Tag: david letterman
#EndorseThis: Al Franken Explains The Koch Brothers To David Letterman

#EndorseThis: Al Franken Explains The Koch Brothers To David Letterman

If you’re like David Letterman and still don’t know about Siegfried and Roy Koch (better known as the Koch brothers), Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is here to explain on the second of six episodes of his Funny Or Die web series, Boiling The Frog.

You can stream all six episodes — which dropped last week — here.

Raw And Refined, Smart And Stupid, Colbert Makes A Glorious Entrance

Raw And Refined, Smart And Stupid, Colbert Makes A Glorious Entrance

In some ways, Stephen Colbert just made his mainstream comedy debut.

For nine years, as the host of the eponymous The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, he played the role of a well-meaning, imperious idiot whose name he just happened to share. Where Colbert the performer went, Colbert the character followed.

He brought his delightful riff on conservative media personalities to the Emmys, the White House Correspondents Dinner, Bill O’Reilly’s guest chair, and — in perhaps his oddest gig — testimony before a congressional subcommittee (that didn’t really seem to get the joke).

But on Tuesday night, Colbert the performer made his debut on primetime late-night comedy in his own voice — as the new host of CBS’ The Late Show, inheriting the mantle from David Letterman, for whom the show had been founded in 1993. 

Colbert’s premiere opened with the singing of the national anthem all across the country — a parody of presidential campaign announcement videos — plus a special cameo by a certain friend of Stephen’s, revealing himself from under an umpire’s mask.

Sitting behind a new desk at the resplendent, recently renovated Ed Sullivan Theater — though with a few artifacts of the old “Stephen Colbert,” like the Captain America shield — Colbert signaled an intention to remain at the intersection of entertainment and politics, by welcoming as his first guests noted Hollywood lefty George Clooney and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

But before he could do any of that, while giving a tour of his new digs, he also revealed that he had sold his soul to the dark lords — his sponsors.

As an act of meta-commentary, Stephen caught up with the major political news that he’d missed during his time preparing for this new show — the media junk food that is the Donald Trump campaign.

In his opening monologue, he made reference to the pressure to differentiate his new gig from his old role. And it’s not necessarily that there’s a lot of the familiar Colbert character in his new persona, it’s that the old gasbag had a lot of Colbert in him.

Or, as he said himself later on in an exchange with Jeb Bush: “I used to play a narcissistic conservative pundit; now I’m just a narcissist.”

But in the best way possible.

Colbert is a performer who can magnificently toe the line between pompous and goofy, raw and refined, smart and stupid, performing silly acts with obvious delight and unassailable confidence. His long history as a master ironist invites his audience to view, perhaps charitably, even the hammiest skits as arch meta-takes on the very nature of hammy late-night comedy.

In other words, the friction between being in on the joke and stuck in a bad one doesn’t exist with Colbert, which is perhaps why the debut episode of his new show was such a weird and wonderful hour, rough and rowdy and full of contradictions and promise.

Farewell To Dave: 10 Of His Greatest TV Moments

Farewell To Dave: 10 Of His Greatest TV Moments

It was the end of an era Wednesday night: The last episode for David Letterman, as he heads off into retirement after more than 30 years on the air.

There was a final, all-star celebrity “Top 10” list: “Top 10 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Say To Dave.”

A special appearance by several U.S. presidents: “Our long national nightmare is over.”

A heartfelt, emotional goodbye from Dave, Paul, and the whole crew.

And a musical look back at the show over the decades, headlined by Dave’s good friends, The Foo Fighters.

David Letterman did something special: He brought weirdness to mainstream TV.

With his run now truly over, after three decades and two different networks, let’s take a look at just some of his greatest clips. Of course, any “Top 10” list of Letterman will be extremely incomplete. Accept this then as our humble, grateful tribute to a man who made us smile more times than we can count.

Begin the slideshow

Perhaps Dave’s single most powerful moment was when The Late Show returned to the air after the 9/11 attacks. Here he paid tribute to the city, to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the police and firefighters, and average citizens in New York and all across the country — and really, to the human spirit.

Next: Dave vs. Bill O’Reilly

Dave would get sharply political in the years to come: In 2006, he faced off with Bill O’Reilly on the subject of the Iraq War. This argument was so contentious, it’s hard to believe that the two have remained friends, but Bill made many more appearances over the years — and they’ve had many more arguments.

Next: A Classic Tradition

In 1985, Dave delivered the very first iteration of what would become his signature feature: The Top 10 List.

The Top 10 lists became so iconic and perfected as an art form that Dave would welcome celebrity guests to deliver them — so many celebrities, in fact, that in recent weeks he presented a compilation, “Top 10 Special Top 10 Lists.”

Next: The Unbeatable Dave

In January of 2000, Dave had emergency heart surgery — a quintuple bypass. After a string of guest hosts looked after the show for him, he made his triumphant return in February.

Next: The Great Jamba Caper

Dave has always been a merry prankster. Here he is on a hot summer’s day, having set up an absurdly long straw and a pump — to drink out of a Jamba Juice from all the way across the street.

Next: Dave Loved To Prank Jamba Juice

And Dave’s show would return to that Jamba Juice location later on — to swarm it full of people in Spider-Man costumes.

Next: A Loving Tribute to a Friend

In 2007, longtime featured player on the show Calvert DeForest, aka Larry “Bud” Melman — a man who was supposed to be even weirder than Dave — passed away at age 85. Here is Dave’s touching tribute:

Next: Dave Launched Music Careers Like No Other

Dave’s show was also a great venue for new music acts. Here he is in 1983, with the TV debut of an up-and-coming band out of Athens, Georgia called R.E.M. This appearance was so early in their career that lead singer Michael Stipe was still too shy to even talk on camera, leaving the task to guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills.

Next: He’s Got You, Babe

Dave knew how to have a great time with established celebrities, too. Back in 1987, he reunited the legendary duo of Sonny and Cher, to sit and talk on the couch — and to once again perform their classic hit, “I Got You Babe.”


Photo: David Letterman, June 13, 2011. (Department of Defense, photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley.) Via Wikicommons.

Endorse This: The Original ‘Top Ten’

Endorse This: The Original ‘Top Ten’

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David Letterman’s remarkable run as host of The Late Show is coming to an end tonight — and with it, his iconic “Top Ten” lists. But how did the feature first begin?

Click above to take a trip back through time, all the way to 1985, to the night when Dave delivered the very first list — and the whole gang was still figuring out exactly what their show was going to be. Then share this video!

Video viaAdweek.

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