TVSquad

I harbored deep misgivings about Oprah's blockbuster appearance on Letterman, her first ever on Late Show and her first sit-down with Dave in over 16 years. I'm not an Oprah-hater; I'm too far out of her demographic to have much opinion about her. When the Letterman booking was announced, I went into anticipatory mourning for the upcoming loss of Dave's legendary, ongoing mocking of the woman. I have never watched Oprah's show, but she is a satisfying target to be punctured in Dave's hands. The "Oprah Log," a weeks-long recurring bit in which Dave kept a public diary of Oprah's failure to return his phone calls ("Tuesday, March 11: No response.") was priceless. "Pat and Kenny Read Oprah Transcripts"? I wish they did it every night.

So, my gripe was that Dave was spending years of comedy capital on a single-night ratings spike. The true fanatics in alt.fan.letterman were mostly in a sour mood leading up to the big night, predicting a fluffy show in which Dave would be forced into a pose of obsequious flattery. And what's the mood on the day after? Nearly everyone is smiling. I know I am.
Dave's performance was pitch-perfect from start to finish last night, and it wouldn't surprise me if Late Show submitted this episode as its Emmy contender. Dave was relaxed, casual, respectful of Oprah without kneeling before her, and funny in just the right spots. The monologue was devoted to her appearance, and the "Top Ten List" featured items left on her answering machine. Preliminary desk pieces were eliminated so Oprah could receive four panel segments. Tony Danza waited in the wings in case Dave needed a substitute.

On Oprah's part, she denied any sort of feud between them (despite having been quoted years ago as saying she felt uncomfortable with Dave and vowing never to return), and presented Dave with a signed photo of Oprah and Uma. With this perfect gift, Oprah put to rest the dismal episode at the 1995 Academy Awards show, hosted by Dave, at which he mocked both women's names.

Dave's interview wended its way through lots of territory, giving him ample opportunity (to Oprah's astonishment) for no-laughs questioning about social conditions in Africa and Oprah's philanthropic work there. There is hardly a smarter or more skilled current-events interviewer on the air than Dave, and Oprah's surprise ("I can't believe you're being so serious") betrayed her lack of awareness of his work.

The show's highlight was unquestionably at the end of Oprah's appearance, when Dave escorted her out the front doors of the Ed Sullivan Theater, the two of them holding hands, and faced throngs of fans behind barricades, the mob stretching down Broadway. The glare of nearly continuous flashbulbs lit up the air as Dave and Oprah turned right and strolled one block to the theater where Oprah's The Color Purple was to open its run an hour later. This scene was unquestionably the most glamorous staging Dave has ever presented in his career. It was a Hollywood moment on Broadway.