Countdown to the Final Late Show, May 17-21, 2015

[Applause] it was probably the most vivid year of my life oh my god and I'm grateful that you're sure well thank you very much together again our first guest has been the very first guest on every first television program we've ever done Bill Murray bill it's Sunday morning on CBS and here again is Charles Osgood are you all right I went to the other place God is it over there nearly 22 years after Bill Murray's memorable entrances David Letterman's first guest on The Late Show here on CBS Dave is counting down to his last broadcast this Wednesday night visiting Dave this past week at the Ed Sullivan Theater was another Hoosier who worked with Dave way back home in Indiana our own Jane Pauley in his final days in the Ed Sullivan Theater David Letterman is reminiscing when they were finishing it up there was a garbage can here and I was up in the balcony and I had a football with me and I said I let me see if I can drop the football into the trash can from up there one shot bang zoom and I thought this is a sign of something so do we have the thing here let's try it again do you mind Jane oh I'm game it seems like you and your boys don't have anything planned well we have some plans but we can change them oh you can do anything you want we have to go up here somebody stay down here Jane Pauley ladies and gentlemen we were off and running are those properly inflated along the catwalk and into the balcony you're not gonna let me play it was so close why did I have to say okay that's scared me that closer then yeah then mr. Letterman sure I'm joking it's no follow-through it took ten tries thank you very much what does it mean I don't know I'm just happy I was able to do it yeah and you were yeah that means you can't leave okay no no we have to leave and leaving he is with an astonishing lineup of guests in his final weeks on the air I'll sit here this is a really a nervous place to sit hmm I haven't been honored to be among the 18,000 gasps do you remember yep no seriously do you remember stuff do you remember people I you know I do I don't remember things we've done on the show and here lately we've been showing video of things we've done on the show I have no memory of it no memory of it and when I get home Regina will say well who was on the show and then it's like yeah yeah who was I don't know was it it might have been Reese Witherspoon but then again might have been Regis Philbin I II don't I'm just not sure would you like to hear what we'd sound like had we been I sometimes appeared on Letterman Show in the early days ain't been sticking with some nasty throat virus it's your show des monts he thought it would be fun to make our voices sound like we didn't hailed helium I wasn't so sure woman I apologize the helium thing what see I don't remember you you were on helium if we spoke our voices sounded like we were and I wouldn't say a word you did whatever you could to make me right but see you you behaved the way humans are expected to behave my behavior was aberrant so I owe you an apology no there's often something apologetic about David Letterman which goes way back as we do having both grown up in Indianapolis I recalled an appearance we made together in the 70s you told the high school kids about your feelings about you our success you said it's like robbing 7-elevens the money's good but you know you're going to get caught yeah I hope I hope I said that in those days I was probably not you waiting to be tapped on the shoulder okay the real guys here you can go home now that's what I was always motivated by that fear the fear of failure and then I have to oh darn and then you know I wasn't chosen again so I go back to home in high school Letterman was not a candidate for most likely to succeed but that's where he found his calling what did you want to be I knew exactly what I wanted to be my sophomore year in high school they offered a speech class public speaking class so I signed right up first day of class everybody has to stand up and give an impromptu speech about themselves and I got up when it was my turn and I gave the speech if it had to be like two minutes or so I was like and I sat down and I said wow that was easy to myself and I had never said that about any other class in my academic career prior or after I couldn't do it in algebra couldn't do it in English couldn't do it in history couldn't do it anywhere metal shop maybe after college at Ball State Letterman became a local jack of all TV train I started when I was 20 years old in Indianapolis I remember you are you the weather weekend movies maybe not hysterical yeah and I think you'll see that once again we've fallen to the prey of political dirty dealings the higher-ups have removed the border between Indiana and Ohio making it one giant state personally I'm against it one of the most important decisions he ever made was to get serious about comedy and moved to Los Angeles David Letterman within a few years he landed an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson that would change his life it's white-hot adrenaline that's all it is and then you go and you sit down you talk to Johnny and it's like you're sitting on the knee of the Lincoln Memorial and Lincoln is talking to you you know it's like holy God it's the guy on the five-dollar bill is talking to me I have a feeling fear shot on this show tonight you're gonna be working a lot absolutely comedy star thank you hope you come back with us my appearance is on The Tonight Show led to a morning show at 11:00 a.m. because it was bizarrely a daytime version of what you do now my office would be filled people watching it was brilliant it wasn't brilliant Jane it was but it was like standing on an overpass looking at a chain-reaction collision you know that goes okay the nine cars ten cars oh look it's a hundred cars it couldn't have been more poisonous they had to get away from it the show lasted just four months I really thought that's it you get one shot and away you go though Letterman was a ratings disaster in daytime NBC gave him a shot at late-night I started off for god sakes at 12:30 following Johnny Carson so that was a pretty safe place for a kid who didn't know what he was doing and that's what the the network said find some kid who doesn't know what he's doing the only one in America do this that's right yes but it was all different I couldn't get a show now for years Letterman was the heir apparent to his idol Johnny Carson but when Carson retired in 1992 the chair went to Jay Leno instead there were rumours in the paper you're gonna firebomb NBC you were gonna do all that I hate waiting in lines but I do it Letterman deeply and publicly wounded moved to CBS I was disappointed but it to my way of thinking it was it was not bitter and then this morning I wake up and next to me in bed is the head of a peacock so I don't know he turned the Late Show into a comedic laboratory do the hell of the singing cat this so this is not Kansas in my TV show [Music] top ten list number eight I still wear those underpants from risky business yeah stupid pet tricks but televisions most reliably irreverent personality is feeling kind of nostalgic these days when I'm down here during band numbers or during commercial breaks I will go to various places and and try to memorize what it looks like and how I feel and look at the audience and and get the scale of things because even though I've done it for so long I don't ever want to be without a fairly accurate fairly vivid impression of this experience by any measure David Letterman took his craft to new heights his comic genius recognized by everyone except himself I had this conversation as recently as last evening with my wife and she will go to this strategy to pep me up what does she say she says everything's fine and you you've accomplished some things and you should be proud of that and I don't believe her and so we you know we have to be separated we go to we could in neutral corners life can be hard work for you well for anybody for God's sakes isn't it really I mean jump in crap it's well there's Sunday morning right back with a little more jumpin crap he's right we'll have more of our interview coming up would you like me to do dance for you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] if you're gonna be related way to do a really a dear old friend thank you so could I suggest tonight you're interviewing Hillary Clinton the first lady of our nation that's right try not to be a jackass for you [Applause] despite legendary anchorman Walter Cronkite's warning David Letterman's time in the late night spotlight has had its share of good times and bad times some of his own creation here's more of his interview with Jane Pauley you've talked about alcoholism yeah just about I drink a lot I drank a lot but you were yeah or are I know I guess yeah you're always an alcoholic yeah when did it start well I started drinking when I was about eleven really yeah it was that old thing where my dad used to like scotch and soda there David oh try one and I tried one and I just thought this is fantastic and I just kept drinking it was delightful I just I loved everything about it I've explained your grades perhaps but then in high school it was part of the culture and in college it was mandatory and then when when you get out of college people start to taper off and I was surprised I would look around and I thought where are all my drunk buddies and I drank right through until I was 34 and I had the short NBC and I just said to myself you're you're a fool you're a dumb fool you can't do this you you you know they just don't give these shows to everybody you have one and you drink yourself into trouble you're done pal and I just quit never it never took another drink really yep well congratulations that's huge yeah was huge because I'd be dead I'd just be dead remarkable candor for a man so famously private the Letterman's personal life has sometimes become conspicuously public I have had sex with women who work for me on this show now in 2009 he admitted to having liaisons with staffers after a CBS news producer tried to extort money from him my wife Regina she has been horribly hurt by my behavior and nutterman delivered an on-air apology the revelation came just months after his marriage to longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko let me tell you folks I get my work cut out for me wait till you hear what happened to me but David Letterman has been no stranger to headlines while I was gone I had quintuple bypass surgery on my heart plus I got a haircut I don't know anybody who has had open-heart surgeries loved it it was great because was all about me oh my god it was great you liked being taken care of it was fantastic and people would come in and they would worry about me and they would help me out of bed and they would walk me around the wing of the hospital and then after I get out of the hospital they would come up to the house and it was delightful so it was five weeks ago today that these men and women right here saved my life and he celebrated his doctors on the air I'm telling you I couldn't have been more proud when these guys carved their initials in me honest to god he admits his surgery did have a surprising emotional impact I did get weepy which I don't think was depression it was it was it was a joyful wee penis you know I would hear a certain song or a certain image or I you know be talking to my wife and I would just explode into tears but it was never that that like clinical depression where it's like I can't get out of bed oh my god I can't get out of bed it was not that have you ever had that yes yeah I've had that and that's just that's the worst it's a bottomless pit that sucks you and keeps sucking you down one episode of more episodes 1 1 it lasted about six months it was triggered he says when he went off prescription medication after a painful outbreak of shingles which forced him off the air for more than a month just recently Letterman found himself a bit player in Brian Williams woes the NBC news anchor was caught embellished the truth in a story he told on Letterman show about a helicopter mission in Iraq two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire including the one I was in nope typically Letterman's version begins with a joke I went to his dressing room and I said you know that helicopter story it would be so much better if you mentioned you were in the chopper that took the hit Williams had been a frequent guest on late-night talk shows and reportedly even lobbied to host one he would have been fantastic he would have been great he was he's a natural-born broadcast supposedly he approached NBC about Leno's job and CBS about you know about you're both yeah he had the chops oh of course don't you think smart funny good-looking knowledgeable you can see the future as well as I can only maybe a little better cuz you're taller do you think he'll end up in comedy no no I don't think so I think this will sort itself out in a year or two it will be a dim memory as for Letterman himself his audience well knows and I don't want to go all Kathie Lee on you here but his heart belongs to Harry this is I believe the reason my life was spared so that I could be part of this kid's life there he is he's looking forward to spending more time with his wife and son born when Letterman was 56 [Music] [Applause] [Music] but first he has to say goodbye you had me on during an important point in my life when I was leaving the Today Show here she is Jane Pauley or Jane it was probably the most vivid year of my life and I was a guest on your show I don't know that the night before my last show I would you know feel up to coming on a little two-bit deal like this and now you're having what I'm guessing is a profoundly vivid moment in your life and I'm grateful that you're sharing well thank you very much and I'm I'm naked and afraid because and I've it's so cliche but I'll share it with you anyway any enormous up routing change in my life has petrified me really petrified me but once I've come through the other side there the reward has been unimaginable [Music] this Wednesday night David Letterman will walk out the stage door for the last time what's on the other side isn't clear I noticed how when you talk about it you say that you are retiring from the show retiring from the show is not the same as I'm retiring right yeah I think I'm trying to make it more palatable to myself but I doubt that anybody will ever see me again yeah I doubt that [Laughter] od actually talks yes Oh God whoa whoa whoa ready go stay now stand stay catch it stay stay catch it stay Wow Stan those stupid pet tricks are just one of the features that every David Letterman fan is going to miss I'll tell you who else is going to miss him fellow comedian Jim Gaffigan David Letterman is retiring and I'm having an identity crisis III don't know what I'm gonna do that brilliant emotionally distant yet endearing grumpy guy whose gap-toothed smile filled my television every night he somehow shaped my entire adult life I feel like I'm being abandoned in a way Dave and I have spent the past three decades together as an awkward teenager growing up in Indiana gave represented a beacon of hope he was and still remains the Hoosier who made good they didn't just leave Indiana and succeed he brought Indiana with him and succeeded wildly Dave made it okay to be funny smart and Midwestern sure his style is sarcastic sardonic and challenging but somehow Dave has remained a civil sincere self effacing populist as a college student I would attempt to imitate Dave's absurdist style and mimic his ability to make fun of someone while still allowing the person to be in on the joke yes David Letterman was my mentor he probably didn't know that and most likely wouldn't care anyway as a young comedian appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman was not just my ultimate goal it was also the only measurable achievement of significance for a young stand-up comedian when I finally received the call a piece came over me I had arrived I bought myself a suit did my set and shook hands with today's Mark Twain I could die the next day satisfied I was a real comedian ladies gentlemen welcome Jim Gaffigan Jim I appeared on The Late Show 22 times you know what here smell me Dave see that's not Cologne really that's just how I smell I smell sexy David right oh my I don't know Dave personally but like many of you I got to know him over the last 30 years I know when Dave is in a great mood I know when Dave is in a bad mood I know when Dave dislikes a guest and I know when Dave is disappointed in himself when Dave is having a great time it's genuine there's nothing phony about Dave I know it sounds like I'm in love with David Letterman well maybe I am but don't worry Dave I'm already married and as a retirement gift I'm giving you my five children all five you're welcome after 33 years almost 20,000 guests and then too many last account Dave takes the stage for one last time the Late Show with David Letterman the final show Wednesday yeah and what about the wine well yeah you need a lot of him here yeah how much have a bottle or so every bottle really children's birthday party if you can't use a whole you [Music] [Applause] it's a pleasure for me to introduce my first guest twice with credits that include Saturday Night Live the film's meatballs Caddyshack where the buffalo roam and stripes Bill Murray has become one of the top box office draws in show business and besides that he's a very funny man and it's a pleasure to have him as our next to the last show guests ladies and gentlemen [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] what this is this guy's a professional few kids at home want to try something like this don't forget the protective cake goggles you're playing with fire without the goggles bill nice to see a god bless you how are you you're looking good Dave I think I have some goo here have you been my friend I have been all kinds of ways really which ones would you like to hear about well let's I know you're a busy man tell us what you've been doing what you've been working on what's going down well I I did a Christmas show with Paul oh that's right and yes fantastic show would tell them about it for thirds I tell you who's on it Paul help me are you kidding everybody that's your point next year later Jenny Lewis is it any Lewis with great are you kidding I'm Jason Jason Schwartzman is in it rashida Jones she's fantastic in it I know I'm forgetting people which is a problem you know you're rarely directed directed by the same woman who direct Oh Sofia Coppola yeah and her know this is one of the few times you can eat off your shoe [Laughter] so there are others let me ride back I gotta take it with wait what I forgot someone on the show but I also forgot um Stevie Oh God seething Stevie what's going oh my god I left you guys in there I'm so sorry Rachel and Stevie [Applause] smells find me oh oh that's fine what did you can do it again if you like oh and thank you for the flower you are also in the cake [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's so nice to see you let me tell you a little thing that's important to me I hope it's important to you you were on our first show here you're on our first show at NBC and you became such a big part of our program that the doors through which you entered the first time you were on this show were immediately named and still today are referred to as the Bill Murray doors right over there it's the first if somebody is going to make an exit or an entrance we'll always say oh okay they'll come through the Bill Murray doors so that was an exciting day you know time you're here any time I'm around you is an exciting day let's talk about the anniversary of Caddyshack is it fifty years forty years twenty thousand years since Caddyshack no it's not it was 1980 or so it's through the math it's like thirty years thirty years yeah no it's thirty-five years and and and the nice thing about that movie is written by your brother and then you just came in for a little cameo and you stole the movie they had to come back and you ad libbed most of your stuff in the movie that's fantastic and has become part of film legend and lore well it was a lot of fun there were a lot of really funny people actually my brother Brian wrote it with Doug Kenney a great founder of the Lampoon and Harold Ramis the three of them Harold directed it and there was Rodney Dangerfield in the movie Chevy Chase Sarah Holcomb some really cute girls and and it was fun and it was it was you know in those days if you went to Florida to work in the winter because I'd wanted to leave yeah so we made it take as long as possible yeah but you're seems you just thought of them as you were there the the the goofball groundskeeper yeah that was you know that was you know that's sort of the only thing I could do there wasn't much written for me so I you know and they they liked what I was doing and they would go back to work etcetera and they'd say you want to come back and like yeah well actually wouldn't even work on say yeah I was they say come on back again I'd say sure so it was a lot of fun the kind of most memorable thing is the gate I had this rent-a-car this was like a green money green Lincoln car you know like a big old Lincoln and when I left they said okay where should I put the cards hey well just put a leave it there on the set and I left it underneath the tree and like four months later they said hey Bill where's that car and it was still underneath the tree I'm an acorn and debris and animals and birds and there was a mess show business show biz these three things make a career now when we come back we want to show a retrospective of your behavior on our program okay tomorrow four days final show and our Pulitzer Prizes also tickets are still available for June July and August say to request new summer tickets yet Theatre 1697 Broadway New York New York [Music] [Applause] we have a this is a compilation of montage of all of your appearances and at the end we'll chat about what you remember those experiences okay okay take a look Bill Murray through the years welcome please Bill Murray hello how are ya I'm gonna real ugly mood what's the matter what's the matter well I've been drinking all night [Music] [Applause] [Music] Bill Murray is here they've got a brand new cookbook Bill Murray cooking with toast where'd you get the idea for this bill I love toast well I don't know hard to say I don't really think they help but I've forgotten a whole mustard ooh I love mustard my favorite condiment absolutely no question [Music] [Applause] [Music] jeez I wonder who this could be hello it's me you jerk [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Bill Murray Oh here's the mess thank you for everything it's a lot of fun that was really fun yeah you know and I I hate to be one of those guys but I you know I just do you really you know I know you've thought about this a lot and you know it's really I'm sorry I got to do a little product placement first what yeah a lot of people call me said hey I know you're gonna be on the show would you mind wearing my t-shirt or showing like my toaster oven or something I finally saw my toaster oven I finally settled on this one it's a brand of vodka called Slovenia vodka it's from the people of Slovenia no waiter was there paying you well he's a friend and I eat there for free but anyway it's over there in the mean units if you ever get over the knee knee we're almost over there Davina's and we played him in hockey a couple weeks ago and beat him and they were the greatest most gracious losers and a shot sure what no come on cannonball [Applause] yeah is there any more cake it goes down like a like Slovenian mother's milk I remember that was good that was good yeah no I just I you have the world you know on a string you know it's all going your way and I know that you feel you've thought about this that you really should leave and everything but I don't know if that's right okay you know I don't know if that's right there well now I appreciate the sentiment but one wonders is it the vodka talking good well I'm we'll find out [Laughter] you know you got you've had a wonderful run you know you fell in love you married a virgin who gave birth to a like an infant you know you know a godchild really you know and then the group the great news is then your wife gave up the Virgin thing completely good for you come on and it's all you've been rolling ever since so it's pretty great it's great for you but what about the rest of it come on don't be that way hey don't be that way I'm just saying you know no I'm just saying I don't you know and I know that you've had the heads of government here Bill Clinton was here George Clooney was here various he was here for a long time you're here I'm here and everyone's trying to get you to stay we want you to stay and not give up we just want more days yeah you know it's been great it's been great to see you I mean when you first came here you were just a tubby kid from the Hoosier well you know yeah now you look great you know that you've been working out and everything is going your way it's been great to see you grow from that tubby little Hoosier - yeah - the man you are this part of it is friendships the friendship you've brought to this program thank you for that I can't I can't I can't lean on you as a friend I can't put any pressure on you as a friend I I don't want to be the person to say you know that you have to do this I just think that the people have to speak and I don't think my place is here trying to you know crowbar you into staying for another thirty thirty years I don't think that's my own I don't think I should do that but I think this is really something that is up to the American people to do and I'm and I'm just gonna be one person to try to organize [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you come and help [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on let's get in a circle can we see if we Oh [Music] thank you very much bill [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] can we say if we sing loud enough [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] watch out for the baby [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you it's the Quad Cities that Killian his dammit it's been ignored honestly it's better that way golf the puck city black ball three meters I'm gonna go out I'm gonna try and get out there this year the crowd here don't get to the John here yeah but another John gears off its Bettendorf that kills me the one quad I really [Music] all right where do you talk gentlemen off bring it to the car if I grab a road we got a dumpster Thursday just just leave it as tacky so Thursday we have ten guys here hi Janis Joplin this is my rock nothing the ocean cavities Amira they were right super missing [Music] that's the cake david letterman fans are bracing for the big goodbye tomorrow night he hosts his final Late Show on CBS wrapping up a three decade career on late-night TV like all of us we've all enjoyed watching Letterman all over all of these years at home I also enjoyed appearing on his show I was a target of a few of his jokes I got to deliver a top-ten line at least once or twice I even had a dramatic cameo involving bandleader Paul Shaffer and his cape watch this [Music] beautiful world which is very very funny CNN will look back at Letterman's career as impact on late-night TV I my friend and colleague Jake Tapper is here he's anchoring a special report later tonight and I know Jake you take a look at some of the funniest moments on The Late Show let's watch this watch this for a moment can I speak to you a second will you people leave David Letterman could seemingly find humor anyway and by the late 80s all the cool kids wanted to hang with Dave including fellow comic Jay Leno who had come up with Letterman doing stand-up in the 70s I'm not the kind of guy to brown Leno was our dream guest whatever else was going on in some week or months we'd go well we got Leno next Thursday so all right Jake what kind of legacy will David Letterman leave behind well I think I think he leaves behind a tremendous legacy when it comes to first of all he was one of the first broadcasters to really show behind the scenes to show the seams of the broadcast the mistakes that were being made the cue cards the guys in the control room he let the viewer into that world it's now fairly commonplace even on new shows you do that much less late-night but he was really an innovator of that and then also I think his kind of dry wit really was the zeitgeist for the the 80s and 90s and he had a tremendous influence in this documentary we talked to Seth Meyers we talked to Jimmy Kimmel Conan O'Brien all talking about the kind of huge influence he leads behind him I know you worked hard on this documentary Jake he traveled all over the country you interviewed all these people and take us a little bit behind the scenes and you learn more about David Letterman in the course of this reporting didn't you I learned a lot more I I've been such a big fan of his I was when I was a kid when in the 80s and 90s and one of the things that was so interesting to me is the fact that he was so he had such self-loathing during that era there was such misery and he was so hard he was hard on his writers but very very hard on himself and so we talked about not just the fun times although the the documentary is full of hilarious clips but also the complex person that caused controversy and obviously had a scandal or two and then of course the big drama of his showdown with Jay Leno over the Tonight Show so there's there's a lot of human drama in addition to a lot of hilarity well talk a little bit about that self-loathing well I mean he's just a guy who and this is not that uncommon with with comedians but you know a lot of his humor comes from a very dark place and even though he's a very cliffs crisp and clean broadcaster and somebody for whom a wordplay is enjoyable and he always presented a very confident image he is somebody who has been racked with self-doubt and in fact one of the writers Steve O'Donnell who you saw in that clip talks about how Letterman during commercial breaks would be writing on a pad of paper I hate myself I hate myself and he would he would underline it over and over and I do think that thankfully for Dave and his family he has found some serenity some comfort in the last few years through SSRIs he takes medication through meditation through therapy but perhaps most importantly since he became a father he has an 11 year old son Harry who he talks about and I really think that's been the most potent elixir of all in terms of his becoming a much happier person you also know Stephen Colbert who's gonna be replacing David Letterman in the fall he will no longer play that character Stephen Colbert that we got familiar with over the past few years you think this is gonna work you know it's funny I was actually with him at the White House Correspondents Dinner years ago when Colbert got up laughed came back and told me I just signed a deal to do my own show and my reaction like a jerk was oh my God are you gonna be able to do that character for the whole half-hour because of the time you know he would only do it in two or three minute spurts and I was worried for my friend who is he going to be able to do this character for the whole half-hour well obviously he was fairly successful in doing the Stephen Colbert character now I can say with complete confidence that the actual Stephen Colbert who is a charming and hilarious person I have no worries about that though concerns I had were a decade ago about the character that he's leaving behind we're gonna be anxious to see the show later tonight Jake thanks very much and to our viewers out there please join Jake for a CNN special report David Letterman says good night that airs tonight 9:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN [Applause] ladies gentlemen here is the batch vault the taciturn Chris Matthews Chris come on out buddy [Music] [Applause] [Music] Congress 9% approval rating it's very simple ask you yourself ask yourself in the audience what are they done lately well that was tough welcome back to har but he's been making us laugh for more than 30 years now David Letterman host this last late-night show tomorrow night in the world of late-night comics Matt and Letterman made us feel that any hometown boy from Indianapolis could poke fun at celebrities and politicians and do it right to their faces Lizz Winstead is the co-creator of The Daily Show let's talk about something really serious which we were just talking about within my tough interviews just before this 911 and Letterman's reaction to it he really he really rose to that occasion I thought afterwards I do too and I felt like what he did was if you'll recall everybody panicked about what kind of joy we were allowed to have after 9/11 and I think Dave really took the time and he was really he was amazing with Regis and he he was so heartfelt about saying I I'm not sure that what I've been doing all these years has been is living up to this moment but I hope it is and I really and I really want people to be able to come back to me and and and he wanted to sort of be this voice and in really after that time his she his monologues got a little more political he started poking more fun and he really did take a look I think at the world as a whole the way a lot of people did and a lot of comedians did after 9/11 well here he is a David Letterman right after 9/11 a week later watching all of this I wasn't sure that I should be doing a television show because for 20 years we've been in the city making fun of everything making fun of the city making fun of my hair making fun of Paul well you know it seems like it was some it reminds me of Johnny Carson I watch another guy for 30 years and Carson never talk politics nobody could read his politics like we can't read Letterman so I don't know what lot of his politics are and yet if they're Robert Kennedy who is his neighbor and you went in the UN Plaza there right in the New York City on the east side when Bobby was shot down he came on and just blew us away by saying we got to do something about handgun control not gun control hand gun control and asked us all that write our congressman and I did and I and I remember that was so unique and I guess Letterman this was so close to home being in Midtown at the Ed Sullivan Theater right up the street basically from 9/11 why do you think it grabbed him as as powerfully as it did that moment I think for Letterman and for so many comics I think we all did a self assessment about what have I been saying what have I been joking about have I been have I been frivolous have I been wasting my time asking people to watch me and not saying anything and I think Letterman just took stock like so many people did about what was the purpose of the monologue what was the purpose of the jokes and I think it's a comedy so powerful that it's almost it takes me aback to think that Letterman didn't really even understand the joy that humor really brings there's that great old movie Sullivan's Travels I don't know if you've seen that movie Kris but it's a great one where a guy's a journalist 1939 and he wants to go and follow follow the path of hobos and see what they're going through and really when he got into the lives of the people who were riding the rails and that were hobos at the time they just wanted to laugh their lives right preston sturges anyway during the White House Correspondents Dinner in 20 2007 Letterman let George W Bush skewer himself let's watch here we go number 10 [Music] Oh number seven [Music] number four number three [Music] [Applause] and the number one favorite george w bush moment did he just spit their presidents aren't supposed to spit least not obviously I I thought the Hoosier part that was interesting the country boy in a sense the big you know the certainly comes out with the big feet and he's always interesting Howard socks on it does something to pick about them that I think I think he was selling it very effectively so he wasn't a big city guy guys from Norfolk Nebraska you have Letterman from Indiana and I think what was so cool about Dave was that he was the first guy to really open up that door of saying I'm a regular guy who's gonna take the shine off all this Hollywood bull hockey and really call people out and he did it in a in kind of an awestruck sway with a little bit of snark that lets celebrities laugh at themselves a little bit and as that developed you really saw so much self deprecation from people that you know often times we would Revere them and now let Herman took the shine off of it and and and I love that about him and it's always fun when somebody who you admire and respect is the voice is your voice let's how about him telling Jane Pauley this Sunday morning on CBS morning Sunday morning that we'll never see him again like he's not gonna write op-ed pieces he's not gonna show up as a cameo in TV shows he's not gonna be get doing guest hosting and stuff then he's just he's made enough money I guess and he's just going home yeah he did he went home and I think that that is a life of filled and that is somebody who said in my mind anyway I did something that's really great and whatever my next chapter is it's it's gonna be to embrace some privacy you know when you haven't had it for 30 years I'm sure he's yearning to just grill in his yard spend time with his camera is heart attack I think is another wake-up call you know in the series of things I think he was like I'm really go out with some love in my heart unless I get semen that varsity jacket his sneakers and you out there just show up at the corner store once in a while and that's his public and that's his right thank you so much that for that Thanks charming insight I'm not always sarcastic by the way I meant that I think there's another big story out there today welcome to the program Paul thank you very much the drunk where the hell of the singing cat so this is not cast as my TV show wrong theater Oh Speight an absence of zing gasps The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on CBS on August 30th 1993 and I remember watching that show even as a teenager understood what a big deal it was tomorrow not only marks the final Late Show but it also marks the end of a career in late-night television that spanned over three decades I met up with a man who literally wrote the book on The Late Night Wars veteran media reporter Bill Carter outside the Ed Sullivan Theater to discuss how Letterman changed the late-night landscape all right so tomorrow is the big final night yeah it's funny I was remembering that yeah I think I found myself emotionally affected by it even though because I remember watching the first the first ones the first one from here and that's a long time ago and I remember being here standing in the street of the day of it and it was a hot day and a guy from Minnesota came and he had carved Dave's head in him in a thing of butter melting here on the street and it was a huge scene but just like it's gonna be yeah it's a huge party huge scene here today yeah what that moment that what that moment was such a distinct moment in pop cultural history not just in television history late night obviously you wrote great extensively about this what was it about that that sort of period that rivalry that got set up a competition all the attention it was all these things coming together because obviously the idea of something whoever's gonna succeed Johnny Carson was a huge thing but then when David Letterman who was expected to get it for 11 years and didn't get it then it became sort of there was this whole almost Shakespearean aspect to it like the royalty that you know Kingdom a term or succession it was it was like that and but they're also these two guys had such inter inter connected lives because that Dave had learned how to do stand-up watching Jay Jade learn how to do TV watching Dave he became Dave's favorite guest when he was was on all the time of the time so they had this energy action and that was part of it but also it was a network taking on The Tonight Show really taking it on in a network had never succeeded doing that ever before and so what happens is it succeeds from a writing standpoint in the beginning and then it always succeeded from a write but it was number one for right yeah and then and that Jay moves ahead right and I it's really interesting to listen to Letterman now yeah well it's always interesting and you realize that like him being number two it's still at some level magnet him oh yeah like it's like oh and it's like you want to say you're David Letterman exactly who the f care he never cared about anything so much as ever in his entire life is getting The Tonight Show from the time he was a young guy in in Indiana it was his dream to do it and the only towles started telling people after started doing stand-up comedy but that was his dream so not to get that always nagged at a minute and its guard him and I used to say he he picks at the scar like he couldn't let it go he couldn't let it go even though he succeeded and the guy was making over 30 million dollars a year he was so influential he was way more influential in any other exactly he's beloved and everyone sort of coming up in that generation of comics sites and of course and and and his impact is enormous you see it across comedy because it's not just in late night you see them commercials the attitude that sort of ironic the tax what is that what is that now would you sort of characterize that influence it was it is this sort of I'm in this thing but I'm also commenting on it from the outside and making it sort of sort of a parody but I'm also taking part in it and there's also I think that have come a comedic Sensibility that that he really had he's doing the Late Show after after the show that brought over quite a little bit which is what you see everywhere it's it's so ubiquitous in in advertising which is the kind of like something is funny because it's random and I hold it out there long enough yes you think about it and it becomes funny right exactly it's it they used to call that found humor on and show it was not scripted it was just some idea they had that that sounded funny and if you put Dave in that situation he would make it funny like he'd go to a store that was just bulbs right just pumps and they need order shade he's always I want to lampshade there's no we only have bulbs and with that and he would just do something we're out of nothing and and they looked for that they looked for crazy ideas like one one idea he liked was they had took a humidifier and a dehumidifier that to me that is that you see now in Fallon particularly these kind of self-contained bits like that like that was before a thing could go viral yes buddy for he's the internet if who had been around then that completely would have done that right in those days that went viral through word-of-mouth right everybody would say did you see what let Herman did last night and that NASA I went viral we see Jimmy Fallon do a contest with the guests he did like elevator red racers with the guests he questioned guests instead of put in a chair put him in barber chairs he wanted to mix up the format it's one of the things he did and you can see everybody else doing that he one of the one of the things I read an interview was talking about they would do all these weird things and clearly they had so much freedom following Carson and then you can he talked about the pressure when they came over here yeah and talking about when you have two options to do the weird thing or the conventional thing you struggle over it but obviously in retrospect you want to do the weird thing was he did the convention did the ratings pressure you think affect what this show became did it did partly because there was a period of time where they look so closely into what was the nitro was doing and if the tonight booked somebody they try to book somebody who's different and similar and it became like how what big thing can we do and it was too splashy in some ways because a lot of the best ideas that they've they were small small ideas and he they tried to do bigger and more elaborate ideas all the time and I don't think that was his strength I think it was much more him being clever and witty one of the things that strikes me now that I couldn't appreciate before until I became a television broadcaster was the hardest thing to do on TV is to is to be natural is that huh the adrenaline kicks in and and and people they're really good at it Carson was the master this coolness right right Letterman is to me that's the most remarkable thing as in broadcast there's no doubt he just he sits there and it's becoming shorter if you go back he's look at early stuff he's much he's got much more nervous energy but now but this same his career he sits there I'll never forget them all I gave you after 9/11 to worry about and he just talked present and that's a really inevitable kind of quality and the word that many of the people around interviews is authentic that's him he's authentic a lot of times the hosts are doing a little version of themselves or they're certainly performing but this this guy's real and the guests what I really like that and sometimes it scared them right because he was very intense and if he if they didn't they weren't pleasing him he'd let them know but it was real there was much more of a real connection going on there and the really strange thing about that is that Dave off the stage was very different and he didn't really like interacting much with people when he was on the air came alive and he said to me on several occasions he never felt fully alive except for one hour a day when he made this show a great thanks to Bill Carter for a great conversation still ahead to began on the on the agreement Axelrod I have to interrupt you because there's a guy from Chicago who's just kind of barged in here I'm gonna put him aside but Bill Murray you know I told people that might be a surprise guest tonight but he's like a wicked unreliable guy and we know this guy if we finish talking about Elizabeth Warren and Clint Elizabeth Warren yeah get to that no okay and well you you're not gonna leave right you're gonna have Jim Downey oh good oh good and we'll have a little shot we'll have a little chat thank you very much for doing this really appreciate it I'd rather talk about the Cubs anyway so bring him back all right well we can do that so David where I was struck by David Axelrod Annie linskey and joy Reid thank you for joining me tonight now this is normally the spot in the show where we tell you what's coming up what else do I have to say if we can get a camera over there you're gonna find a guy who worked in this building a couple of guys working this building for a very long time former Saturday Night Live writer and former head writer of the David Letterman Show Jim Downey and his old office roommate from Saturday Night Live that is I think it looks like Bill Murray does that Bill Murray over there yeah that's Bill Murray we'll be back [Music] [Applause] [Music] well we have a brand new segment it's entitled to me in two weeks take a look [Music] a New York man is facing charges all because he couldn't get macaroni and cheese at a rest stop as you know David Letterman takes his final bow tomorrow night a couple of blocks from here at the Ed Sullivan Theater and joining us now the guy who's gonna be sitting there with him bill Mari and who is this year it's your security guy this is my friend this is Jim Downey who was the great head writer of the show for many years mm-hmm when I first saw her of Letterman I hope we after Letterman is like it's really the heddle does the writer said of their life and when I first came to said of that alive they gave me an office and it was with this guy who was from Joliet Illinois they put the two illinois guys together and i honestly didn't understand for a very long time but then he died so that he didn't live in judgment at all he was just the sweetest and most wonderful as well as being the smartest than the funniest now you know when you were sitting over there and we were going to the break I'm not sure that we picked up that your chair fell over there I think of the the audience might have seen it that director's chair right now this is like you in the middle of an NFL game who just been you know I played art I just did the Letterman Show then went to dinner had oysters rose egg wine red wine and duck and then some red wine grass-fed hanger steak and then rushed here's your show just because Kim said that you want him to come on the show would you mind coming so I said you know you know you see I think you're doing you it's great you really do great and when he said would you come it wasn't a question sweetest got that goes well your girls hear those brutal I don't where you get these women that push people around the handlers yeah oh yeah God they pushing it in a chair and the chair was not balanced properly and I went down when I heard myself properly and not the first time you've been injured in this building right you know I I know there have been other complaints about that chair yeah that's my understanding right that were ignored that'll be in the litigation so you may not remember this but we were what when Jim was offered the head writer job at Letterman we were talking about we were all upstate we're and were playing tennis and Jim's tennis court and we were talking about should he take this job and I remember thinking I don't know a late-night talk show you know why would you want to do that you were kind of encouraging them to do it and when you decided to do it did you did you have a good feel for what you were getting into I mean did you think this is a version of Saturday night but it's five days a week I didn't I didn't think was very much like Saturday Night Live but I'd loved Letterman's mine and humor and and the person who actually introduced me to Letterman was my mother who you knew Lawrence yeah bill do ya who called me about his morning show in the summer of 1980 and said this is the funniest show so much funnier than the show you work on I started watching it and I I just loved I loved it and and I was aware of who David was from his he used to guest host for Carson and so when the show started up I got a call like they wanted they were that they were interested if I would want to write for the shell and I and I was actually tied up with a prior commitment but I just wanted to meet Dave so I said oh yeah yeah I am late so I went and had a meeting with him and and brought in some material and they offered me the head writing job cuz I know that Meryl Marco who ended up being remembers about yeah with Dave really did not want to be Dave's girlfriend and the head writer of the show right and so I think you not to be Dave's girlfriend and the head writer of the shows I yeah but I real that was not gonna happen to look clearly for the first meeting but I okay I said that I I as soon as I can finish this project I would come back and do it and so I joined the show later like end of the summer of 82 but that's when I probably discussed it with you but I I I didn't know if I'd be good at that kind of thing but but I just I'd love Dave's show I loved him you know let's take a look 33 years ago or whatever it was 30 something years ago your first shot on with Dave where it's somewhere here's the control room it says here in a piece of paper bye bye nice to see ya good thanks for being on the show I certainly appreciate that and this the first part of the show by the way what happened is it going well I know this is the first show and I think this guy needs a little support [Music] [Applause] where were we Jim how important were the guests I know you guys were concentrating on the writing the writing the monologue all that stuff but these guys in many ways carried the show and in fact when bill was on in every way he carried this bill yeah bill was was very important kind of guest because apart of everything else bill so they gave the show credibility you know having him on but but but but to be honest with you most most for the most part the guests were we're treated as like comedy objects that Dave could yes play off not not not not as human beings in the normal sense but as as as objects to Bob and and so on Billy was different but but but we had a lot of strange people who mean the kind of people that we brought to America's attention were like a pee-wee Herman mm-hmm Paul Reubens I brought this guy brother Theodore I think must now be deceased I I'm not sure but but he you know various eccentric type people and and then comics who were friends of days you know you know George Miller who was also unfortunately deceased what did it feel like they're in the jerkies when I'm looking at it Dave with you is part o daeun Sparty him is just audience sitting back enjoying this what you've come here to do as much as I am at home and yet he's he's part of what you're doing at the same time it was a fun gig was a fine good Barry it was it was fun because you were there and you saw that the ordinary guests on his show especially in the early days he give you if you weren't funny and good in the first couple of minutes can i every thanks so much and you were gone like that yeah so if you weren't good you were gone and you know good friend and that was great he said a standard he said of tony he had to be good you didn't show up and go like yeah it seems I got a movie you know that good night everybody that you were gone instantly so it was fun but the writers were really great on it you know and and it's been about how game you were two writers work guys like Jim and you know Steven on George Meyer and George and people who would say how about this idea and because you were sort of like a unfortunately you could say like it's like a movie star idiot kind of you could yeah it's so cool I always felt like well let's play mm-hmm because it was kind of like dave was Dave had to make of his bones you know Dave had to make his bones and because he'd been so severe with people already you felt like okay these are the guys Dave's chosen his writers you know he's insisting that you be of this standard I always felt come on let's try whatever you guys got try whatever you guys got those guys were extraordinary they came up with great ideas George and Steve and Jim all these guys came up with great stuff and you could because you know I don't think most people understand but you know Dave throws a part of himself out there George and Steve and chin throw part of thyself and you throw a part of yourself and the collective makes something that's better than any individual could have created stuff it was we got a we got commercials to do we're gonna be we're gonna be right back all right ladies and gentlemen [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I am so disappointed that you changed to to come to come over here so that's the taping earlier tonight that you did with Dave the you're the final guest and so talk about what that room was like tonight but obviously the most important night that you've been there well if you've been watching I have there's an amazing amount of power in the room there's a lot of emotion in the room and even to think okay here's what I'll doing that'll be kind of funny and the sweet funny then I'd talk with Jim about what I was gonna do and he threw some things that mean you know just various friends everyone wants to be good everyone has ideas like my friend Mitch glazier from California said oh you should handcuff yourself today that was like a week ago yeah well George gone yeah I got lazy yeah so there are all kinds of people want to be involved everyone is feeling it and Davis at some incredible level of capability right now people come out and they can do anything and he's just so he just floats above everything he's really in a different different plane than the rest of us right now did you feel pressure tonight in that as the final guest well I know that pressure is a false thing I know that it's a false it's something you're doing to yourself well it's something other people's doing is you're doing yourself I knew as a false thing and I kept feeling it okay oh my gosh the Phil is pressure all the crew all the crew wants you to really kill it yeah all these people whose jobs are gonna end in two days all these people all these people who's viewing is gonna in two days wants you to be so great so there was one should really be great none lying around I know that that's all false I can't accept that I can't wear that out there with me I have to be empty of all that and just sort of be with the guy I did okay you're certainly early on I was pretty good but I did okay to be his friend and his fellow professional for a while but you probably watch it a little better than I I dude after that fire I thought you did great and I thought that that what with with Dave it's always about him he was always brutally honest he never he had this such an ethic about he never wanted to be like an ass-kissing kind of host who laughed along and and and sucked up to he wanted to book guests that he could genuinely like but he also wanted to treat them like the way you treat a friend who you tease gently you you you you rhythm and and but it it's not it's not an angry or ugly thing it's it's um and he finally achieved this period after after a certain amount of time on the air where he became just the perfect talk-show host because there was nothing false about it you came on he reacted in a normal human way never fake and and he was it was always entertaining like even when he wasn't entirely supportive and and that's what made him different from everyone else had ever done it before and it made it when we were writing for him what we were trying to do was we created things like we've always felt like we were like making assists you know and it was Dave who was who was sinking the 3-pointer from the corner yeah you know and but we were setting him up putting him in a position where his mind in that moment would would go to something brilliant yeah I got to get some commercials in alright we're a lot to talk to hey we can go over right but they won't see it no no these trust us it'll be the gold we can do this yes that was pretty cool uh Jim on Dave's before we go I got a couple minutes left he turned comedy he turned it a notch or two when he came in we'd never seen this before can you describe it with what that was well he um you know he made he certainly made language much more important that it had been he was um I remember a one quick story if I can make it quick he we used to do a thing we would we would we were obsessed with our own little studio and and we were we were we were renovating Dave's desk one time and adding a phone book caddy to his desk in the days when you needed a phone book and I remember is that as the the studio stagehand is is drilling the holes Dave is sort of like wistfully just watching him drill and he goes like god an electric drill I mean if our show but if we got some some budget for the show here our plan was always to get ourselves a a three-speed drill yes God willing the ratings really jump a variable-speed drill all right well it is 11 p.m. what else we're [ __ ] p.m. we're out of time we're into overtime Charles Mitchum Michael Kahn Jim Downey Bill Murray thank you all very much thank you so much you must have something you want to say he's gonna have to say it off camera we can keep talking but we're gonna go to another show on this network Chris Hayes is up next redefined late-night television tonight a steady stream of celebrities arrived for David Letterman's final goodbye we have several crews covering this last show and the Letterman legacy let's start live outside the Ed Sullivan Theater with CBS 2's hazel Sanchez hazel all day long we've been watching fans stopping by here at the Ed Sullivan Theater taking pictures and also reminiscing about their favorite letterman gimmick whether it was his top ten list or stupid pet tricks and judging by the celebrity guests we've been watching showing up here at the theater this final Late Show is going to be awesome David Letterman is clearly loved evident by the crowds gathered outside Ed Sullivan Theater and the long list of celebrity friends who have shown up for his final farewell to late-night TV tonight's Late Show guests make up a comedians who's who of sorts including Steve Martin Jerry Seinfeld Tina Fey Jim Carey and Julia Louie Dreyfus longtime fans like Paul Sereno are shedding tears for Letterman the man who they say made them laugh the most every night on Letterman you'll see something funny and something you've never seen before something that'll make me laugh he's original he speaks from his heart and he just spoke to me from my whole life now after nearly 34 years David Letterman will no longer grace our TVs after the late news his sidekicks bandleader Paul Shaffer stage manager Biff Henderson and hello delis Rupert G say it's hard to say goodbye it's gonna be even more difficult knowing you every day coming to work from now on that he's not around here it's sort of bittersweet I guess in a way you know sad to see it in but you know like everything else in life things in and this is it at least for now these are the lucky few who want an online lottery to witness Letterman's historic exit we are so excited that they didn't say what was going to happen that we're gonna get to see it first fan say Dave is one of a kind and they'll miss staying up with him she was talking about Rupert earlier and the stuff he did with that the top 10 list he's just a very special kind of performer I don't know if he appreciates how special it is I hate to see him go because that's probably it for me I just like I'm probably not gonna watch anything else at Lee so now you're just gonna go to bed after The New Yorker and along with his celebrity guests Dave's wife and son will be here for his final farewell and a Late Show insider tells me that the show will be filled with plenty of surprises including ones that Dave doesn't even know about so it's the show that we definitely don't want to miss we're live in Midtown hazel Sanchez cbs2 news okay hazel Thank You Letterman may be leaving late night but not without leaving his marks CBS 2's Diane Macedo looks at his influence his broad influence on pop culture long before there were viral videos there was David Letterman I kind of liked it when he dropped the watermelons off the top of the building or rode his horse down Broadway that was probably my favorite around Christmastime and Letterman was on a go-kart and he drove the goat go-cart into the tree and the tree fell down in fact not too many people did a lot of things that Letterman did television curator David Bushman says in many cases nobody did this whole self-awareness and irony there was really his innovation more than anyone else's and it's been so lasting moments like the David Letterman Christmas special he introduced his wife and his three children and they all came out and I acted like this was a regular Christmas special sentimental emotional and of course in reality none of these people were related to him in any way whatsoever or regular features like stupid pet tricks and not just four legged pets he took this convention and he totally twisted in his role and I was really and in many ways Letterman made New York City a star as much as he made himself one but I do like the way that he got the local deli guy out Rupert's deli just just to say hello to him I love that his mom on a lot or he would bring the people of New York in to the show and it wasn't just the celebrities though many celebrities say Letterman did change things for them as well but while he's famous for laughs Letterman's most impactful moments might be his serious ones like his first show after 9/11 if you didn't believe it before you can absolutely believe it now New York City is the greatest city in the world and it was because he was known for all those last postman's said when he finally decided to approach things very seriously it was very impactful and everyone we talked to today said all of these things boil down to they felt Letterman was real and his feuless nough swen it came to taking risks has ushered in a whole new era of television and a very long lasting legacy yes real is a word we're gonna hear a lot of actually we kept hearing that he never compromised when they wanted him to move to LA he wouldn't do it and so on so his way exactly worked next time thank you as Dave prepares to say goodbye here's a look at some of the notable statistics during his 22 year we're here at CBS Letterman hosted 6028 Late shows and he read 4605 top 10 11 how about this he interviewed 19,000 932 guests on the program the most frequent one none other than the great Regis Philbin with a hundred fifty appearances [Music] and Jack Hanna is the runner-up to the most frequent Late Show guest Rita said he would be there because he was on standby because he lives on the Upper West Side and it just didn't show up he would be the guy Regis the go-to guy coming up a little bit later on in this broadcast we'll have much more for you including Regis is retirement advice for Dave plus a list of who you want to see as a guest on The Late Show the final one there is still time to head to our Facebook page and vote for your pick and we will highlight clips throughout the program like this one I'm gonna do dance for you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this was a family newscast of course you can watch today's final show right here tonight at 11:35 right after CBS 2 News at 11:00 taking a live look now outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown as has what we were talking about since the top of the hour marina we're preparing to say goodbye to David Letterman so what advice to New Yorkers have for the next chapter in Dave's life CBS 2's Jill Nicolini went out to find out take a break fishing fishing cause it's calming you get away he doesn't like people I mean except for the except for showing up here he doesn't like people so I think fishing would be perfect I would get some stretchy pants and lay down and just enjoy your family maybe take your son out and do some parent-teacher interviews fill a talk show host and good friend Regis Philbin who holds the record of most appearances on The Late Show with a total of 150 offers his advice on a once-a-week show and I'm telling you Sunday night is it and if less board visits listening this is it less Sunday night let him have a wild time on Sunday night we all could use it number to wake up and enjoy just hanging around in your pajamas you know doing this kind of nice you can get used to that just enjoy retirement just take it easy okay laughing Paul Schaffer who has been the late shows bandleader and Letterman sidekick doesn't believe his friend will ever retire we're gonna shoot something for David Letterman Jaber told me Letterman is spending the summer with his family but he won't lie down for long so maybe he should go somewhere warm Dave come down to South Beach you know enjoy life I'll take care of you anything you need down there I got you gonna boat I think you should go back to doing the weather and number three justbe Dave she couldn't have said it any better whatever let him and decide to do in his retirement we all wish him well in Midtown Jill Nicolini CBS 2 News it's a nice closing shot right there the biggest question fans want answered is who's gonna be on the final show tonight we've been asking you on our Facebook page who you want to see and the number of people include regis Teri Garr President Obama and Dave's young son Harry well he said in an interview on Sunday morning that his wife and son will be there we don't know if on camera it'll be in the audience that we yeah definitely yeah this is what we call the CBS affiliate roundup I hope you enjoy a toss the countdown is on a David Letterman final Tonight Show this week the retirement of Tonight Show host David Letterman all right when we come back just three board shows left for David Letterman all The Tonight Show the biggest Hollywood stars are making their final stops on The Tonight Show with David Letterman you still like David Letterman I do like him you know it's it's hard to watch the show sometimes my goodness camp down today's final show [Applause] [Music] the Late Show with David Letterman don't miss a minute a final surprise David Letterman tonight at 11:35 last laughs tonight on The Late Show with David Letterman he will retire after tonight's show CBS 2's Lou young joining us live from outside they had Sullivan Theater on Broadway where fans have gathered for what we can call a history-making moment Lou right yeah Dana and he's not finished working just a few minutes ago Davis stuck his head out the stage door on a 53rd Street on the side of the Ed Sullivan Theater and shocked the crowd there he pretended to be surprised they were gathered there a waved went back inside and clearly having a good time on his final night here on the Ed Sullivan Theater I'm told the final show is black-tie we watched the tuxedos arrive sometime earlier and the show is packed with high-powered guests who also really entertained the crowd just getting out of the limos and walking into the theater here and a lucky audience is getting a first-hand look at TV history ring around the block at 53rd and broadway every eye on the Ed Sullivan Theater and on the sidewalk fans quickly sorted into haves and have-nots as in tickets Letterman's people make sure most seats inside go to real fans these folks from Philly actually took a test online my wife knows all the answers she knew who Todd the in-laws were herded into standby pen to fill out the house this woman's from LA in on the red-eye in the morning and on the way home after the show I was calling the standby line I could not get through for like three hours and I swear I don't even know how I got through for fans of a certain age this ends a love affair that began in 1980 and obscure an unsuccessful daytime show on NBC the morning show between grammar school and high school I watched it nobody else watch it but the housewives hated it but it worked like a charm on late-night 33 years on TV total mainstreaming the strange velcro walls monkey cameras dropping stuff from great heights top ten lists and turning regular people like a stage manager or the owner of a deli into TV celebs most people here knew they had little chance of getting in for the final Big Show but had fun watching the guests arrive just sitting here is the best and there's never gonna be anybody like [Music] we watched him go from daytime television oddity to late night television icon he jumped networks in the process he survived heart surgery in public view he got married he became a father and shared that with us and he grew old and made us feel better about doing the same thing that happens to all of us it all the while he made us laugh we're alive outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown Lou young CBS 2 News I know it's not work for you Lou you're a very big fan with the court tomorrow here reporting tonight thanks Lou there have been some memorable guests over the years on The Late Show and some frequent ones too so who was on David Letterman show the most coming in at number five Tom Brokaw with 49 appearances Marv Albert number four fifty three times number three the late Tony Randall on the show seventy times Columbus Zoo director emeritus Jack Hanna number two was 75 appearances and number one the person with the most appearances Regis Philbin 136 times on The Late Show with David Letterman and Philbin doesn't think his days on TV are over he thinks Dave should stay on the air just scale back a bit he's not the only one with some ideas for the 68 year old it should be on Sunday don't work five days a week forget that you're over that either they should be on right following the news on CBS at 11:35 or how about 10:00 to 11:00 maybe Dave should go do some stand-up I think they should go on a country watch country wide road trip I would get some stretchy pants he's been in suits too long he needs some stretching out I love the stretchy pants idea for a look back at David Letterman's career and some classic clips go to CBS new york.com and of course you can watch Dave show tonight 11:35 p.m. right after Kristine and Maurice on CBS 2 News at 11:00 just that one show left and coming up on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley you're gonna make a nice tribute to Davis well Scott Dana that's right we'll have a look back on the remarkable 33 year late-night career David Letterman the all-time king of late-night comedy will have that and the rest of the world mental sport CBS Evening News at 6:30 hello it's me you jerk [Applause] [Music] we're talking about David Letterman a lot it's so hard to believe it's his last show tonight oh my goodness I got to tell you it it was one of the best moments of my career because the leather coats yeah they asked me to present the top ten list for top ten things you don't want to hear your weatherman say during a blizzard number six here are the current conditions for all you slobs too lazy to look out a window number five as temperatures drop the melodrama in my voice will increase we'll look forward to that I like your delivery all right I did it I was on The Late Show 17 years ago it was a Paul Shaffer spoof watch after I lost my job at the at the Late Show I uh I got angry former Late Show bandleader Paul Shaffer caused a disturbance this morning a news 2 camera caught the action in mid-june [Laughter] Letterman actually did a weather forecast on Monday he said outside right now 68 and foggy oh wait that's me Indiana way back when you bet you that's right that's right let's see what's cool isn't it service nice we're honored best of luck day [Music] I screwed up I've been wanting to be on your show in the worst way for the longest well you're on in the worst way you look sharp you haven't seen me naked [Music] we're gonna keep it that way I make jokes about you not just one or two not just on going here and there intermittent but coming up they admit they manipulated the stock market the big banks that pled guilty today and how that could impact consumer accounts plus a CBS farewell to David Letterman coming up on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley the audience starting to leave the Ed Sullivan Theater after the final taping of the Late Show CBS 2's Lou young live on Broadway outside the theater what are they saying Lou well Dana you know this is under tight security we got very little information about what's going to be on the show but the audience members tell me there were no fewer than 10 that special guests on Dave's last show all participating in a massive epic final top ten list no one specific guests sat down and talked for a long time but they said the Foo Fighters days their favorite band did play there was lots of music and Dave's wife and son also made guest appearances lots of smiles and some moist eyes I'm working tonight but I got the DVR set we're live on Broadway Lou young CBS 2 News you're a big fan all right Lou will I see your story later tonight and all the news on CBS 2 News at 11:00 up next on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley what consumers need to know about the massive airbag recall have a good night [Music] you potentially deadly airbags must be replaced in millions of American cars but what should drivers do in the meantime also tonight bin Laden's bookshelf formerly secret documents recovered in the raid reveal his obsession with 9/11 and himself tornadoes flattened homes in Texas and Oklahoma the next threat is flooding and the stars come out tonight to the end of a television era this is the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley late today hundreds of fans of David Letterman lined up at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater and a constellation of celebrities turned out as well all to witness television history it's the last Late Show with David Letterman he steps down tonight is the all-time king of late-night comedy a record 33 years six thousand 28 shows and 19,000 932 guests and Joaquin I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight can you take the pepperoni off the pizza and leave it on the sidewalk Letterman's comedy routines became part of the culture Moses may have introduced the world to the top ten list but Letterman made it funny and everyone sleep recommendation from the National Sleep Foundation when all else fails watch Letterman truth is millions lost sleep to catch his monologue which often delivered the punchline to an evening news headline did the New England Patriots cheat their way into the Super Bowl by deflating game balls there apparently are incriminating texts and emails about what they called deflate gate earlier today Hillary announced that she would be happy to delete them and what's next for David Letterman here's what he told Jane Pauley on Sunday morning I doubt that anybody will ever see me again you can catch Dave's last show after your late local news tonight right here on CBS Dave congratulations we will miss you and that's the CBS Evening News for tonight for all of us at CBS news all around the world good night [Music] you I understand you're looking for some unusual pets and today is an exciting day the neat thing today we have a dog that answers the phone we have a talking dog we have a goldfish that spits and we have a gopher that darns it's great stupid pet ryx today we and also we've brought in a slow-motion disc for instant replay of the stupid pet tricks I see that's what television is all about huh and that's it and that's it yeah we have a dog that answers the phone that was a very young comedian named David Letterman back in 1980 before he had a late night show explaining to a slightly bewildered interviewer about what turned into one of his signature bits not just pet tricks but specifically stupid pet tricks that's a great-looking dog what is he gonna do for us tonight Marty he walks with a bag on his head [Applause] how do you want me to hold it just before this joke before out okay I'll pull it up come on Polly come on play dead [Music] [Applause] tonight David Letterman is hosting his last show after 33 years but when he started out really nobody could have predicted that this guy would become comedies you know Trojan horse sneaking subversion into a generation and more while this guy's basically as an India and insurance salesman instead of becoming a new voice of authority from his perch at late-night a new version of the man on TV David Letterman deliberately proceeded to break all of the rules of late-night television we here at late-night have a similar philosophy it goes like this give me an 80-ton hydraulic press and we can crush anything Oh little syrup [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hi you want comedy you want real comedy alright here we go a parachute and a frozen turkey get ready the last of your jaws lock up here we go [Music] full equality gone great okay career that's alright I just fine-tune your aim here it's okay why why not it's just TV why not do anything you want on TV David Letterman did not invent deliberate self consciousness and irony right I mean black people gay people Jews the counterculture of all kinds marginalized groups of all kinds that felt silenced from mainstream America have all used outsider sarcasm and irony as a weapon of choice since the beginning of time right but here was this insider guy right in one of the plum jobs in all of entertainment cheerfully crushing his late-night inheritance and his own weird outsider II way five nights a week and of course as the years passed David Letterman went on to become an American cultural phenomenon and then a American cultural fixture and then an American cultural institution is influenced so ubiquitous you can't remember the country without it but just when it felt like everything in our culture was coated in layers of irony that he of course helped to popularize David Letterman himself went the other way he didn't just stick with irony right it went the other way showing flashes of cantankerous piercing honesty that were barely hinted at by the younger version of himself that got him to where he was maybe heard the big news John McCain Senator John McCain Republican candidate for president was supposed to be on the program tonight were you aware that yeah but he had to cancel the show because he's suspending his campaign because the economy is exploding so at the last minute he calls up and he says I can't make it make I can't make it and I said I said what what is the what is the problem and he said well the economy he said the economy is about to crater so we find out today he didn't really leave til this morning didn't go this cancer leaves I screw it up I've been away for a while while I was gone I had quintuple bypass surgery on my heart Oh plus I got a haircut that is gentleman after what I have been through I am just happy to be wearing clothing that opens in the front keep this in mind you're talking to a dumb guy so I'm just gonna ask you dumb guy questions what happened to al-qaeda and when why does Isis seem to hate us more than al-qaeda and why does al-qaeda hate us in the first place okay al-qaeda is still there they hate us as much as ever but they also hate Isis which is they hate Isis they think that Isis is too extreme and when that's messages coming from al-qaeda you know it's time to listen I know you know exactly what happened you know I know you know and what it was was some kind of horseplay am i right no I was told it was worst play I just say this when when I say the words ladies and gentlemen Barack Obama president of the United States and I look over and it's you walking over here I get a little you know kind of a thing it's it's overwhelming well let me just say this and I mean this sincerely and I know I speak for Michelle she probably had a chance to say it herself you know we've we've grown up with you the country I think has you know after a tough day at the office or coming home from work knowing you've been there to give us a little bit of joy a little bit of laughter it has meant so much and yeah you're you're part of all of us and so well all that and a goldfish that spits and a dog that answers the phone and another one that walks with a bag on his head we will miss every single thing about David Letterman we will miss you David Letterman thank you for everything you've done that does it for us tonight we'll see you again tomorrow now it's time for the last word with lawrence O'Donnell good evening Lawrence Rachel that clip just put it in perspective for me about how long has Dave been doing this when he started doing it Barack Obama was in high school and so when the president said we grew up with you he means it literally yes he means it literally absolutely thanks Lawrence Thank You Rachel a lot of people think I'm retiring and I've been kind of telling a fib I have been forced to leave the job because they gave $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation sorry that was in Dave's opening monologue last night a few hours ago he taped his final show which will be broadcast later tonight the show apparently went 17 minutes over so fix your DVRs seeing seen entering the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway this evening for that final show where Steve Martin Chris Rock Alec Baldwin Jerry Seinfeld Peyton Manning Tina Fey and Julia Louie Dreyfus CBS has released video of Dave's final entrance [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] jiae's now a couple of friends of Dave's Steve O'Donnell who was David Letterman's head writer for 10 years isn't in New York and Jeff Martin former writer for Late Night with David Letterman here with me in Los Angeles and Steve I'm gonna do something I've never done before I have to begin by saying that Steve O'Donnell and I are not related now that's something I've never said before because we were in college together and and the the two great talented O'Donnell's were Steve and his brother Mark and they instantly Jeff is mister they would constantly say no I'm not we're not related to that other O'Donnell guy and I would always try to bask in the glory of the the talented O'Donnell understandable so so Steve Larry I remember you as being one of the finest collegiate baseball players on the east you know we don't have time for that tonight I'm sorry to say Steve this has got to feel special this is a big transition for an awful lot of people it is momentous too highfalutin a word for an entertainment show but it feels bittersweet and momentous Jeff we've been looking at a bunch of old clips from the show this week I want to show something that that you were in and this is one of those things where the writers end up as performers in the show this is a classic example of that let's take a look at that we have who was here earlier the actor is standing by back there you're an actor are you sir I actually had an actor saying actor singer great that'll be signed what we want you to do is just take this letter crumple it up and toss it away okay all right good luck we'll see what happens I have an actor singer here to take care of this course go ahead anytime go ahead actor singer oh yeah ah it is hard to have more fun than that at work it was truly fun it was and did we its you through your mind we tried to get this surreal circus going yeah with Larry bud Melman and Chris I laid under the seats and the monkey cam yeah thrown stuff off buildings and but I think the thing that made it all work was that guy the ringmaster of the circus yeah was kind of amused and detached and not so veiny what Steve al franken wrote a loving op-ed piece in The Boston Globe the other day about this and he he reminded me in that of something that I remember hearing at the time that Johnny Carson actually kind of owned literally owned the show and there were certain rules when the show began following Johnny and those rules limited how much you could do in a monologue payment they were the best rules we could have gotten and they really helped the show a form itself and identify itself we couldn't have a big Orchestra like Doc Severinsen had so we had a tight little Paul Shaffer band we couldn't do a long monologue so we did what we called opening remarks and that turned out to be good for the show it just it seemed tighter smaller less cumbersome odder you know newer for the time it just seemed lighter on its feet also speaking of band leaders you picked a great cliff with Paul Shaffer and the actor singer just because it demonstrated how much a Paul Shaffer played in the comedy of the show because he could do that kind of feverish melodrama that Dave would not try he would do the spit-takes he would do the panic that you could not get to Dave to do a Dave would provide plenty of other things but it was a great it was a great recipe for a lot of different bits to have Paul there I just want to keep showing the genius that you guys came up with and Steve you wrote a great piece for the New York Times with your top ten bits from the show and we're gonna show some of those including what we are about to show which is of course the great Larry bud Melman and here he is welcoming people to New York City at the Port Authority bus station welcome to New York tolkien City don't worry Eastern Shore Virginia oh you have any questions about me [Music] [Applause] do you have a snack Steve Dave wasn't an easy laugh was he I mean for him to be literally spun around in his chair by a bit it really had to crack him up well he was he was very particular I mean he has a very sharp and and he's very skeptical but I think he is kind of a good laugh if there's a if there's a funny combination of words or a good joke he's he's a good he's a good laugher he certainly was amused by moment who was a one-in-a-billion character I mean a very a quite a singular individual someone who had who in his 60s becomes a TV star and and but couldn't use a Bic lighter or or step up on a step stool without getting dizzy and just for the record actually real name Calvin DeForest an actual actor actually had had some famous actors in his lineage of the name of DeForest and Calvert that would have known hold holds the gold for the next segment we're gonna take a little break and be right back with more of backstage with David Letterman unusual weather for New York City today it was 68 and foggy oh no wait a minute that's me that's me I was Dave from a couple of days ago we're back with Steve O'Donnell and Jeff Martin former writers for the David Letterman Show Steve you isolated one of the things right slated in your New York Times piece was the moment where Johnny Carson appeared on Dave's show and we've seen in the last week everybody in the late-night business singing Dave's praises and Johnny was the one that Dave idolized let's watch that moment when Johnny appeared this is not the list Johnny could have the top 10 list [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this is a truly amazing moment Steve because they never stopped clapping they just never stopped it looks pretty obvious that Johnny had something to say he was ready to say it somehow more wonderful that he doesn't have to say a word that he comes in he Basques and he exits and he gave up and and he just he couldn't get that crowd to listen to him and so he just thought this is enough of this Jeff Martin are we ever going to see this moment with David Letterman walking on anyone else's show what what no I don't maybe he's headed at it what hits me watching these guys is how different they were where Carson was the epitome of what you thought of talk-show host had to be smooth and upbeat and very very positive feelings about show business and what was so new about Letterman was he could be cranky awkward and maybe above all he beasts he seemed to look at show business and hold it at arm's length like isn't this a little ridiculous there was always this this kind of apparent lack of polish with Dave but it but it seemed at the same time intentional he wasn't trying to hide it yes a lack of polish to let they let the stagehands be seen let the mistakes happen let them let the prop fall apart as and we also had not very high quality guests we in the first year or two there'd be a lady with the dressed up parents and so on but as the time went by and we started booking people I remember the dizzy night when cher first came on or when Bob Dylan and Liberace were on the same show a few years in you go well all right things are changing out and they used to joke welcome to our extravaganza but actually over the years did become an extravaganza and finally the last word has been delivered on this show by a talented Oh Donald Steve O'Donnell and Jeff Martin thank you both very much for joining us really appreciate thank you Chris Hayes is up next live from the CBS broadcast Center in New York City this is CBS 2 News at 11:00 [Music] since 1982 david letterman has made us laugh every single night as televisions longest-running Late Show host ever tonight after parties are underway in the city in less than 35 minutes the world will watch him take his final vows and a live picture outside the iconic Ed Sullivan Theater tonight where the late show's final taping wrapped up earlier tonight good evening everyone I'm Maurice Dubois and I'm Kristine Johnson it is hard to believe this is it you can see the clock counting down the minutes until the show on the lower right hand corner of your screen there and we've got plenty of coverage leading up to it it begins with Lou young he is live in Midtown for us tonight Lou yeah the marquee is lip at the stage inside is dark the Ed Sullivan Theater has hosted its final Late Show with David Letterman TV history made tonight the last we saw of him was a glimpse through the stage door all smiles under wave to the crowd Letterman's people kept a lid on security for the show itself releasing only the first few moments his final run across the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater and the audience wildly cheering many were still giddy when they emerged out onto the street 90 minutes later I just feel honored it's a privilege to be one of the 450 people in the world to experience Dave Letterman's final final show it was the end of an era it was it was so touching it was wonderful it was fantastic Paul Shaffer with his with his outfit that beautiful alpha they was wearing the orchestra the music and then when Dave Letterman came out it was like moving it was it was energetic it's the last of a 33 year run three times slots two networks at the universe of strange humor stupid Patrick's top ten lists velcro walls and dropping stuff from great heights that's always if they've hit something now none of that at this final outing but there were surprises you see the top ten list is shocking the final show has an extraordinary number of big names Seinfeld Chris Rock Steve Martin Jim Carrey Peyton Manning Julia Louie Dreyfus Tina Fey and Letterman's now ex-boss the president and CEO of CBS les Moonves after it was over staff members dispersed many went to an after-party and many others wondered about the next gig you recognized felicia from the band you need me just flash out f up in the sky for his part let him in left avoiding the cameras and crowds consisted with the impression he made with his final audience I've never seen such a humble man and my views just an amazing and we wanted that final shot of Dave waving to the crowd and people cheering but he had other ideas while people waited around the corner at the office entrance for him to leave in a fake limousine it was a decoy he walked out that pizza place door connected to the theater right over there and just walked on out a white jacket head down headed north on Broadway just another New Yorker heading off to the next thing he didn't want all the praise we're live tonight in Midtown Lou young CBS 2 News Lou thank you and when Dave snuck out that door he headed to the after-party at the Museum of Modern Art the party filled with staffers including longtime stage manager Biff Henderson a handful of celebrities also showed up including Ray Romano and also Steve Martin Steve Martin also sent his well wishes today via Twitter he tweeted quote congratulations to David Letterman who I now believe is beginning his third career in show business Betty White wrote quote tonight as Letterman's final Late Show we loved each other so much I will miss him so but look out I'll find him thanks Dave and there is still much more David Letterman coverage still ahead tonight at 11 including a look back at more of the most memorable moments on the show some of those include some familiar faces from here at CBS 2 we've pulled those out of the vault and what do you think was the most watch Letterman show ever we will have that coming up a little bit later on all right looking at some news headlines now live look tonight at the Ed Sullivan Theater where David Letterman taped his final program you're gonna see it Oh in about 15 seconds we thank you for joining us tonight we'll see you again tomorrow now a moment 33 years in the making the final Late Show with David Letterman starts right now hey Dave this must be new because you were doing [Applause] my fellow Americans our long national nightmare is over our long national nightmare is over our long national nightmare is over our long national nightmare is over our long national nightmare is over Letterman is retiring he's just kidding right while your bank de haar both David Letterman signed off last night with a funny and classy goodbye to 14 million people watching let's watch a bit it's beginning to look like I'm not gonna get The Tonight Show best line of the night he offered some of his self-deprecating Midwest humor as well humor people come up to me all the time they say Dave I've been watching you since your morning show and I always say have you thought about a complete psychological workup and he acknowledged his own family I want to thank my own family my wife Regina and my son Harry choice right now is Los Angeles Times television critic the great Steve Battaglia Steve thank you so much for joining us what did you make it last night I I didn't I had to go to bed cuz I had a flat here to this beautiful city by the way the picture behind me is not a painting or a mural or some green sheet that's this beautiful city in the bay at San Francisco Bay just so that people know that good Steve well first I want to say I'm not the critic for the Los Angeles Times we have a Pulitzer Prize winning TV critic Mary McNamara I've covered media and television I thought the show was terrific because it was David Letterman as we have loved him over the years it didn't get too schmaltzy didn't get too sappy didn't get caught up in all of those sort of show business farewell sentimental sentimental cliches it was pure Letterman it was the stuff that we really liked about him making fun of himself and I also think that what you showed there that opening tape which had four presidents in it I think that tells you how important this show was to the national conversation you had to connect with Dave if you wanted to connect with America Wow well here's Letterman with some of the some of the presidential hopefuls after they stumbled let's watch some of the fun Rick Perry excuse number nine that I don't know what you're talking about I think things went well what exactly happened can I give you an answer please I screwed up I have no proof but I have a feeling Canada is planning something why don't you make it a comment by Howard Stern the others brilliant did the naval armors not a comic a stand-up comic he's more of a broadcaster a guy like well I started I guess if you want to stretch it who basically keeps you interested in the way his mind works you want to know what he's gonna do in the next segment after the commercial so you stick with him he has he is a comic I mean and and he is a comic personality but I think over the years what's happened is that he's become a great conversationalist what dave says he likes to do best is to talk to interesting people in front of an audience and he really moved away from the type of stunts that you saw him do the the found comedy outside of the studio that was really groundbreaking at the time but you know after a while you know when you get to be into your 60s maybe it didn't play as well anymore and he really found a new place for himself as someone who can comment maybe look with a raised eyebrow what about what's going on in the world and say interesting funny stuff and it was a very intimate relationship that he had you know being on in late night you are probably watching alone or maybe with your spouse it's it's the end of the day you're winding down you just want good company and Dave always managed to be that he got away from that edgy comedy that he was doing that really made his name in the 1980s and 90s and just became you know more of a person that you just wanted to be with I think yeah and I think a lot of it has to do with time of day as you suggested Larry King was always great at midnight driving across the country where I did a couple times Larry was the greatest coming into world the middle of night with someone like Don King for an hour and David Letterman was it was a great late at night King didn't work in the daytime David Letterman didn't work in the daytime Ellen DeGeneres works in the daytime it's so fast they how people find it does a very different type of show Ellen does a very different type of show that's really a variety comedy show and really it's very produced it doesn't depend that much on that on the type of conversation that Letterman does although I mean she does and she does engage with the audience and again I mean it's companionship television I think what all these talk shows are and and that's why they work if if the person behind the microphone or in front of the camera is good a great Conan O'Brien by the way he said it was a great deal of Letterman and last night he encouraged his own audience never saw this before on TBS to switch over to the Late Show let's watch something unusual if there happened to be a few of you out there probably stoners I'm gonna let you know I know my crowd I'm gonna let you know I'm gonna let you know the exact moment when Dave's show is starting and I'd like you to switch over thank you so much thanks to buddy buddy Stephen tell you thank you buddy for joining us tonight welcome to the Late Show I want to tell you one thing I'll be honest with you it's beginning to look like I'm not gonna get The Tonight Show okay there wasn't a dry eye in the place that's the line you often read or hear about the big farewells well all the eyes were dry in David Letterman's farewell last night especially Dave's he never cracked he kept smiling and he kept us laughing the last deeply emotional moment on Dave's stage came from Norm Macdonald last week I know that mr. Letterman is not for the mawkish and he has he has no truck for the sentimental but if something is true it is not sentimental and I say I'm sure I love you the subject of last night's star started top-ten list was things I've always wanted to say to Dave your extensive plastic surgery was a necessity and a mistake I'm just glad your show is being given to another white guy thanks for finally proving men can be funny Dave did 11 minutes of thank-yous before handing the show over to the music of the Foo Fighters and a high-speed montage of decades of Dave here were David Letterman's last words to his audience throughout the years of this show and the show at NBC I have been blessed and lucky to work with men and women who are smarter than I am and funnier than I am the people who watch this show there's nothing I can do to ever repay you thank you for everything you've given me everything all right that's pretty much all I got the only thing I have left to do for the last time on a television program thank you and good night join us now one of those guys who Dave says is smarter and funnier former Letterman writer Kevin Caron also joining us by phone Pulitzer Prize winning television critic and daily beast contributor Tom Shales Tom shells I'm so glad you could join us tonight after that final show first of all Tom your review of Dave's final show I'm very entertaining which is what he would want it to be and as you said not emotional particularly there wasn't by I'm not sure both of the eyes in my house were cry he impacted the culture to use that though academic language he really that show even though it wasn't number one and time period all that stuff the top ten list and the expressions he used and the the whole attitude he represented the idea of bound comedy and all that using real people and instead of scripting everything from all those things and many more will be influenced in comedy for years and years to come and will be imitated years to come I just don't think the imitators are likely to be as good as they was I do wonder if some of that stuff about all these people are more talented than I am and I'm just dope and I just do it job I think that false modesty is the bit of opposed I think Dave probably thinks pretty high himself but he doesn't like to say those things out loud it's a kind of a Midwestern trait I think and until he keeps talking himself down self-deprecating remarks and so on but he he was he's one of the great entertainers I think in the history of the medium Kevin talk to talk about how Dave feels about it because my impression from from you writers who I've known forever is that Dave I get the pressure he was never really satisfied with any given show that he was always thinking oh this could be better this could be better and pushing for it to be better I think that's definitely true it's definitely as a perfectionist streak to perfectionist yeah yes it's very very hard on himself I remember yeah I'm just reading an article recently where he said the motivating factor is life or guilt and fear of failure yeah which is I guess motivations for lots of us but for someone who is actually funnier and smarter than anyone else I've ever met it's pretty amazing yeah yeah Tom this shows place in history where I'm sitting here with Kevin Caron he won three Emmys there other writers who were there longer one one more Emmys there the show was nominated I like try to figure out how to describe how much this show was nominated it won the Emmy for best show in its category I several times I lost track of that but it's more than Emmys Tom and what you've written about the show it really had a huge generational impact yes and I could be gloomy about it but I do have a sad feeling we're seeing the last not just it was a David Letterman's show but of well he looks like the last of his generation I think could be that big a star on television television has you know I winded up into all a million channels and instead of three networks which we had 50 years ago when Dave was growing up and I was you know now we have a woodworking channel and a trout fishing channel and all of that and I don't think we're gonna have the kind of unity we had and this is really a truism by this point that we had with days and we don't was even greater Johnny Carson when Johnny said tonight I think there were like 60 million viewers when they've said tonight they were like 13 15 million yours and less than half and I that's no reflection on Dave it's just the way the medium has changed and of course the fact that the Internet has as intervene and that's Blatter that's all with all these other new choices so the whole the whole kind of consensus culture of the days somewhat represented like he was the last of it I think I don't think we're gonna have it as much anymore I don't know if they'll even be another Star Wars or the jaws or movies of hugely popular as that I may be wrong and maybe I'm over overstating the cave but I felt very sad as I was watching the the final Dave Letterman chose the path new week it's very sad about what we what we were losing well yeah what is absolutely statistically true is that a a hit on television today requires many many fewer viewers than a hit on television even just 10 years ago required we're gonna go to a break but before we do I just want to show something from last night's show which was Dave with kids and this is actually stuff that I had forgotten it was all new to me when I saw it let's watch this as we go up Ryan guess my favorite food that come on just give it a try come on yeah I'll give me a hint all right right trend gets my favorite food nope I want you to hold it down in this end like this okay well you're down there why don't you doing it's not dangerous okay normally you gotta be quiet [Music] you are not funny welcome to Taco Bell what do you want I'd like two three cheese milk okay wait a minute wait a minute I'm not exactly a computer slow down again medium Diet Coke medium relative to what halfway between the strong the large bulk air trip we got it here I'm the manager Kenny yes I am yes I am we'll be right back there's always signs along the way and I think one of the signs was Todd the cue card kid came up to me and he said for the love of God Dave I can't write the words any bigger [Music] all right Kevin Caron those of us who worked in show business know that it's very hard to find writers who don't think they're way smarter than the people they're writing I don't know a Letterman writer who isn't full of respect for Dave I think that's that's a very true bike I don't know of any many writers over the years it's just there's something about him too it's just he's your older brother he's your mentor he's uh he's a protection against the network he's a smart and funny guy and you feel like you're on the same team with him and you feel like you really respect this guy that you're working for which is not always the case yeah and Tom shells remember you're hearing that from writers who as you know with any writers in comedy most of the stuff they've offered Dave he's rejected and they still are in awe of him and he probably rejects a lot of what he doesn't help because you know those very funny bits like where he he becomes the guy at the drive-through window at McDonald's or wherever they were you know they I don't know maybe they had to shoot for three hours to get two minutes and that I don't know but but the stuff they came up with I don't think was written for him in advance I mean he had a great mind well he still does far as we know but I mean he was so fast I'm so sure and the ad-libs were they were always from somewhere where you he wouldn't have ever thought of them yourself maybe some of the great Letterman writers would've but I mean most people most comedians I don't think would come up with the the brilliant bleed funny things he said and what he did as well a kind of instance that time and they taught about found that comedy you know but you have to know where to look for it you have to know it when you see it to it you can't just find it by wandering down the street I'm not great in think great he did he did you know Rob Burnett said head writer of the show form had run show 7 the New York Times today if Dave last this week if Dave were still putting on a Velcro suit and jumping on walls I think it would be foolish I'm not so sure about that and that's the way I want to go out of this that as Kevin Caron knows was written velcro man written sandi Frank who's no longer with us he won four Emmys at the David Letterman's show and what I want is our last word about David Letterman on this program I wanted to buy in about David Letterman I want it to be velcro man let's take one more look at that okay [Music] [Applause] Kevin Caron Tom Shales thank you very much for joining us tonight Chris Hayes is up next

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 181,278

Keywords: Late Show with David Letterman, Jane Pauley, Charles Osgood, Bill Murray, Jim Downey, Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper, Lizz Winstead, Chris Matthews, Chris Hayes, Bill Carter, Steve O'Donnell, Jeff Martin, Stephen Battaglio, Kevin Curran, Lawrence O'Donnell, Rachel Maddow, Tom Shales

Id: doHA7rrtWeA

Length: 148min 35sec (8915 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 28 2017