David Letterman Will Return to Having a Talk Show Next Week
If this limited, hour interview series goes well, maybe David Letterman will fill in where Charlie Rose was booted off?
Watch the trailer for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction here.
Please Enjoy Conan O’Brien Stopping by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
In their own specific manner, Conan O’Brien and Stephen Colbert are leading the way in late night.
Naturally, one being a guest on the other’s show is something to see and Conan’s interview on Colbert absolutely did not disappoint.
The stories of David Letterman’s “special” gift, hijinks in the Holy Land, and his Harvard ring are priceless as is the dynamic between two living comedy legends.
Norm MacDonald Live Returns for Season 4 Later This Month with Letterman as a Guest
You knew that Norm Macdonald had his own show where he does whatever strikes his fancy, right?
Well, his eponymous show returns for its 4th season on Tuesday, July 25th via JASH with none other than comedy/showbiz/late night legend David Letterman as one of the guests.
See for yourself in this preview clip here.
Also, you can catch up the previous three seasons of Norm Macdonald Live here.
‘Adele Carpool Karaoke’ Record Is Milestone in New Era of Late Night
As of this post, Adele Carpool Karaoke is almost at the 70 million view mark on YouTube, which, according to Deadline, is now the new pinnacle of viral late night clips.
For decades, the format of the late night talk show had pretty much stayed the same with all the trappings of monologues, well tailored suits, desk pieces, celebrity guests, bands.
Now, in the 2010s, the tried and true format of late night is no longer tried and true. Rather than hanging out and hearing the crazy stories of famous people, viewers of late night seem to want to see something crazy actually happen on the show and perhaps only that.
James Corden took over The Late Late Show from Craig Ferguson only last year, relatively unknown in America, and has now scored a viral video that has out performed all the silly games that Jimmy Fallon, the late night leader pretty much from his start at The Tonight Show, plays with A-listers pretty much every night that he tapes an episode.
When Corden inherited The Late Late Show, there was scarcely any online presence for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as brief out-of-context interview clips were the only thing that would CBS would bother uploading on to YouTube. There is a reason that Corden went from pretty much zero to 70 million hits in a matter of a months.
The Internet and, more specifically, YouTube and social media, have commodified late night TV into more of a spectacle than it ever was. Remote segments, games, trips outside the studio are all things that are resonating with the current landscape of late night. Adele singing and joking around with James Corden being the most watched late night YouTube clip perfectly illustrates this change.
Such things specifically include Conan O’Brien doing any of his segments out in the wild or going abroad, Jimmy Fallon’s Lip Sync Battle, the pranks that Jimmy Kimmel hatches or his ongoing faux feud with Matt Damon, the deep segments on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that are uploaded early Monday morning. You’ll note that you’ve probably seen all of these an almost innumerable times on your various social media feeds, both in embedded video and in .gif form.
Sure, Letterman used to throw random things off of a roof and Leno used to find dumb people out on the street who didn’t know what we’d all assume is basic common knowledge for JayWalking. However, in 2016, you don’t have to watch all of The Late Show or The Tonight Show just to get to watch those segments or bits. At any time of the day, you can watch just those specific parts, over and over and over, and nothing else.
With this being the case, many of those aforementioned late night tropes like the opening monologue of topical jokes and desk pieces are slowly fading in relevance in favor of what makes for the most viral sounding headline.
When Conan does entire special episodes where he travels to remote locations, it more resembles something that Anthony Bourdain would do rather than The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.
Last Week Tonight, @midnight, and now, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee all offer something also atypical of what late night has been for so very long by trading chats with celebrities for dozens more topical jokes that aren’t merely delivered while standing on stage without a video package to throw to. Their success is signs of the winds of change at 11PM onwards.
With all of that being said, the old guard late night talk show is, for now, still in tact. Stephen Colbert is, in a surprising turn from The Colbert Report, presenting a very high brow, well executed version of the traditional late night talk show. In fact, Colbert pulls off many feats as a late night talk show host, especially when it comes to who he books and how he interviews or interacts with who he books, that his competition cannot because they’re off focusing on all the things mentioned above. Whether he can ascend to the top of the mountain of late night like his predecessor David Letterman did and stay there has yet to be seen, but Colbert definitely has the brilliance to do so.
Oh yeah, because of Trevor Noah, Larry Wilmore, and Samantha Bee, there is finally more than one late night show right now not hosted by a white guy.
Though they’re inevitably some doubters and skeptics, all these new trends are probably for the best. When it’s easier to watch live TV and stream content on the Internet on the same device (and that’s probably pretty soon), know that late night is only going to get more shaken up.
Finally, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Premieres Tonight
If you’ve been holding your breath since the announcement of Colbert taking over for Letterman since April of last year, you only have to hold your breath for the majority of today and this evening.
As of 11:35PM tonight, the final wheel of this new era of late night will get going as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert debuts on CBS.
Not only will this be television history because of Colbert’s first episode, but we’re sure that you’re excited to see what Colbert will do with Jeb Bush on the program.
We sincerely hope you’ll be watching.
Letterman Does “Top Ten Things I’ve Always Wanted To Say To David Letterman” and Says His Final Goodbye to “The Late Show”
After over a month of tributes and farewells, David Letterman kept his send-off relatively short and sweet.
There was a star-studded Top Ten List of Things I’ve Always Wanted To Say To David Letterman that included Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Peyton Manning, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Jim Carrey, as well as a special performance of “Everlong” by The Foo Fighters.
There was also a nice opening bit from various Presidents.
Outside of that, Dave respectfully spent much his time delving into nostalgia and thanking all of the folks that have been a part of his show over 30 years.
There was even a “day in the life” montage of what Dave goes through with his staff.
With over 30 years and 6000+ shows logged, it’s amazing that Letterman is still self-deprecating in his final remarks.
Just like that, just a little past midnight last night. The Late Show with David Letterman and an entire era of comedy comes to a close.
You can watch the entire finale here.
Of course, Dave also made sure to send his best wishes to the new guy, Stephen Colbert.
Speaking of which, does anyone have a countdown going for Sept. 8th?
Tom Hanks and Bill Murray Will Be Final Guests on Letterman Before Finale
(via The Hollywood Reporter/Entertainment Weekly)
Of course the final guests are Tom Hanks and Bill Murray.
The finale episode of The Late Show with David Letterman doesn’t have a line-up of guests, which we guess is to keep us all in suspense as to whether Dave will have a big star-studded salutation to late night as is customary or do something else altogether.
Still, the two days leading up to Wed. May 20th are sure to have plenty of moments that will be memorable for years to come with Hanks and Murray, two of the best late night guests that ever were. There will also be musical performances from Eddie Vedder and Bob Dylan.
Hanks and Vedder will be on Monday night’s show and Murray and Dylan on Tuesday.
Any takers on what Murray will be wearing in his final appearance or if he might take a jackhammer to the stage again?
Howard Stern and Don Rickles Rib David Letterman One Last Time
Well, it’s quite something to see three showbiz legends sitting right next to each other on a late night talk show.
It’s quite another thing to see two of those legends express their admiration for each other while the other legend, the host of said talk show, is made to wait his turn.
However, that’s the sort of great mischief you get when Howard Stern, Don Rickles, and David Letterman are all sitting side by side on one of the final episodes of The Late Show.
In fact, you even get more tomfoolery from Howard as he tries to kiss Dave.
Also, what Howard Stern appearance on Letterman wouldn’t be complete if he didn’t ask about Jay Leno?
Brian Regan Performs One More Time on Letterman
Brian Regan stopped by The Ed Sullivan Theater once more to grace the stage for one more great stand up set.
This marks Brian’s 30th appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman and, per usual of Regan, it’s a damn fine set and perhaps a nice preview of his live special coming up later this year.
Having Done Her Last Letterman Appearance, Tina Fey Is Done With Fancy Dresses
It’s as almost if Letterman’s final episode is a month long.
Tina Fey let everyone in on what exactly goes into fitting into a fancy dress that women often wear on late night or to awards shows and how she’s not the biggest fan of the whole process.
So, with that in mind, Tina declared that she will no longer be dressing up for any other late night hosts and only did so for Dave out of respect.
In fact, she even gave him her final dress.
Will Ferrell Reprises Harry Caray For Letterman
Though there is no box, wrapping paper, or bows, this is a pretty great parting gift from Will Ferrell.
Though Dave was chatting with President Obama, one should also note that Ferrell brought back one of his classic characters “Harry Caray” and crashed last night’s Late Show.
If only greeting card companies made cards that sounded like Harry saying goodbye to Dave, farewell cards might be worth getting.
“Inside Amy Schumer” Renewed For Another Season Before Season 3 Premiere Tonight
Amy Schumer may be calling 2015 the year of the ass, but it’s turning out to be more of her year.
While Inside Amy Schumer is gearing up for the premiere of its 3rd season tonight following a Peabody Award win, the news broke right before Amy’s appearance on Letterman that Comedy Central was ordering a 4th season of the show.
Of course, she broke the news during her chat with Dave.
So, while you’ll have to tune in at 10:30PM tonight on Comedy Central for the season premiere, this 3rd season is probably off to the best start that it could possibly have.
Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Don Rickles Among Final Guests on Letterman
After over 3 decades on late night, David Letterman has 28 episodes left of The Late Show left concluding on May 20th and has made sure the last set of guests is a cavalcade of the show’s most memorable, big names.
Thus far, Letterman has “George Clooney, Robert Downey, Jr., Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Jack Hanna, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Keaton, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Don Rickles, Julia Roberts, Ray Romano, Paul Rudd, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Howard Stern, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Oprah Winfrey, The Avett Brothers and Brandi Carlile, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Mumford and Sons, Ralph Stanley and Amos Lee, and many more names to be announced in the coming weeks.” for his final few weeks at The Late Show.
We wouldn’t be surprised at all if Bill Murray was the final guest as he was Letterman’s very first guest.
Jake Johannsen Makes His 46th Appearance on Letterman
It just wouldn’t be right if Jake Johannsen didn’t get in another set on The Late Show before Letterman exits.
46 appearances on one late night talk show is a number that almost requires you to read again to be sure you read it right.
However, the renowned comedy stylings of Jake Johannsen definitely warrant being one of Letterman’s go to stand-ups. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised at all if Johannsen gets a 47th appearance in before May.
Watch his set from last night here.
Norm MacDonald Enjoys His Last Appearance on Letterman and Takes a Souvenir
Norm MacDonald is just being Norm MacDonald, which is why you should be watching this right now.
Letterman’s exit is just over two months away and Norm made sure to not only notch in another classic Norm late night appearance with a story about “Mr. Baseball” Bob Uecker, but he also made sure to take a special gift from the Ed Sullivan Theater to remember his time there.
Full disclosure: we’re not sure how he got said gift out of the place.
Will Ferrell Goes Over The Important “Ritual” He Observes Every St. Patrick’s Day
While getting trashed and pinching people who aren’t wearing some shade of green even though you’re well past being a kid seems to be the order of the day on St. Patrick’s Day, Will Ferrell has an “important message” that he shares every year on the very same holiday.
Ferrell, donned in a costume that would befitting to a St. Patrick’s Day themed sequel to Elf, went on Letterman to teach us all the “real” meaning of the day and even did his own version of Danny Boy.
Maybe Ferrell could do a “Danny Boy-off” versus Paul F. Tompkins as his next stunt for charity?
James Corden Wants To Change Up The Traditional Late Night Format With “The Late Late Show”
In a recent interview with Variety, the new host of The Late Late Show, James Corden let on a little as to what he might have up his sleeve.
The traditional late night format of monologue, sketch, guest, etc. are going to be “tinkered” with as Corden doesn’t think of himself as a stand-up comedian that could plow through monologue jokes night after night.
Instead, Corden is going to have the inimitable Reggie Watts as his bandleader and plans on focusing in on his acting, singing, and dancing background. On top of that, he also seems to have a very charming sense of self-deprecation.
Being at 12:35AM will allow James to definitely play up Watts spontaneity and we can only hope that he runs in that direction hard and fast.
You should note that the last time a late night host who didn’t have a background in stand-up and could sing and dance and had overwhelming charisma while constantly poking fun at themselves was Conan O’Brien when he started out at Late Night in 1993. Knowing that, we’re looking forward to James Corden taking over on Mar. 23rd more and more.
Also, you can hear about the shade that David Letterman threw at Corden while appearing on The Late Late Show when Regis Philbin was filling in.
Andy Kindler Is Still One of The Most Fun, Loose Comedians in Late Night
Most performances by stand-up comedians on late night programs are rehearsed word-for-word and vetted in a similar fashion by the show and the network. The result is a highly polished display of jokes, one right after the other, timed out, usually, to be exactly 5 minutes. When you go see those comedians live, it’s usually a little more visceral, livelier, intimate, and personal.
Andy Kindler manages to do a tight set and still pull off being completely himself on late night. Andy is one of the few comedians that takes the national spotlight of a late night talk show to not only do his jokes, but give his signature commentary in between those jokes, which doesn’t seem rehearsed or vetted, but, instead freewheeling and so much fun.
His set from Letterman last night is another perfect example amidst a big pile of perfect examples of this. Note that he also ends right at 5:00.
John Oliver’s Takes on Tasering Himself and The Super Bowl
Sometimes, as a comedian, you never really know what extremes you yourself will go to get a laugh until you’re presented with those extremes in real life. John Oliver found out that he would indeed follow through pretty far in that regard at a recent show and told the story on Letterman.
Oliver also gave his take on our most American of days here in America, The Super Bowl.
Enjoy these clips for now until next Sun., Feb 8th when Last Week Tonight returns to HBO at 11PM.
Louis C.K. on “Deflategate”, The Caveat Playing Arenas, and Not Being Passed at The Comedy Store
Odds are that you’ve already gotten Louis C.K.: Live at The Comedy Store. If not, you should.
In either case, you can enjoy more of C.K. chatting with David Letterman about his “deflategate” theory as well as the weird obstacles one faces when performing stand-up in an arena like Madison Square Garden and circumventing getting passed at The Comedy Store.
Larry David Adjusts To Doing Theatre As If It’s an Episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Larry David is making the rounds to promote his new play Fish In The Dark and his latest interview on The Late Show with David Letterman is the closest you’ll get to a new episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm at this current moment.
The episodes could be called The Theater or The Maid and watching him talk with Dave over it, you can just imagine very vividly it like an episode of Curb.
Some of “The Late Show” Staffers Do Some Improv, Kind Of
David Letterman let his staff get a loose last night by having a few of them that have formed an improv group do a scene during The Late Show.
Watch and enjoy it here and let’s hope that in these final months of Letterman’s tenure at The Late Show, he keeps up this sort of great weirdness going.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Won’t Premiere Until Sept. 8th
“Late Show With Stephen Colbert” will debut on Sept. 8, CBS announces. Colbert’s comment below: pic.twitter.com/IPJX0xBD2a
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff)
So, one of the very final dates in the beginning of this new era of late night is set. Sept. 8th, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will premiere on CBS at 11:30PM (via @ditzkoff).
You read that right. We all have to wait nine months until Colbert resumes his role as a host on the legendary Late Show. As he has said himself, "I have nine months to make a show, just like a baby. So first, I should find out how you make a baby.“
That’s a long time, especially considering what’s going to be happening in the meantime.
For one, David Letterman is signing off from The Late Show on May 20th.
James Corden, who will be following Colbert with The Late Late Show, starts his hosting duties several months earlier on Mar. 23rd.
…and…
Larry Wilmore will be starting next week on Jan. 19th with The Nightly Show at Comedy Central.
…then…
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returns for its second season Feb 8th at HBO.
…then…
Grace Helbig will be headlining her own talk show on E! ostensibly replacing Chelsea Handler starting in April, though it will air in primetime.
…then…
Conan O’Brien will tape a week of episodes at Comic Con this summer, which should be one of the most fun things to happen this year in late night.
The only other thing that is going to happen in the late night realm after Colbert takes over in the latter part of 2015 is the aforementioned Chelsea Handler doing a talk show on Netflix in 2016.
All of this is in addition to Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, and Jon Stewart, continuing to build their late night empires both live on TV and online.
So, with all of those dates set, that leaves four months at CBS where 11:30PM is vacant. Apparently, there will be reruns (via THR) playing in that slot during that time leading in Corden. All other late night programs will be more than happy to play against reruns at 11:30PM at CBS.
What interests us is what exactly will Colbert be up to in these nine months. The format for his tenure at The Late Show is set to be much more traditional than The Colbert Report, which, we think, wouldn’t necessarily need nine months of pre-production and retooling.
Is there something else that Colbert is up to for most of this year? Maybe it’s just some well deserved time off?
Either way, we definitely want 2015 to go way faster now.
Watch Brian Regan on Letterman and Chris Rock’s “Top Five”
It’s officially the first day of November as well as the day after Halloween as well as Saturday morning and we think it’s a pretty great way to start all of that with Brian Regan’s appearance on Letterman from last night.
There’s a stand-up set as well as his bit part in Chris Rock’s upcoming movie Top Five.
(Just so you know, watching Brian Regan is good start to pretty much any day.)
Jenny Slate Sings a Song as Marcel The Shell
One can easily be lulled into the magical illusion of Marcel the Shell with Shoes actually having that fragile voice that he has, but you should know it’s actually the voice of Jenny Slate.
If you’re looking for proof, then look no further then Jenny’s appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman last night where she sang as Marcel.
Then, once you’re overtaken with how adorable this is, you’ll want to pick up the new book due out next week, Marcel The Shell, The Most Surprised I’ve Ever Been.