Letterman - Tonight is the Last Episode

[Jerjo]

Last night's guests were the always incredible Bill Murray and the quite inscrutable Bob Dylan.

I've spent most of my adult life watching Letterman, from the old NBC show until now on CBS. It must be like Carson was for my Dad. On another forum someone mentioned one of my favorite bits. They did a week of shows in London. Every night Letterman would introduce some truly iconic British guest, like the Queen, or the Beatles. And every single time Larry Bud Melman would walk onstage.

[Adm.Kirk]

I watched Bob on Letterman last night. He was in full weird mode. Lovely performance and he picked an appropriate song, The Night We Called it a Day, but he was just odd, wandering around the stage the way he did. He didn't seem at all comfortable, except when he was singing.

Bill

[3LockBox]

I've avoided watching Letterman during this farewell tour. I remember watching Johnny Carson's last few weeks and every show just got more maudlin than the last. back in the day I used to lose lots of sleep catching every Letterman Show. but when he moved to CBS he seemed to lose his edge. certainly he became an institution but I was never a fan of institutions.

[SteveSly]

I've avoided watching Letterman during this farewell tour. I remember watching Johnny Carson's last few weeks and every show just got more maudlin than the last. back in the day I used to lose lots of sleep catching every Letterman Show. but when he moved to CBS he seemed to lose his edge. certainly he became an institution but I was never a fan of institutions.

I have the finale DVR’d, but have not had the chance to watch it yet. I was a huge Letterman junkie in the 80’s. I worked 2nd shift in a restaurant and would watch him just about every night when I got home from work. I have to agree though that when he made the move to CBS the show seemed to be “sanitized” a bit (for lack of a better word), and I agree about him losing his edge to an extent. I have still watched it here and there, but have not been a regular viewer in years.

[Flightwave]

I watched Dave a lot in the old days, not so much when he moved to CBS. I loved Larry Bud Melman, Chris Elliott, Monkey Cam, What's Hal Wearing, etc. All classic Late Night TV. I wish him the best.

[Jerjo]

I watched some but not all of the shows in the last couple weeks. Letterman's dislike of sentimentality has kept some of the mawkish tendencies at bay. Julia Roberts final smooch with him was kinda adorkable. Bill Murray's final appearance was, of course, epic.

[zombywoof]

Kudos to Dave for avoiding sentimentality and leaving on a humble, funny show.

[mogrooves]

when he moved to CBS he seemed to lose his edge.

I watched Dave a lot in the old days, not so much when he moved to CBS.

Thirded. Until these last couple of nights I don't think I've watched Letterman in the better part of 20 years (although my wife and I saw the show in person about 12 years ago).

When he moved to CBS, seeing him schmooze with the very people he'd shown so much righteous contempt for during the NBC years was disappointing. Having most of Hollywood think you're and asshole, as Cher--the personification of Hollywood hubris--called him, was it's own validation.

[Gruno]

I have the finale DVR’d, but have not had the chance to watch it yet.

The show ran 17 minutes long. Many DVR users missed the end if they didn't add an extension to the record time.

[progeezer]

The show ran 17 minutes long. Many DVR users missed the end if they didn't add an extension to the record time.

Thanks for the reminder, Steve. I'm hoping youtube is my friend here.

[Gruno]

It's available as a download, also. Luckily I am in the habit of adding extensions to some shows because they usually have the music guests perform at the end and if it goes over you can miss some of it.

I spent about 15 minutes on the ending montage. Some of the pics were on less than a full second, so I was able to laugh again as I scanned each pic one-by-one.

[Jerjo]

I think CBS has the full episode online. If they were smart (which broadcast networks rarely are), they'd rerun it this weekend. Our DVR picked up the first sixty minutes. I found the entire episode on one of those places on the Internet you're not supposed to go to and DLed it in a matter of minutes.

[walt]

I'm another one who watched Letterman in the early 80s.Back then what he was doing seemed almost revolutionary,with a touch of anarchy thrown in.Letterman had guests, but the guests weren't the "raison d'etre"; the bits, the remotes,the pranks,those were the draw.That was what made Letterman something for me to stay up for.

[progeezer]

^^^ YUP!!

[Don Arnold]

Any of you seasoned TV watchers know of a legitimate/safe site to watch the final episode? I just tried cbs.com but got a message after clicking on the last ep that it can't be viewed from my geographic region (ie. Canada, eh? )

[Brave73]

Any of you seasoned TV watchers know of a legitimate/safe site to watch the final episode?

[2steves]

Dave was a trend setter---watched him for many years--I did find there was a sadness/depressive side of him that he couldn't hide even when he was trying to be funny. Wish him well in his retirement where he will have time to enjoy his son.

[Don Arnold]

<< youtube video link of Letterman's last show here >>

Thanks Brave73! Just sat through this with my wife and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[SteveSly]

The show ran 17 minutes long. Many DVR users missed the end if they didn't add an extension to the record time.

I figured it might run long so DVR'd the show after it as well. Had the chance to watch it tonight and really enjoyed it.

[ronmac]

Always liked Dave, even from his early show on CBS than ran about six months. I felt compelled to join the discussion because, while we're all commending his humor and edginess, we're neglecting the fact that he was one hell of an interviewer. That's something that Carson could never do well, IMO. That doesn't mean Carson wasn't great at what he did, which was give space for his guests to do their thing. But, if you wanted any real depth, you weren't going to get it from Johnny.

[Jerjo]

Why the Foo Fighters were the last musical guest:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/...l?wpsrc=fol_fb

My wife watched the morning show, I never got a chance to see it. But the old NBC show I was on board from the beginning. Ah, such hijinks. I think of that lonely tower in New Rochelle and all the things that were dropped off of it. Nothing like Destruction by Gravity

[Trane]

TBH, I stopped watching Letterman altogether after the third or fourth year... His humour was fresh at the start, but grew quickly stale with me.

[davis]

My last Letterman show was within a month or so of his debut on CBS. To me it seemed like a watered down version of the show as I knew it, so I stopped recording it. I did see a clip of the last show, just enough to see his wife and son. She's very cute.

[Jerjo]

A top ten list from Mick Jagger

[zombywoof]

Always liked Dave, even from his early show on CBS than ran about six months. I felt compelled to join the discussion because, while we're all commending his humor and edginess, we're neglecting the fact that he was one hell of an interviewer. That's something that Carson could never do well, IMO. That doesn't mean Carson wasn't great at what he did, which was give space for his guests to do their thing. But, if you wanted any real depth, you weren't going to get it from Johnny.

Yes, this. When I have done interviews with musicians on my show, it's always Dave who I look to for inspiration. Just look at the way he handled people like Barack Obama and Led Zeppelin - respectfully, never frothing fanboy like other late night hosts, yet with a touch of humor. I'm going to miss Dave.