Letterman’s Top 10 moments
END OF AN ERA: Talk-show host changed from flip wisecracker to elder statesman
David Letterman used to joke “there is no off position on the genius switch.”
But Wednesday, he’ll pull the plug on his talk show and take his final bow on the stage of New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater. The ‘new king’ of late night will retire after logging more than 6,000 hours spread over two networks and 33 years.
He survived heart surgery, a sex scandal and the second coming of Jay Leno. At 68, surrounded by Jimmys in a crowded late- night field, he followed his hero Johnny Carson’s cue and decided to walk away.
For many of us who grew up with him, there is an attachment that goes beyond longevity. His most astonishing legacy, however, may be how he evolved and grew as a broadcaster, going from a gap-toothed, counterculture smart-ass to a respected father figure, more at home with presidents than pop stars.
The evolution came in stages. Here, as Letterman might say, are his Top 10 milestone moments:
July 28, 1982: Comedian Andy Kaufman and wrestler Jerry Lawler appear to get into a fight. Turns out it was all staged.
Nov. 13, 1987: Letterman badgers Sonny & Cher into singing — for the last time together — I Got You Babe.
May 22, 1992: Johnny Carson’s last Tonight Show. Jay Leno got the job Letterman thought was his. The war for late night was on.
Aug. 30, 1993: Letterman makes his CBS debut. Paul Newman, Bill Murray, Billy Joel help make it a memorable night. A staggering 23 million viewers tuned in.
May 13, 1994: Carson makes a rare post-Tonight appearance, walking out to Dave’s desk with the night’s Top 10 list. He sat down, took in the thunderous applause, turned and walked away.
April 12, 1995: Drew Barrymore gets up on Dave’s desk and flashes him for his birthday.
Feb. 21, 2000: Letterman returns a changed man after quintuple bypass surgery.
Sept. 17, 2001: About a week after the 9/11 attacks, Letterman went back on the air and calmed viewers across North America. “There is only one requirement for any of us,” he said, “and that is to be courageous. Because courage, as you might know, defines all other human behaviour. And I believe, because I’ve done a little of this myself, pretending to be courageous is just as good as the real thing.”
Jan. 30, 2009: Having earlier ended his feud with Oprah Winfrey, Letterman set out to right another wrong. He invited the mother of standup comedian Bill Hicks onto the show. Letterman had cut Hicks’ edgy standup act from an October 1993 show. Unbeknownst to Letterman at the time, Hicks had pancreatic cancer and died the next year. Letterman admitted his mistake and showed the act 16 years later.
Oct. 1, 2009: A humbled Letterman admits affairs with staff members to quash an extortion attempt. Instead of derailing his career, his straight-up confession is seen as a textbook example of how to quickly deal with a crisis.