Remember back in those heady days of the early- to mid-eighties, when David Letterman was considered to be the young, hip alternative to Johnny Carson? You remember... while Johnny was doing his 4,132nd Carnac sketch and putting on daring musical acts like Paul Anka, Dave was conducting elevator races, tossing watermelons off roofs, showing Jerry Lawler slap Andy Kaufman, and putting on bands like the Talking Heads.Well, hold on to your bongs, Baby Boomers, and grab on to that flannel, Gen Xers: Letterman turns 60 today.
Yikes.
Gotta give ol' Dave credit; despite a bypass, a young kid running around, and an overall grumpy disposition, Letterman looks pretty good for 60. And even at 34, which was how old he was when Late Night with David Letterman debuted in February of 1982, he was never considered young-looking by any stretch. But the vibe around Late Night was certainly one that indicated that, while the format was similar to Johnny's, all of what the viewer was about to see was new.
Even Dave himself was different; he wore a jacket and tie, but with khakis and sneakers. Instead of having a sidekick, he bantered with his band leader, Paul Shaffer. The monologue was short, the music between commercials was rock and roll, and Dave and the writers had no qualms with doing sketches and stunts that had no particular point. If it amused Dave, he figured it would amuse someone else in the audience, too. That's why we got Dave in a Rice Krispies suit, Chris Elliot running all over the place, and the late Calvert DeForest bumbling and yelling his way through skits and remotes as Larry "Bud" Melman.
Dave himself went out in the field from time to time, like when he visited Just Shades and Just Bulbs, and when he tried to welcome his new corporate bosses at General Electric by bringing a fruit basket to their New York headquarters. Oh, did I mention that he called his bosses "pinheads" often, especially after GE bought the network? So, not only was he a hip grouch, he was a hip grouch railing against The Man, too.
Now, of course, age, health scares, stability, and fatherhood have mellowed Dave. He wears custom suits and loafers instead of sneakers (though he still wears floppy grey socks... gotta be comfy); he rarely strays from behind his desk; you can see that even he wishes he didn't have to do a Top Ten list anymore. He can conduct a pretty good interview and do a good job salvaging a bad one, but it's been a long time since his show had the "anything goes" feel Late Night and the early days of The Late Show had.
Can he still be absurdist? Sure; anyone who scratches their head every time Dave plays "Will It Float?" can attest to that. And you have to give him and his talent bookers credit for booking young, up-and-coming musical acts along with older superstars. But knowing that not only is the edge off Dave permanently, but we're probably in the last three years of the Letterman era (can you see him hosting past 2010? I can't) makes me a little sad. After all, at 35 (almost 36), I'm older than Dave was when he started in late night, and I know the last 25 years have gone by pretty quickly for me. It means 60 isn't that far away...
Like I said: Yikes. Wonder how that IRA of mine is doing...
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-12-2007 @ 10:48AM
Brad Hill said...
I think Dave will reach Johnny's record of 30 years, and maybe go a little past it, before retiring. It's not that he feels competitive with Johnny, but he relates to him. I imagine that matching Johnny's record would be the greatest professional fulfillment of Dave's life. (But personally, I hope he never retires.)
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 10:56AM
Amy said...
JESUS CHRIST, I'M OLD!!!! This fact actually hit me very hard after Larry Bud Melman passed away and clips of him at the bus station surfaced. I remember watching that when I was a 12-13 year old kid!!! For some reason, recalling the Letterman heyday, just like you, Joel, has emphasized just how much time has passed, even more so than my marriage, divorce, second marriage, career, teenage stepkids, mortgage payment, "character" lines and peri-menapause. I don't know why the old days of Letterman are having such an effect on me, but it is undeniable.
Just Shades & Just Bulbs! Is there a Late Night dvd set out yet??
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 10:58AM
allen said...
I remember, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in the day, probably the summer of 82, 83 or 84, I was watching Letterman on a black and white protable we had hooked up in the kitchen of an apartment my parents had in Maine. Dave had announced that the show would rotate 360 degrees. And then the camera began to turn. Nothing was really made of it. The show went on as usual. By 1 in the morning everything was completely upside down. And we thought it was so cool that someone was doing something so surreal and bizarre on television.
You know what? It was.
You know what else? No one would do it now.
Not that it takes balls. Just a uniquely absurd sense of comedy.
The 70's may have been pretty bad for clothing materials and hair-dos, but it was a great well-spring for comedy.
Hats off, Dave. Happy Birthday.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 11:59AM
Bash said...
Erm... 360 is a full circle. If everything turned upside down, that would've been a 180...
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 1:03PM
IN Mike said...
Bash,
Allen had it right. If the show started at 12:30, then at 1AM it would be upside down. Then rightside up again at 1:30 when the show ends.
Anyone else remember a Late Night ep that was completely dubbed over in Spanish (or some foreign language) with no subtitles? I remember him prouncing "Brasil!!!!" over and over for some reason.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 1:39PM
Pete said...
>> 4. Erm... 360 is a full circle. If everything turned upside down, that would've been a 180... >>
Yeah, and so by 1:30 everything would have been right-side up again.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 2:34PM
Rufus Firefly said...
Does anybody remember "Audience Fish-Cleaning Night" on the old NBC show? Everyone in the audience had a fish, and one by one they would bring their fish to Muriel Hemingway who sat on the stage, off to one side. Muriel would clean, gut and scale each fish, wrap it in paper, then give it back to the audience member. This went on during the entire show. Brilliant absurdist comedy.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 2:47PM
Sweatband Man said...
http://www.hollywoodsquared.com/videos/call-me-conan/
i am only 25 and already depressed abut just being a quarter of a century old poor Dave. If Conan will not call me maybe Dave will i think he could use the vibe as well as Conan.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 3:30PM
TomB said...
Geez - I'm really old! I can remember sitting in my dorm room with friends watching his very first show. And yes... sad to say there was a bong involved.
I still think he's the best interviewer on late nite, but he used to be much better when he gave his guests a hard time and asked the really tough questions. He's mellowed quite a bit.
Reply
4-12-2007 @ 11:37PM
LD said...
Loved him then, love him now. And at my age I can finally say, "Hey, you kids! Get off of my lawn!" but instead I'll just say, "Whatdaya want? Wicker?" or maybe just, "They pelted us with rocks and garbage." I guess you had to be there. Happy Birthday, Dave!
Reply
4-13-2007 @ 12:17AM
Dee said...
Happy Natal Day, Dave! I turned the big 60 on Mar. 11th! God bless you! I hope that you have as much fun in the 60's as you have been having!
Dee
Reply
4-13-2007 @ 12:21AM
Dee said...
Happy Natal Day, Dave! I turned the big 60 on Mar. 11th! God bless you! I hope that you have as much fun in the 60's as you have been having!
Dee
Reply