List of Late Show with David Letterman episodes
The premiere of Late Show,[1] featuring actor/comedian Bill Murray and singer Billy Joel, attracts 23 million viewers.
Letterman, who asked her questions on various topics—including her nose ring, music, and love life—was soon branded a "sick fuck", after he suggested Madonna kiss a member of the audience.
Madonna went on to ask if Letterman was wearing a "rug", whether he wanted to smell a pair of underwear she brought on the show, or whether he thought the microphone was sexually big.
Although she appeared briefly at the stroke of midnight on Valentine's Day, 1995, to present Letterman with a bouquet of roses, her return to the show as a guest was not until 2000, while promoting her album Music.
During the September 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna was a presenter and was escorted onstage by Letterman, who kissed her hand and stated, "I'll be in the car.
[6] A week of shows, with most crew and cast, was filmed and broadcast entirely from London, United Kingdom, featuring guests Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, and a musical performance by Elvis Costello.
Kevin James is the guest, with a performance by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and cameo appearances by Dick Clark and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
On January 14, Letterman announced on Late Show that he was undergoing an angiogram the following day, after doctors had recently been concerned about his high cholesterol and family history (his father died of a heart attack at 57).
[2] Despite nearly breaking out in tears during the show,[citation needed] Letterman seemed to find humor in his situation; while referring to one of his nurses, he said: "This woman saw me naked!"
In his opening monologue, absent the usual musical opening credits and cheering audience, an uncharacteristically serious and very emotional Letterman struggled with the reality of the attacks and the role of comedy in a post-9/11 world, saying: The reason we were attacked, the reason these people are dead, these people are missing and dead … They weren't doing anything wrong, they were living their lives, they were going to work, they were traveling, they were doing what they normally do.
The episode concerned his recent terminal peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis, a rare form of cancer caused from exposure to small asbestos fibers.
[18] Singer Janet Jackson made her first network television interview following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
The guests for the show included rat expert Robert Sullivan, humorist Amy Sedaris and the indie rock band Modest Mouse.
Highlights included Late Show staff member Bob Borden oversleeping, looking for rats with Robert Sullivan on West 53rd Street, Biff spending the night with the NYPD and Amy Sedaris giving a tour of her neighborhood at 4 in the morning.
The rock band Phish, making their final television appearance before their farewell concert that August, performed an afternoon set atop the Ed Sullivan Theater's marquee for the taping of that evening's episode of Late Show.
[23] In what Dave jokingly referred to as the "Super Bowl of Love," Oprah Winfrey made her first appearance on Late Show—and her first on any Letterman show in over 16 years.
[30] Late Show aired the October 1, 1993, stand-up performance from comedian Bill Hicks, which Letterman chose to cut from the original broadcast as too controversial.
[31] Hicks' routine covered homosexuality, abortion, as well as his wish to murder then-popular musicians Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bolton, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and Marky Mark.
Phoenix was "sporting his Grizzly Adams beard, a black suit and dark Miami Beach grandma sunglasses" and "nervously chewed gum during the entire sitdown, often looking down as if asleep.
[34] Back in 2000, executive producer Maria Pope commented on Phoenix's behavior: "The first couple of times we thought there was a gas leak in the greenroom.
"[citation needed] On the February 19, 2009 episode of The Late Show, Letterman told guest Barbara Walters that he believed Phoenix's performance was "a goof" but he "sure can take a punch".
[35] Someone claiming to have attended the taping posted on IMDb's message board, saying the appearance was performance art and Joaquin was not in his rapper persona during off-air breaks.
The band's appearance on the show, billed as "U2 Week," was in support of their latest album, No Line on the Horizon, which was released on Tuesday, March 3.
[citation needed] After his opening monologue, Letterman revealed to the audience[47] that he was the victim of an extortion attempt and had to give grand jury testimony for a sting operation.
[48] According to The New York Times, this segment was not transmitted via closed circuit inside the CBS headquarters, where employees usually are able to watch the Letterman show live.
"[55] In spite of the jokes, it had been made public a few days earlier that the threat had resulted in the tightening of security at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
The Top Ten List, Things Staffers Would Like to say to Dave on his 30th Anniversary in Late Night, was presented by staff members who had been with Letterman since his time at NBC.
With Hurricane Sandy approaching New York City, the audience for that evening's taping was sent home and Letterman hosted the show in an empty Ed Sullivan Theater with actor Denzel Washington as his guest.
In his first new show since the death of Robin Williams, Letterman paid tribute to the comedian, whom he had known dating back to their days at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
A montage of clips aired featuring Williams' multiple appearances on The Late Show, as well as an episode of Mork & Mindy in which Letterman was a guest star.
