were a kid that made you think I want to do that there's a occasionally when I would be sick and would get to stay home from school and I wouldn't always get to stay home from school when I was sick but if you know running a fever like 110 111 then mom would relent and you get the Midwest mom wheezes that's right dad and I would we had a television set one of these enormous things and and in those days there was like in the morning you could see I think Arthur Godfrey and I just I get to watch these guys and it seemed geez the equipment looked cool the microphones looked cool the cameras look neat and and the fact that here was a guy very easily chatting with me it seemed like an 11 year old boy who was a delirious from fever is there there's my target audience by the way I just thought well this is great this is cool but I never I never thought you could do that for a living come much much later in my life and when I found out it was possible at any level that was satisfying knowing this is what I would like to do and whether you're doing it in New York City or Indianapolis is doesn't really make much difference families all over America are planning their fall they case good for them around coming to New York and this is not a bad idea they stand in line to get into the Ed Sullivan Theater autumn in New York is maybe the best time to be here anyway and and if you can include in your trip a visit to see our show we would be eternally grateful there are people Believe It or Not who have not seen you there are people who say are out there saying who is this guy why is it such a big deal why should they watch first of all I'm a very nice man my heart is in the right place hi we're we're just trying to do an hour of silly television we want to lighten your load a bit and and I think it's the kind of thing that if you watch once or twice you will you will get it you will want to continue to get it and you will find yourself being on my side I think that's what you hope for generally we're in this together it's not me against them it's me it's me with them and that's part of what makes us very exciting it's we want to show you why we're worth your time [Music] are there any adjustments that you see yourself making for the 11:30 audience well I'm going to start using a rinse with my hair other than that no despite all the talk about changing networks and times David Letterman insists he is still the same he'd like for you to think of him as just day the irreverent guy next door with the uncanny ability to make you laugh I mean it'll either seem very odd to see me an hour earlier or it'll seem okay I think it'll it'll you know I see myself almost every hour of the day and I think that's fine Late Show starts you to run on Broadway Monday night when it premieres here on CBS I'm Harry Smith from Times Square good night so I'm walking to work and I get to this intersection and there's a guy and what he's doing is somebody walks by he's dropping his pants so I'm observing this and I'm just you know my mind is racing after about 45 minutes I think to myself oh geez [Music] one of the best things that's happened to me throughout all of this a couple of weeks ago is true the woman who keeps breaking into my house [Music] over the last eight years this woman has busted into my house a half a dozen times I consider this to be a great sign two weeks ago this woman started breaking into Conan O'Brien's house [Applause] we're done we're done we're done we're not diggity for tickets to join David Letterman studio audience right Late Show with David Letterman 1697 Broadway New York New York 100 1 9 [Music] well it's just one more night until Dave makes his big debut here on channel 2 David Letterman gets a whole new stage a whole new time on a whole new network Michelle Marsh talked to the man of the hour who's basically just a shy guy from Indiana what's your mom say about all your success you know mom and I don't talk about show business we talk about other things and as a result we don't you know I think that she's it's a little embarrassing because any time there has been a magazine and Ana if I've been on the cover of the magazine mom will call the office is it possible to get to cover it Dave on cat world and so and I've been told I haven't seen this but I've been told by my sisters that mom has in her little sewing den room area they're in the house these things up in the wall so I know that she derives a certain measure of satisfaction through through some of this it's a far cry from his humble beginnings in Indianapolis first as a clerk at the corner grocery then on radio at Ball State University early training for his next gig at a local TV station in those days you had to have a person in the booth a live announcer doing station identification and you would read the sign-off and you agreed commercials and the public service announcements and so I would stay I'd go in the middle of the afternoon and stay till the middle of the night and we'd sign the place down and right after the late news everybody would leave and we'd send an engineer out for for beer and so from about midnight on it was just about four or five drunks running the station it was great so and I know that not that much has changed because not four or five drunks running the network same kind of deal this is CBS I want to thank them for their support and also I would like to thank them for their generosity because Dave's new salary a reported 14 million dollars a year puts him in a league of his own and enviable position that he tends to downplay but I realized that I've been lucky enough to work and make myself comfortable and make things nice for myself and my family and it's also now nice to know that if friends of mine or people that I meet are not as fortunate as I am and it's nice to know that I can do something about that so that's that's the very best thing about the money that I make but as I've said all along I'm not worth it and it's just a it's just a function of the marketplace I'm just dumb lucky to have been in this position when this kind of money was available with all the fame and fortune Letterman's personal life remains amazingly well protected you have maintained your privacy throughout this whole fry time till today okay when you guys barged in here and I'm kind of steamed about this I mean it's kind of amazing Dave I'd go to the supermarket with my baby I look at the cowboy I'm trying to find out something about your your love life and your part is that you go to I don't care anything about it you know if this is actually your behavior it's time for you to reevaluate your life this B speaks a desperate exhibit what do you do what do you mean really do I mean you know I'm not here to have fun I'm here to entertain America yeah but what are you here to relax there's well right now I don't have much free time what do you know what everybody does to relax you know just just as much rum as I can get in me they've told me he loves this job because he just loves meeting people now we're going to get a little more personal tomorrow on Channel 2 News at 5:00 when Dave talks to me about marriage and children and whether he's nervous about his big debut I'll be watching how about you guys through that armor absolutely thank you dressed up for you I was very impressed great still ahead the Yankees in a clash with Cleveland did the Bronx Bombers win a solo spot at the top of the lead Rock has the answer and the rest of the sports up it's 10 minutes before the hour tonight David Letterman makes it on Broadway and the Ed Sullivan Theater is a place where Late Show with David Letterman premieres right here on CBS we're psyched we are ready now you know Dave's a pretty busy guy but somehow Harry and I managed to corral him and we asked him if the high expectations for the show made him feel pressure everyone is doing fine with or without us we hope that everyone will do well with us but we know that this did not get to be the number one network by dumb luck well actually maybe it is dumb luck but still in all here you are I don't feel any pressure you know what it is if when you enjoy doing something if you like if you go on a vacation that's too long like it's a week long or a half a week too long you can hardly wait to get back because you miss what you're doing that's how I feel now and and my only pressure is the way I would have pressure under any other show circumstance which is we just want to do a nice show we want to you know get these under our belt and kind of start working on the actual content of the show I mean I've been doing a lot of silly things over the last 6 months that I normally would not be doing but because of the job change I've been doing these other things and what Oh and so traveling it's fun to get out of New York City and talk to people with a different perspective on your work on television generally it's fun to meet other people you know and this is no surprise this is no great insight here but then look who you're talking to whenever you leave New York City and God knows I love New York City people seem to be automatically and for no apparent reason friendlier more open more trusting and obviously as I said I'm not the first one to say this but it's disarming and then when you kind of relax into it it's so refreshing and it just it's like a miracle now wait a minute you may you're sincere this is this is not this is not the setup for uh no no we're talking about our Midwestern roots I'm talking about gold gold anywhere go anywhere it's because people in New York City have other things they're focused their attention their energy is placed on other activities which is you know by and large survival that they have have lost this kind of opened this I'm not saying this to criticize New York City I'm just saying it is a wonder when you experience it by leaving the city I was I was in Baltimore a huge city a very large very sophisticated metropolis or Metroplex and people there were very nice I've been the Indiana I've been to Texas of been to Missouri been to Tennessee they're just nice for no no reason they're nice and you think well this is probably more what God had in mind for folks you know don't you think we have a chance to have any personal question shoot go ahead at you there we go do you ever plan to get married again I'm gonna get married you know the play tells to whom no I'll tell you why because the last time I was talking to a very nice guy we did an article in Rolling Stone a few months ago and he said hey seeing someone and I said oh yes yes and so he said who and a nice and I said who and then I also said the state from which she was from where her family lives and then you know people start following her people start calling her people start bothering her parents and I just thought that seems like a mistake you know these people are just going about their lives and there's folks sitting in rental cars out in front of their house so I thought okay I've learned something there so let's not talk about the wife accident let's talk about the children let's talk about the wife in the same article you talk about wanting to have children get any effect on me baby I love that kid I would absolutely love to have kids and and I will I will get to it so just relax we want you to miss out of it you know I don't want to miss out on it a couple of years ago my friends all started having be and I was charmed by this I hadn't been around an infant in years and years and years and man was that a pleasant experience just the way they feel just the weight of them the way they kind of move and the the hair paul shaffer just had a baby and his wife Kathy bought the baby up to the office you just put your face right up on the baby's head and there's nothing like that have you ever felt anything like that it's just it's it's amazing and use it's so easy to to be drawn to that and I said I this is something I have to do you have any advice for Harry and me as we get ready for the impending arrival of both of our children probably going to come what may be four days apart well I don't know I think you're all right but in the case of Harry I would recommend private schools and Switzerland that's what I'm thinking here Harry David Letterman normal guy debuts tonight 11:30 Eastern Time thank you very much oh I'm gonna savor that thank you so thanks Harry so yeah now the weather guy okay here we'll be right back this portion of CBS this morning was sponsored by post Grape Nuts cereal breakfast with Grape Nuts helps keep you going strong all morning long and Jay doesn't that make you so very exciting you know my name is not in the paper nearly enough as it should be are you I sick to death of talking about the late-night TV landscape I must be where I'm not really cuz each time you talk about it you get scale which is $512 so I'll sit here all day climb on me well let me ask you then are you at all nervous about about Dave oh I think it'll be a fun actually I think it'll be interesting to see sort of what happens you know I like Dave I respect David and we're friends if I was going against some sort of who I didn't like I think you might be nervous you know when I watch salt like these cable shows and whatnot and you see people who are I just think inappropriate or rude or you know it's sexist there's anti-semitic or whatever and they become popular then you say to yourself oh gee maybe what I'm doing is wrong is that what people really want to hear you know women jokes and gay bashing and this and that but when anyone your opponents if you want to call that is someone who you respect and like I think you go into it fairly well if you win great if not well at least is someone you you like and you respect what kind of change is that jr. in store on on The Tonight Show well the monologue is gone we're going to go through modern interpretive dance okay now on we will come out I'll be using the dance company Harlem to help to portray news stories and we will then act them out you and all these hard I would definitely make develop you guys between I don't know of any changes so much it's a bit like that stupid chess game they plan Star Trek you know that three-dimensional think it doesn't work you just sort of go with what works in Tonight Show has always been desk chair couch do you want to eat something cream I guess you call it tinkering I mean I think the show gets looser and looser the more we do it from the he's Tonight Show with Jay featuring right for ourselves with the light show bad thank you very much thank you thank you I'm uh I'm your host and just thinking a couple of weeks no matter what faces hurt on you're going to hear that hi I'm your host on every channel will be always oh god you went through a tough time Jay when you first interviewed our team and I'm talking to Kirk oh yeah you know what can I tell you but when you first took over the tonight charming thinks we're pretty rough you had the Arsenio Hall calm and I'm going to kick Jay Leno's bottom bottom right that's what it is got to kick that bottom yeah that's what I've been you know I don't think we need the street talk yeah I'm going to kick to a bottom that's right but you had the whole debacle telling push me you had a lot of people preparing you not particularly favorably to Johnny a real legend of course in the business and that was Monday oh man I do they were even worried to get every room do you feel like things have settled down though Jay that you kind of get here to try to be I think most people's attitude is especially with the press do you know you get hit for a year and if you try to be classy about it and take your shots like okay what we still standing so you really have been a gentleman sir well I think the show has been stronger a year later than it was when we started and I make my living making fun of everybody else good heaven I mean if you can't take it when people come after you a little bit you shouldn't be in the business you I know have have also had a little bit of a tough fall of a very tough personal time recently because your mom Catherine Rose just passed away I mean while were very close weren't you yeah we used to have a lot of fun actually well we would talk every day and of course you know I would say who's on the show and the mother never would have heard of them you know you know it's not deanna durbin well you know I thought aam Cruz is on room oh no him once you get the big stars mark he's a big stud well I never heard of men my friend grace doesn't know who he is you did a very touching tribute to her on the show well you know it's odd because you when your life is so public and my mom is a big part of my act and I would talk and tell jokes I thought well gee people reading the paper that your mom passed away and then you're on the show we could to later it seems silly to pretend as if nothing happened and I just sort of off the top of my head so when I would let people know how I feel and I think most people don't have the opportunity to go on television or get the newspaper and tell people how they feel about their folks and it's just one of those things I thought well let me do it and I tried to make it kind of funny so you're not wasting people's time just know just let them know and G we got terrific response that's nice and I know she would have loved to have heard that tribute maybe she did uh probably did if I know my mother anyway well Jay will be watching okay we're standing up for Jay oh you're all you're standing there I like that candidate all those are good again that's not a show a large very funny part of your oil again oh wait a minute I get it sorry you know there you go gonna be sure anyway best of luck again but it's nice to talk to you and we'll be watching and reading for you well thanks a lot we'll keep our fingers crossed and now you're right in my shot oh I'm sorry and we'll be back we'll be back in a moment listen she they end up right now your chin is in my shot this is today on NBC Showtime big time for David Letterman in just about 20 minutes Letterman starts taping his first show for CBS a first show that is the first shot in a heavily hyped late-night television talk show war it is all happening at the exquisitely renovated Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway and that is precisely where channel 2's Maury alter is right now hello Maury hi guys and of course you know the really important people are inside now which is why I can be here with you but actually and seriously it is an exciting time maybe not so exciting if you're over at NBC or ABC tonight but certainly for the people who love David Letterman and there certainly is a segment of night time talk audience that does those are some excited people and they've been out here all day in line when you go inside your ticket is going to be torn but you there they are Letterman lovers in line actually two lines these folks have the blue tickets which means they definitely get in and then across the street there's that line Bob and Mike see there are their tickets ladies and gentlemen and and these tickets entitle Bob and Mike from Seattle to do what oh wait here and see if there's not 400 people that show up and we can maybe sneak on and you came here from Seattle to do that yeah if they're a stupid fan segment they're doing all right ladies and gentlemen the top three four or maybe five reasons you came all the way for a date hoping I'll see something I've never seen before Letterman on CBS thanks great I'm sure there's a fascinating story behind this genuine butter sculpture of Dave why would somebody come all the way from Bay City Michigan to see David Letterman well David Letterman is worth the trip he's our great the comedian and we've followed him through his whole career and we're real anxious to be here for the pre-show if he doesn't do a stupid Petric are you going to be upset well I'll sigh deeply but then I'll recover and cheer for Paul or something like that now you are actually associated with the show right I'm with CBS actually but and you are a page for the Letterman Show right so tell us is he going to do stupid metrics or no I can't even say that I haven't seen it yet well as you can see security is very tight here even the people closest to mr. Letterman aren't saying a thing how old are you I am 26 you know they hope you are the young person female who will add to the ratings for him how many I met of course David Letterman is not the only man who will be checking the ratings in the morning Jay Leno the guy who got the show Letterman wanted cares a lot so does Arsenio Hall whose show has already been bumped into later less lucrative time slots by some of the CBS affiliates as does Chevy Chase whose new show debuts next week on the Fox Network a half-hour earlier at 11 p.m. and then there's Ted Koppel who's ABC Nightline program is now the closest thing to real competition The Tonight Show has of course now everybody at CBO CBS hopes that situation has just changed the theory would be that Ted Koppel might win because all these other talkers would get smaller slices of the same pie I just talked to Laurence Tisch the head man at CBS before he walked in and I posed that theory to me said that's interesting it would be challenging I don't think it'll happen we'll find out what happens when all of you people vote with your remotes a little later this evening we'll be back of course on the six o'clock news with even more and tonight a report on how people thought the show was on Channel 2 News at 11:00 back to you guys Maury I hear if the show bombs you're ready to step in yeah might be ready to step out after those questions I have campuses hey Morgan Bob and Mike ever get in there are they still waiting outside Bob and Mike the two guys I don't know yet there's about a couple of more minutes those people are still waiting with tickets now tape time is at 5:30 so they've got to get them in before they could let any of the standby people in I wouldn't hold my breath do you think it'll be like this every night no no I think it will early by the way CBS honchos and suits as we call them in the industry are not in there packing the audience Letterman stipulated he didn't want that to be what the audience he wanted his audience to be like it'll be throughout the year so a lot of the executives are in a little bar right next door and they're going to be watching on a TV set okay very democratic sure well you'll be able to thanks mark you'll be able to judge for yourself whether Letterman has lived up to all of this hype The Late Show with Letterman begins at 11:35 tonight in case you've been on the planet Mars that's right after Channel 2 News at 11:00 with 13 T we've heard a little bit about that program haven't we later on it just broadcast Michelle Marsh will sit down one-on-one with Letterman and hear what he have to say about a new program coming up next year let the late-night war begin right now David Letterman is about 22 minutes into taping his first show for CBS at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway and up next Michelle Marsh talks with Letterman about the days and one hopes the years ahead you're looking live at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan where right now the long-awaited Late Show with David Letterman is taping its opening night broadcast during the first half hour and while we cannot get you tickets we can't offer you something that comes real close channel 2's Michelle Marsh recently sat down with Dave for a personal chat with a man who would be king of late-night television we heard from a source wedding bells may be ringing for you any comment I was married earlier today in Chinatown he's down there waiting for you now Troy quick I have to go back and finish up the ceremony it's not wha yeah all right yeah yeah yeah I don't know what to say uh you know I was married once I'll get married again there you go yeah do you like that kid yeah I'd love to have kids and I still will have kids I want to be the oldest human to a better ever fathered children on the planet and I get a pretty good shot at it we practically need you a super-huge oh you are the Czar of late night DJ I'm your mortal okay you can't be done it can't be done and I think what's going to happen is I I can feel it I can sense it when I when I leave the building when I'm out on the street it's like people have seen something otherworldly you know it's like oh my god from from what planet from what solar system has this being but what will happen when all of these people who now succumb to this this phony pumped artificially stimulated the media hype and tune in to watch the show within 2 or 3 minutes they'll realize ah so it will all settle down we are you nervous right now no no I'm not I'm too you know I ought to be and man maybe if this was my first job I'd be a little nervous but I'm just not I've you know I've been through this before and I'm confident that you know one of the nice things about this and one of the real reasons forget all of the hype forget all of the publicity the the only real reason to watch the new show early on you're going to see unbelievable crippling production mistakes you're just going to because we're in this theater we have never done shows in the theater before you just don't know some might blow up a steam fitting may explode people might get killed so that's the only area where I'm a little nervous because we just haven't done shows in that theater we just don't know if it'll work you know hopefully we won't lose anybody well you know Ed Sullivan was killed in that theater as the truth is one of these Russian kind of sword acts and Ed was over here like I'm like over there and and the next thing you know he was gone so tell me about the show I mean what are we gonna see I have no idea I've missed most of the meetings I don't know let's see I can tell you that two days ago you know this is one of the great things about being in television I mean first of all it's great to have a job I feel like I'm very lucky but if you step away from what I do on a daily basis it's the best two days ago in my office on a conference room table I wrestled Andy Rooney you know you don't you don't get that in every other job you know there's not many jobs where that would come up that you're you know you're wrestling a 70 year old television journalist gosh if that was a high point David Letterman's career he's a big trouble we had fun though I was I was surprised that one thing about David Letterman I know what I should show this say this too you're not I liked him a lot and now the ratings will determine whether the rest of America also likes Dave Michelle Marsh Channel 2 News an hour of silly television is what he called it tonight at 11:35 that's Channel 2 News at 5:00 this Monday I'm Tony Josh I'm Dana Tyler Channel 2 News at 6:00 is next [Music] after months of hype it is finally opening night for David Letterman after months and months of preparation the Late Show premieres tonight on CBS and channel twos Maury alter is live at the Ed Sullivan Theater where the show is being taped right now how are things going Maury I wonder if we're really on I'm not hearing it but I see myself on TV and a little monitor and I'll bet we're really on TV so I'll just tell you even though I can't hear that right across the street is the David Letterman Show taping has already begun there's been a lot of excitement in the middle of the show Letterman stuck his head out the side door 5000 cameramen proved that they could all run into each other at one time we may have some video at 11 o'clock about that Bill Murray was up on a balcony earlier sticking his head out the window and talking it looks like they're having fun we don't know we don't get to see in a little bar right next to the there's Bill Murray which out of Bill Murray clowning around during the show and in a little bar that's right next to the theater are all the CBS Browns everybody who's important in the company is in there right now huddled inside that bar watching because among other things Letterman insisted that that not be the crowd in the audience and that we have a Lawrence Tisch the chairman of CBS some people have said you know that he might slice up the same audience and a Nightline could win and that makes it more interesting I love competition and a nice tie by the way thank you so weird that I don't know but it's an old Egyptian design that really is a replica of maybe CBS I came from this design the Egyptians had cable that early very early thank you I think I'm going to tell the chairman of CBS it's not a nice-looking tie anyway they're all excited they're all predicting that this will be successful of course it's very important at CBS that this does work given the money that's been invested they hope it will improve the entire performance of to some extent the entire network schedule which is already in pretty good shape anyway tonight at 11:00 we'll talk to people who will be emerging shortly to tell us what they thought of the first David Letterman show that's on Channel 2 News at 11:00 tonight all right you guys Mari Ken here is what I'm sure you having a great time down there we'll check back with you tonight at 11 o'clock perhaps you can hear us all right David Letterman premieres tonight at 11:35 here on CBS but some folks in the New York City area have already seen the show which was taped a little earlier today they lined up outside the old Ed Sullivan Theater which is now David Letterman's brand-new home and there's a bust of him nobody wanted to believe that I got the tickets this is incredible and I'm going to see Dave Letterman how many people can say that on the first show Dave I can't wait to see you tonight we know this show won't be a bust Letterman fans can rest easy dave tells me it's going to be the same show the same attitude with maybe a new trick or two thrown in when David Letterman announced his 14 million-dollar move to CBS he almost forgot someone have you got a little extra for all the money because Paul Shaffer is back at the hippest man on television I have aspired to hip if I may ah I don't think I've really made it I all I can do is just admit to you how important the concept of hypnosis on my wall and the Dave Letterman dancers what's he really like he is a he is like a gentle rainfall in a Japanese rock garden speaking of love I think it was a George Bernard Shaw who said you can't you can't start it like a car you can't stop it with a gun he breaks me up and it's not you know oh yes sir it's a little of that Dave tells me a lot of the old late night crew are making the move with him yeah pretty much the same staff in fact look who's here it's our stage manager Biff Henderson Biff come on in and think about yes all right we expected few new stupid tetrax out of Biff though yeah well that's it Biff is endlessly entertaining although it would be difficult to prove here today new theater the same show same cast still Dave revealed to me one major change he has plans if I can tell you this and I haven't told anybody else this but the first night out I'm going to be in an evening gown I'm looking around I have my eye on a couple of things and it's not it's not going to be cheap it's not going to be show it's not going to be flashy it's going to be tasteful but provocative what an exclusive huh make sure you watch tonight and see if Dave picked out just the right evening gown I hear Bill Murray helped him decorate his set to the Late Show with Letterman airs at 11:35 right after Action News night guests a man an evening gown with a cigar how can be anything but they in tonight CBS makes good on its promise a same-day better time new station on CBS this morning it was the warm and tender Dave who stopped by Letterman talked about family things like getting married and settling down and having a baby he didn't talk about it my body doctor bosses well he did but we don't have to take to show you unfortunately I'm sorry about that I apologize however it's going to happen tonight guest stars Bill Murray and Billy Joel at 11:30 top 10 reasons whether Tate didn't come up is number one and you can find it you can find it that's the night 11:30 be sure to tune in tomorrow Rasila Kelly from LA Law will be here with our pet of the week I think it's Monday what do you think Ritter so I have a great lunch with the 11th fiber David Letterman's new late-night talk show debuts tonight here on CBS right after Action News and he has some new digs of the old Ed Sullivan Theater but as our Steve Rambo reports from New York City he's still the same old wacky guy with the same old devoted fans it may as well have been a winning lottery ticket to this hunch diehard Letterman fans have endured a network change a name change and/or month of reruns will get to see their man tonight we woke up at 5:30 this morning and came down and got some breakfast and after my mood there's nobody six seven hours oh yeah I'm on a good time I'm like other reporters this is fun no ticket no entry no matter what CBS execs have sealed off the Ed Sullivan Theater - all except construction crews but they've got a lot to say about the new Late Show its revitalized us as much as it's revitalized this city block so the bosses are excited - the fans are excited and so is the press anxious for news any news here a pedestrian gets hit by a taxi then the stuff that came for the press even brought news this butter bust of Dave was carried here by Minneapolis reporter hoping for an interview David of course is thrilled to be immortalized in cholesterol but because everything's so crazy that he did not want to actually let me walk up and give it to her [Music] in a little more than an hour these diehard Leatherman fans will be on their way out of the Ed Sullivan Theater after seeing the first taping and CBS execs will be hot on their heels looking for reviews trying to find out if the Late Show with David Letterman will be the late-night savior for CBS Steve Rambo channel 2 Action News talk about the stupid human tricks been a bleak summer for Diane Letterman fans but tonight that wait is over Action News has more on tonight's premiere live in New York City with Larry mini Larry Hosea the wait is over that the Ed Sullivan Theater and back of May doesn't look great after eight million dollars worth of renovations the home to so many history-making television events and tonight it is the home of just one more the first David Letterman Show on CBS and maybe it was a tribute to his 14 million dollar salary that his first show had an impressive wad of bills Bill Murray and Billy Joel the execs and the stars and the audience came out just about an hour ago and if their enthusiasm is any indication urine for a great show he's just going to kick everybody's butt and say why no Arsenio they don't have a chance what can you tell us about the show Paul Newman was in the audience for a few minutes Tom Brokaw came out he's the top 10 list again and he's just great man you know it sounded great for the man that silly tall is great Phil Murray was good Paul Newman was the surprise guest it was great it was just the same show the same Dave I didn't expect I thought it could be a lot different husbandís our point really good from what you saw tonight is it 14 million will spent yes absolutely yeah good I wouldn't want you to think that I dipped into my own personal problems even in my own money because I have it ya know as well with Ben you know we've prepared to baseball this is a steal what can you tell us about the show fantastic one of the best I've ever been on surprises here around the other one Paul Newman Tom Brokaw Johnny Carson [Music] the Paul Newman and Tom Brokaw part was true the Liz Taylor Johnny Carson park was not it that was just a joke what is not a joke as you see not McGee's pump right there underneath the Late Show that is where the CBS execs had to watch the show on closed-circuit David Letterman would not allow him them in to the auditorium because he says only fans could get those seats so as they say in the promo same old day of just a new network reporting live from Manhattan Larry Mendte Channel 2 News I want to play silo sex yet he better be careful her fat thanks Larry sure view of Late Show with David Letterman right here on CBS and our Maury altars live for us at the Ed Sullivan Theater with a sneak preview all right Maury let's hear about it well first of all I've got to tell you there's the marquee behind me the show is history in that it's in the can and on tape except America hasn't seen it yet and I have to share one thought with you whether you're with CBS NBC or ABC it's just exciting to see one more little chapter in new york's broadcasting history and I wasn't the only excited guy here where you from not all the way from just for this why screaming yep they love their Dave wind up all the way around the block they did recognize this fellow from the back going in Tom Brokaw NBC News crossing Network lines because that's what friends are for little bar next door was for network blast to watch a feat of the taping which was just fine with Letterman who didn't want a studio audience full of station managers and the like he did want real live fans which is what he got who in turn got to be a part of broadcasting history what was the best part Dave and you're now seeing a few of the 10 or so seconds Letterman's people would let us show of that historic for show but we have our ways of finding out so great job Dave's number one did he do Petric no into fetching he looks like he got more hair actually Paul Newman was they came out and said a few words he did top 10 list he said this is the top 10 and yes really sorry what's excellent he was excellent we do here for instance that Bill Murray showed no respect for Letterman's fifty gazillion dollar new set other highlights Oh Billy Joe I thought it was it was better than cats and I would recommend my family to come see it time and time again but you'd like to hear more from the average viewer do you think this will be a winner oh boy based on what I saw tonight it's wonderful and no doubt he'd like to hear more from the average viewer - and sometime tomorrow morning he will when the first numbers come in from the Nielsen people who will be monitoring what lots of average folks like you and me are doing when the clock strikes eleven thirty five tonight the ratings of child students are going to go up through the ceiling are you vertically number one yeah maybe I could swap you I got one tune in the morning pal and hopefully that man will never have to embarrass himself like that again because of the millions of viewers who will watch late at night your program channel 2 News at 11 and leave it set right there when of course Cindy Shu and I in the morning we'll fill you in on all the latest Letterman stuff as well as the rest of the news of the world and I got my plug in is actually yeah you're pretty late more are you going to make it I don't know everybody's promoting their own show thanks Mari see you later all right trike how are you doing pretty good most of them won't be available until later this fall the discs cost about $60 a piece and the players run from several hundred to eight hundred dollars a little expensive hobby but you can have a lot of fun price could go down no that's Channel 2 News at 11:00 for this Monday night I'm Dana time and I've already avasta stay tuned next for the premiere of Late Show with David Letterman we've been waiting for that Emily have a good night see you tomorrow this is CBS David Letterman is king of late-night at least for his CBS debut show preliminary ratings showed that littleman Monday night premiered through almost three times as many viewers as jay leno show on NBC of course it's much too early to tell if Letterman will retain a commanding lead in the months to come but his till Brooke reports the comedian's first outing for CBS had the feel of a winner it was the hottest ticket in town we felt like we won the lottery and fans came from all over the country to see the premiere of David Letterman's late-night show for CBS - yo ho Hershey Pennsylvania Gainesville Florida remarks Texas and while they waited in line for hours there was plenty of outside entertainment a would be Marilyn Monroe gifts came from near and far many inspired by Letterman's trademark wackiness from a Minnesota State Fair a sculpture made from butter for months now the late-night Wars have been hyped in the press and finally the battle began with Letterman's debut his guest was Bill Murray who is it letterman side when the show was launched at NBC over a decade ago with typical sarcasm Letterman made a joke out of NBC's claim to own parts of his act illegally I can continue to call myself day but one element was subtly changed the top ten list is now late shows top 10 but to expand thankfully it was the same day great show great show lot people were worried that you know he'll change according to his humor for such 11:30 timeslot not at all same day you know same day different network today was going to be a new king of late-night that's what CBS hoped because the late-night time period can generate almost 675 million dollars in ad revenue well we've been dead in late-night for as long as I can remember and what this does is revitalizes and bring us back to life and in the most important day part that we failed it we think it will be the late night star of the next 20 or 30 years so that's that's the sort of franchise you want to invest in despite the hype and hoopla there's still plenty of people on this planet who have never heard of David Letterman including this Austrian tourist it's one men only a man oh yes for one man named David Letterman the CBS has paid 14 million dollars for hoping for ratings and revenues this is Jill Brooke for CNN Entertainment News one man surprised ABC's Nightline was second ahead of NBC's Tonight Show Letterman's fans gave his show rave reviews it is the same old day that was yes or not Arizona is it great what did you like best it was just like the same she was fabulous at it was everything he always was Letterman hosted NBC's late night for 11 and a half years before he was lured away by CBS I'm Terry Keenan at the New York Stock Exchange which have stopped flirted with a new record bus fella that closed though industrials ending the day down more than 6.4 36:45 the other indexes finished today mix Wall Street giving David Letterman rave reviews high ratings for his late night debut sent shares of CBS up 15 points today an increase in CBS market value of more than 225 million dollars not a bad return on CBS 142 million dollar investment and the New York Times said a lot of viewers will be back to see him on weeknights if he keeps up the wit and vigor of his opening show and today's Daily News told it in the headline which reads Dave gets off to a dandy restart Letterman funny as ever as his Late Show joined CBS lineup and the excitement spilled out onto the streets around the Ed Sullivan Theater today where the staff guests and audience members arrive for tonight's show hilarious is great to stay totally Dave anything mom this is great the law it's been a fan and I'll keep watching that's music to Network executive ears because the place where it really counts is in the ratings and last night's National Nielsen numbers show that Dave got off to a real good start we're delighted about them but you know they'll taper off obviously but it's a terrific opening nearly 13 million viewers nationwide tuned into Letterman's premiere in Nielsen terms Late Show received a 13 point four rating and a 34 share meaning more than one of three television viewers was watching Dave show in comparison Ted Koppel's Nightline got less than half of that it received a six point three rating and a 15 share barely edging out Jay Leno who got a five point eight rating and a 14 share and while Leno claims that he plans to stick with his tried and true Tonight Show formula he did acknowledge the fierce competition on last night's program I would like to address this whole late-night talk-show war thing with this simple statement I think there's something up I just want to say I think the Nielsen families are the smartest nicest best-looking people in the whole world yeah but Leno's attempt to butter up the Nielsen families do not sway the folks in our area where the ratings were two points higher than the national figures the New York metropolitan area gave Letterman a 15 point 7 rating and a 35 share proving to anyone who for the past eight months has witnessed the most frenetic battle for late-night viewers in TV history that round one goes to David Letterman if you're wondering what Jay is going to do to follow up his big debut show tonight he's going to welcome Robin Williams and John Mellencamp to Late Show that begins at 11:35 following Channel 2 News at 11:00 o'clock so stage night of love it was really a great show line I'd say that even if I didn't work okay a lot like the old one I guess the formula is if it ain't broke don't fix it that's Channel 2 News at 5:00 I've Tony guy to thanks again with I'm Dana Tyler now channel Smith is at 6:00 good night you know a couple of months ago when we joined the CBS staff it was it was very exciting in fact it's still exciting to be part of the CBS television family and early on when we moved into our offices here we got a visitor to the facility and we were all honored and thrilled and he just wanted to come by and he said if you'd like I'll go from office to office with you I'll meet your staff members if they have any questions they would like to ask me or anything they want to discuss I'm here to do that because it's my way of welcoming you to the CBS family and that man was was Andy Rooney that's right so here now ladies and gentlemen join me and my staff as we spend a few minutes with Andy Rooney [Applause] we're just going to go off us to office and see if the folks on my staff have questions for mr. Rooney's that all right with you yeah all right we appreciate your time let's go this is a CBS News bio of yours from 1980 and in the bottom here it says that in a free time you like the big bread yeah I'm just wondering if a is that true and B do you have a favorite recipe I don't do much about recipes if you need a recipe the chances are you can't cook I used to bake bread it's like a magic trick there's oh it's very exciting it's this you get a lot of that and I'm a guy who doesn't really get much of this if you know what I mean you have a question for Andy just wondering if you have any plant to grow facial hair or get your ear pierced I I gave some thought to earrings but I decided against the Lawrence Taylor is wearing one now and I didn't just didn't want to join the crowd about poems would be a little bit pokes I watch your show for years and I always wanted to give you a big hug can I do that I know you didn't they are requesting here for him these workmen have been working on this roof over there they're really loud they're laughing all dad's wondering if you could just ask them to keep it down for me and keep it down trying to keep it down well you were working over here we're trying to do a television show he's been insulting staff members all day you want a minute the picture here ones have a tie on here I really think your excellent point you made a mess of this place nari are you happy with your paycheck you're happy with your wooden object buy yourself a new shirt one of these days I always want to give you a big hug can I do that I got you then have you ever been in a fistfight yeah I've been in a fistfight I'll tell you what okay I wrestled in college at 175 pounds and I can kill anybody who wants to fight me with his fists because all I got to do is grab him and I killing yeah Russell you ready right Oh Oh Cal so just show you a cute bit of video look at the kitty mister really doesn't want abs you have a question for mr. Rooney well yeah actually since I just finished lunch oh just wondering uh you have anything my teeth all spike please when you finished now your five and I always wanted to give you a big hug can I do that I know you didn't the worst thing what is it anyone is that Cologne 56 on would it be physically possible for an eagle to lift a human baby no [Music] i watch your show for years and I always wanted to give you a big hug can I do that okay all right okay I got nothing to do today [Music] lately [Music] literally forget today Andy Rooney stop by to wrestle we're going to do a commercial when we come back the breeders right over there [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 54,350

Keywords: David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman, CBS This Morning, WBCS-TV, KCBS-TV, Harry Smith, Paula Zahn, Mark McEwen, Michelle Marsh, Jay Leno, Bree Walker, Larry Sanders, Garry Shandling, Andy Rooney, Paul Shaffer, World's Most Dangerous Band, CBS Orchestra, Morry Alter

Id: C_3cp-AtjPs

Length: 111min 11sec (6671 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 05 2017