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The Late Show with David Letterman is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk-show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City.

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2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010   … See all »
Won 9 Primetime Emmys. Another 7 wins & 125 nominations. See more awards »
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David Letterman hosted this popular late-night comedy/talk-show. Often, Dave would go on location or to the phone lines to play pranks. Some famous features of the show include the "Top Ten... See full summary »

Stars: David Letterman, Paul Shaffer, Bill Wendell
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

Conan O'Brien, a Harvard Lampoon alumnus, hosts this late-night comedy/talk-show which is often silly and whimsical.

Stars: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Joel Godard
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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

Opening monologues, sketches, celebrity interviews, and musical performances are commonly featured.

Stars: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Jerry Vivino
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (TV Series 2009)
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Comedian Jimmy Fallon hosts a late-night talk show.

Stars: Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Steve Higgins
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV Series 2003)
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Jimmy Kimmel interviews celebrities.

Stars: Jimmy Kimmel, Cleto Escobedo III, Dicky Barrett
Conan (TV Series 2010)
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

Conan O'Brien and his co-host Andy Richter discuss current news topics and interview celebrities and personalities.

Stars: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band
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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.3/10 X  

After Johnny Carson's retirement from the show, Jay Leno stepped in as his permanent replacement. The format of the show has remained largely unchanged, consisting primarily of an opening ... See full summary »

Stars: Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks, Edd Hall
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

Jimmy Fallon hosts the Tonight Show and interviews celebrities, plays games with them and has a musical or comedic guest perform.

Stars: Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Steve Higgins
Comedy | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

Stephen Colbert took over as host, executive producer and writer of THE LATE SHOW on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015. The comedy-variety-talk show is broadcast five nights a week from the Ed Sullivan theater in New York.

Stars: Stephen Colbert, Jonathan Batiste, Stay Human
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

Making a satire out of the entire Late Night Show concept Scotsman Craig Ferguson hosts his show with a robot skeleton and a "horse" as his sidekicks. The show features the stereotypical parts of a Late Show, but all in their own, raw way.

Stars: Craig Ferguson, Shadoe Stevens, Josh Robert Thompson
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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X  

Host Johnny Carson performs comedy routines and chats with various celebrities.

Stars: Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, Doc Severinsen
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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A mix of celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience participation games, and segments spotlighting real people with extraordinary stories and talents, hosted by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres.

Stars: Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Boss, Anthony Okungbowa
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Cast

Series cast summary:
...
 Himself - Host / ... (4,192 episodes, 1993-2015)
...
 Himself - Musical Director / ... (4,192 episodes, 1993-2015)
Alan Kalter ...
 Himself - Announcer / ... (1,471 episodes, 1995-2015)
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Storyline

David Letterman's comedic talk-show after moving to a new television network. He retains largely the same format as the previous 'Late Night with David Letterman.' Written by Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>

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"There is no off position on the genius switch." See more »


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30 August 1993 (USA)  »

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Late Show Backstage  »

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16:9 HD
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Did You Know?

Trivia

An estimated 13.5 million viewers watched when Oprah Winfrey was guest on 1 December 2005. The average night pulls in 4.3 million viewers. See more »

Quotes

Alan Kalter: Dwight, have you had any luck finding a summer job?
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Summer job? When all my friends are playing video games and hanging out at the mall? No way.
Alan Kalter: A summer job means spending money, Dwight. And it teaches you responsibility.
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Oh, responsibility. Like when you brag to your golf buddies about how you cheat on your taxes? And when you hit that car in the parking lot and just drove away? You disgust me, you corrupt old fraud! I hate you! I hate all of you!
Dwight The Troubled Teen: Hi, I'm Dwight the Troubled Teen. This summer...
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Connections

Featured in The Cranberries: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2002) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

great fun!
5 January 2002 | by (Oslo, Norway) – See all my reviews

"Late show with David Letterman" is in many ways superior to other talk shows in late night television. Even if Letterman is the main focus, and often tends to act a bit egocentric, he still (or perhaps it`s more correct to say that the writing does) includes many of the crew members in the sketches. This gives the show an excellent flavour of diversity, and make it even more outrageous and entertaining. The writing is very original and innovative, and is able to grasp with current events in a clever, and at the same time, plain crazy way that will make you burst out in laughter.

But of course, the most important person is Dave himself, a highly individual host with his own, unique style. He is by all due respect not a very good stand up comedian, and might sometimes seem quite uncomfortable delivering his jokes in the opening monologue, but he is well aware that this is not his strength, and keep it to a minimum, 3 or 4 minutes (as a comparison, Jay Leno`s monologues last for 10 minutes) Also considered harsh, sarcastic and unpredictable, Letterman is not loved by everyone, and these traits might sometimes make him a bit unhuman, but at the same time, his unpredictability is also his genius, and what makes him stand out from his fellowships.

His greatest strength is his exceptional ability to ad lib and deliver funny comments to almost any situation, and that is why the writing includes a lot of segments where the camera is capturing the life and people in New York City. In this way, Letterman can easily comment on what he observes and ask silly questions to the people on camera, and the fun will soon appear. Despite his reputation as a bad boy, he is a great ironic, and is able to joke with himself in a way that most comedians can`t. Still, he is just not goofing around all the time, and might appear quite serious when he is interviewing his guests with curios questions, especially those who have something to say.(unfortunately, not many do)

The music director Paul Shaffer plays a major part in the show, and functions as Lettermans sidekick with his funny, and some times not very well thought comments(and yes, i agree, he sometimes looks as a parody in his flamboyant suits) Their relationship is extremely established, and their chemistry is also fabulous, so it`s unthinkable to imagine anyone else as the music director. So, if you wan`t to watch a very special and imaginative talk show with a touch of pure genius, "The late show" is the right vehicle. And if you haven`t become a regular viewer yet, you better hurry up, because it`s hard to say for how long David will keep going. By all means, im not a prophet, but i will guarantee you that David Letterman is too unique to be replaced. Watch the show regularly, and you will understand what i mean.


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