The year was 2014:
One of the biggest, most shocking, talked about, Facebook-ed and tweeted-about moments of the year was this: David Letterman announced to his audience, his viewers and the world that he would step down from The Late Show, and retire from late night television a year from now.
That sent shockwaves across social media and news outlets around the world. And in the days before the date before his final show was announced, everyone has been getting nostalgic of his glory days in late night--not only on Late Show, but also on Late Night and even his short-lived eponymous morning show. All of these moments being some of the most memorable, not only in late night television history, but also in American television history. And now that this final episode is in the books, it’s now time to put this one into the annals of both.
So join me as I review the final episode of the Late Show with David Letterman.
The show began with a supercut of former presidents proclaiming the same
“The National Nightmare is Over”. Even President Barack Obama (in a cameo appearance) said the infamous sentence, then retorting “Letterman is Retiring”, with Letterman himself appearing to ask Obama if he’s kidding.
This is a hilarious moment, and a nice last touch of the amazing self-deprecating humor that Letterman has been known and beloved for for over three decades.
And now the final opening, the final opening, which included nice, vibrant, intimate shots of New York City. It’s completely different from the first opening, which of course is from 1993. I love the look and feel of it: Just New York City and what goes on at night, which is really cool.
Letterman comes to his stage on the Ed Sullivan Theater, and was greeted with a wonderful riotous applause, chants of his name, and a great standing ovation that lasted 2 full minutes. It really doesn’t have to show how royal and devoted his fans are to Dave, especially on a day like this. You know they’ll show their appreciation to him this way the second the episode starts. Watching the Standing O was expected, but all the while wonderful, cathartic and heartwarming.
Dave’s monologue was mostly retrospectives into not only his tenure as Late Show host, but also his entire career as a late night talk show host, which also included his tenure as host of NBC’s Late Night.
The jokes included one where he ribbed that he would never get the hosting job at The Tonight Show (you know what I mean), a clip of him sending his staff a “goodbye, farewell message” (It’s just him blowing kisses to them as a hologram) him and Paul beginning a new hosting gig in Vegas with white tigers, and him getting personal about a 21-year-old doing (something).
He also included clips in tribute to him from The Simpsons and Wheel of Fortune:
The former showing a yellow Dave on TV throwing his cue card through the fake window, Homer laughing his dumb ass off, and Marge pointing out the Status Quo that’s been this way for its 26+-year history: Their kids and baby are still kids and a baby (I also love the small tribute with Maggie spelling out Worldwide Pants [Dave’s production company] with her alphabet blocks). And the latter being a self-deprecating snipe at Dave himself in the form of a puzzle, which is “GOOD RIDDANCE TO DAVID LETTERMAN”. That’s just hilariously cruel.
This was a nice, small Monologue and an end to his start of the show that’s a quiet bang to me.
During his final sit down at the desk, he briefly mentions his successor Stephen Colbert, who will take over The Late Show on September 8. This was very sweet and a kind gesture to the next host. I just know Stephen is gonna knock it out the park.
After this, he shows a supercut of him joking around with kids, and getting them to say the Darndest things ever. It was really funny, cute and endearing. All those kids shown are teenagers and adults now, so it’s gotta be super sweet for them to watch their younger selves on the show with Dave, and you’ve gotta imagine the smiles on their faces watching themselves chatting with a crotchety old man making them look like scatterbrained goobers.
It’s time. Time for his final Top 10 List. This list is on the “Things I’ve Always Wanted to Say to Dave”. This list is said by some of Dave’s favorite guests.
Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Peyton Manning, Tina Fey and Bill Murray. Just them showing up made this list segment heartwarming and awesome, but their slots were very funny (a sweet kind of funny).
-”Of all the talk shows, yours is geographically accurate to my home.” -Baldwin
-”Honestly, Dave, I’ve always found you to be a...bit of an over-actor.” -Carrey
-”I’m just glad your show is being given to another white guy!” -Rock
-“Thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale”. -Louis-Dreyfuss (The look on Seinfeld’s face sold it for me.)
-”Thanks for finally proving that men can be funny” -Fey
The List was hilarious and an awesome element to Letterman’s humor and legacy. Everyone did a great job and was hilarious in their own style. Also, the incidental music that played here was awesome; sounds like “Fire” by The Ohio Players in a different key. I should make a ringtone out of it.
Next up, Dave presented a clip from (1996?) in which he became a temporary employee working the drive-thru at a local Taco Bell. You can tell how this goes from there.
Dave’s smarmy, bait-like, irreverent humor and behavior is gut-busting, and the customers’ reactions are just as much, if not more. Here are some of my fave reactions:
-”If you’re Mexican, the meal’s half off.” -Dave
-“Are you Howard Stern?”
-”Now much is it??”-Female Costumer/“It’s $26.80” -Dave
-”Quit f#&%ing with me…!” -Same Female Costumer
-“She’s gone already, chief.”
...just genius.
We are later treated to something special:
Dave shows us a clip of a normal day in his life as host at The Late Show.
Here he’s documented doing his usual things during work hours at Worldwide Pants: talking with staff members, gearing up for taping a show, final preparations and finally taping a show. This was beautiful, and one of my favorite parts of the show. Also, Dave looks cool in a shirt and gym shorts. Just as normal as you and me.
During the returns from commercial breaks, clips are shown from Letterman’s short-lived eponymous morning show. Also, images and bumpers from Late Night and Letterman Show are also shown. This was awesome. Just awesome.
And in his final moment, Dave later mentioned the many messages of well-wishes and support from viewers and fans, along with the executives of CBS who put up with Dave over the years. He also thanked the crew and staff for all their hard work and talent over the years. Everyone behind the camera, and in front, too (including Alan Kalter, Biff Henderson the CBS Orchestra and Paul Shaffer) deserves all the love and praise they can handle, and then some. Some of the best people to put a show together (so Dave can take credit for it all) in TV. Dave also thanked his mother, wife Regina and son Harry for being a major part in his life.
This humbling message from the man in front was sweet and wonderful. I just love it.
Dave’s favorite musical guest Foo Fighters was his last, final, and ultimate guest of all time ever. They performed his favorite song of theirs, “Everlong”. Let me just say in short...that was f#$king awesome . Plus, I know that it shouldn’t matter, but the red lighting in the background was perfect.
After it ended, a long end credit aired, featuring everyone that has worked on his show (at least, those still living and working for him). It was just wonderful and heartwarming and a perfect end to such an amazing late night talk show.
This show was an amazing showcase of riotous hilarity, great interviews and awesome performances. This show was a beautiful American treasure that couldn’t be taken for granted no matter how hard you try. The show was reason why watching TV past my bedtime was worth it all these years. This show will always be a part of my life and everyone else’s lives.
CBS really didn’t take a gamble; their buyout of Dave, the Orchestra and his humor was a blessing in disguise. They gave us more years of watching this God of late night bless us with more iconic moments of wacky, snarky, crazy and (most definitely) hilarity. And it paid off big time. 22 years of moments we’ll never stop laughing at. 22 years of heartbreaking moments to cry over. 22 years of sweet, kind and heartwarming moments to love. And 22 years of moments worth reveling over. We’ll had them all, and we’ll always be grateful for them until the end of time. We’ll never see David as much as we have on the Late Show, but we’ll always have YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, and other video-hosting sites to re-watch and re-enjoy his classic moments for all time ahead.
I’ve only watched The Late Show on-and-off since around 2008, and even though I may have been too late to enjoy a lot more of the great moments that endured in the Ed Sullivan Theater (I was 13 then), I did come a great time: I watched Paul McCartney perform on the marquee, saw President Obama make his first appearance, Joaquin Phoenix act near-insane in his 2009 interview, saw many amazing musicians perform on stage and laugh with some great comedians (newcomers and legends). Despite my short time-span watching this show, apparently, it was never too late to watch The Late Show. And I’m glad, humbled and grateful to watch it as long as I did.
CBS, thank you for keeping this guy in our hair for 2 decades.
CBS Orchestra, thank you guys for the amazing soundtrack that played with and highlighted these moments for so long. No matter if NBC owns your name or what it says, you guys will always be The World’s Most Dangerous Band to all of us.
And to you, Dave: thank you for making us laugh in the most goofy, twisted, cruel, strange and ingeniously subverted way possible for the last 33 years (and for me, about 7). With you, we've had so many hilarious and heartwarming moments memories to count, and you've made them the way you did. There will be no one like you again, and no one to even come close to reaching touching your talent and humor. Although we some late night hosts coming close. One of them is Stephen Colbert, who will become the next host on September 8. He's the perfect replacement as his smart, biting, irreverent and wonderful humor will be a perfect crux to end our sadness come that time. I have so much hope, faith and happiness for him and the crew he'll bring with him to take the Late Show to new heights. Good luck to them.
For now, let's celebrate you. You deserve the love and praise you've received and you deserve retirement. Have a great rest of your life as we will continue enjoying for what you are. One of the greatest late-night talk show hosts of all time.
Thank you...Da.
No comments:
Post a Comment