Key Takeaways:
– Born in 1947, David Letterman started his career as a weatherman and moved to LA for a shot at stardom.
– His unique style led to his own shows, one of which got him to Emmys.
– Letterman was passed over for THE TONIGHT SHOW, despite being the suggested successor.
– He moved to CBS with THE LATE SHOW and continued to transform the late-night scene.
– Despite a scandal in 2009 involving extramarital affairs, Letterman’s career continued to shine.
– After 6,000 episodes of THE LATE SHOW, Letterman transitioned to Netflix.
The world of David Letterman is a thrilling ride, full of highs, lows and every twist and turn you can imagine. Born on April 12th, 1947, he started his career as a weatherman and hosted a couple of small-scale shows before moving to Los Angeles in search of stardom.
He got his big break in 1978, when he appeared on THE TONIGHT SHOW. His unique style caught the attention of Johnny Carson, the host, who thought Letterman was the future of late-night shows. This led to Letterman hosting his own show, THE DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW, in 1980. He only enjoyed a brief five months run, but it earned him two Emmys, making it a sweet, short-lived victory.
His journey to fame had just begun. In 1982, Letterman earned another show, LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN on NBC. Sprinkling his unique blend of snark and gimmicks, he attracted large viewership and went on to host about 2,000 episodes. His eccentricities, such as attaching a camera to a monkey’s head and wearing suits covered with Velcro, shook the traditional late-night scene.
However, despite being the apple of Carson’s eye, Letterman lost THE TONIGHT SHOW to Jay Leno in 1992. Undeterred by this turn of events, he signed up with CBS for THE LATE SHOW and continued his late-night charisma. His rivalry with Leno was well-known, but Letterman’s popularity was undimmed as he carved a niche for himself in the late-night entertainment space.
David Letterman hit a roadblock in 2009, when he publicly admitted to having extramarital affairs with his female staff members. Although this scandal caused quite a stir, it did not considerably dampen his popularity. He was met with applause and laughter just as he was revealing the details of his affairs on air, showing that audiences were already accustomed to his unexpected twists and turns.
The final episode of THE LATE SHOW aired on May 20th, 2015, marking the end of an era. But for Letterman, it was merely a stepping stone to the next stage of his career. Within three years, he made a comeback with MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION on Netflix featuring an array of guests from Kim Kardashian to Volodymyr Zelensky.
As Letterman’s iconic career shows, he’s always had the ability to adapt and thrive, no matter what situation he found himself in. He had his fair share of setbacks, but he took them in stride and pushed forward, always managing to bounce back stronger than before. And throughout his rollercoaster ride of a career, Letterman never compromised on his unique, irreverent style, showing us that you can indeed challenge the status quo and succeed. It’s clear that despite his retirement, the spirit of the late-night renegade lives on in Letterman’s legacy that continues to influence today’s TV scene.
