Seth Meyers announces some guy named David Letterman for Late Night‘s 40th anniversary show
Late Night celebrates 40 years on February 1 with David Letterman and Adam Duritz
Aux News David Letterman
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since Late Night, now a fixture of NBC’s after-hours programming, first premiered. Even harder to imagine, when it did, very few people around the U.S. knew who David Letterman was. But thanks to the bad blood fostered by NBC, who made a shitshow of replacing Johnny Carson in the early 1990s, it was near-impossible to imagine Letterman returning to the stage that made him a star. But that’s the thing about David Letterman, he makes the impossible possible—albeit for very low-stakes chat show appearances.
Announced by the current host, Seth Meyers, Letterman will return to Late Night for the 40th-anniversary show on Tuesday, February 1. Additionally, Adam Duritz, best known for his work with The Counting Crows and an appearance on that straight-edge tattoo I’ve been obsessed with for years, will perform. We’re not sure about the overlap there, but we have to assume Meyers is simply a fan of the tattoo.
Letterman’s return is a historic moment that even a few years ago felt unlikely. While the comedian was the original host, he ultimately left the gig 11 years into his run after NBC chose Jay Leno to replace Johnny Carson as the permanent host of The Tonight Show. Longtime A.V. Club readers probably remember NBC doing the exact same thing to Conan O’Brien in 2010. Letterman regularly mocked Leno, NBC, and their handling of the O’Brien handoff on his CBS Late Show, blaming the issue on the “bungling and machinations of the idiots at NBC’s executive level.” Good stuff.
But that was some time ago, and now an older, wiser, and more bearded version of Letterman will once again darken the doorways of 30 Rockefeller Center. Will he offer an update on “The Jay Leno File” or bring back “Stupid Pet Tricks?” If we were a betting website, which we’re not, we’d put all our money on Letterman having a friendly chat with Seth Meyers punctuated with genial ribbing at NBC’s expense.
19 Comments
Finally getting himself out there!
He has had a 3 season run (and 2 Emmy nominations) from 2018-20 on Netflix of his show “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman”.
Letterman first visited the Late Show as a guest in 1994.
Far more interesting/funny/surprising/delightful was his brief cameo during Conan’s 1980s themed episode during their “time travel” week gimmick in 1995.
He also sent audience members over to Conan’s set, did a bit about giving an extra monolog joke to Conan, etc. etc. For a while they were fostering the same kind of master/young-shot vibe Carson and Letterman shared in the 80’s. It’s true he hasn’t been on an NBC program in a long time but it hasn’t been 30 years.
Holy shit, I just realized, Letterman went on Seth Meyers in 2018. Like. . . come on people.
It’s funny, but you can almost set your watch to an AVC writer making some kind of little false statement in every article they publish just for a weird bit of throwaway color.
Looking forward to this! Two witty, intelligent, well-spoken men together sharing experiences–this will be fun..
It took me a minute to recall that the current Seth Myers’ Late Show is actually the same program as the Letterman version.
Late Night. Stephen Colbert hosts the Late Show.
Which of course is actually the same program as the Letterman version 🙂
Dave trying to take a fruit basket to his new bosses when GE bought RCA (and NBC) in 1986:
I can’t imagine any of the late night hosts currently working even considering a stunt like that, much less pulling it off.
Years and years later, I still cringe at the thought of having to hear that goddamn Mr. Jones song again.
Is it because when you look at the television you wanna see you starin’ right back at you?
Is that you, Adam? (Otherwise, WTF?)
Look, do you really think the lead singer one of the biggest modestly-successful bands of the 90s would be wasting time shitposting on the AV Club with his success and other, important things to do?
…I mean, yes, he would. But no. I’m not.
C’mon, he’s got his own concept of pitch. Takes a real driver to hit every pothole in the road.
Forget Stupid Pet Tricks. I want Seth and Dave to wear the Velcro suits and jump up onto the wall and hang there for the full interview.