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After 25 years, Letterman truly a 'Late' great |
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Written by David Bianculli, MCT
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Wednesday, 31 January 2007 |
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David Letterman celebrates his 25th anniversary as a late-night TV host by inviting back his first guest from his inaugural "Late Night" show on NBC, Bill Murray.
If the gang at "Late Show With David Letterman" has any guts Thursday night at 11:35 EST on CBS, it'll replay part of that first Murray appearance — to demonstrate that he and Letterman have come a long way.
If Murray wasn't on something, playing with lint balls and singing "Let's Get Physical" while doing jumping jacks, he should have been — and if Murray was out of control, Letterman, on that first show, certainly wasn't in control.
But that was Feb. 1, 1982, when Letterman made the leap from daytime talk to late night, occupying the late-late slot following Johnny Carson's always-dominant "Tonight Show."
A quarter century later, Letterman has the easy confidence of someone in control — and, perhaps more than ever, fully enjoying himself.
Some elements that were part of that inaugural "Late Night," and transferred to "Late Show" in 1993, still remain: the opening monologue, remote segments, attractive show girls as window dressing and bandleader Paul Shaffer.
On one show and one network, Carson clocked 30 years, and became one of TV's biggest icons.
Spanning two networks and 25 years and counting, Letterman has matured to iconic status himself.
Some of Letterman's most memorable guests and moments over the years come instantly to mind.
There are the serious, important hours, like Letterman's unforgettably raw and honest return show after Sept. 11, or his last chat with frequent guest, and dying singer-songwriter, Warren Zevon.
And the lightning-in-a-bottle Cher shows: her reluctant reunion with Sonny Bono, singing "I Got You Babe" after Letterman's insistent prodding, and her triumphant moment on another show, calling Letterman a particularly unflattering epithet.
And Drew Barrymore noting his birthday by climbing on his desk and flashing him, and those annual, still-delightful Christmas shows, with Darlene Love singing every year and Jay Thomas returning to tell the same Lone Ranger story (yes, it's still funny) and chuck footballs at the giant meatball atop the tree.
Add all those Steve Allen-type stunts, and the contributions from his large family of contributors (including his own mom), and it's easy to understand why Letterman is still around.
In showbiz terms, 25 years is several lifetimes, but Letterman has worn very well. It's probably fair to say that both his health scares and his later-in-life parenthood have mellowed him in a good way, and that what used to be his biggest weakness as a talk-show host — his skill at interviewing — now is his greatest strength.
If Letterman wants to equal Carson's 30-year output, there's no reason why he can't. | Only registered users can write comments.
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