David Letterman has left late night television. So of course, his spiritual successors have dedicated their time on their late-night shows to honor his legacy and in tribute to him.
Jon Stewart gave his respects on The Daily Show by mentioning his joy of watching Letterman's complete 180 on the talk show format, and mentions Dave's appearance in his short-lived eponymous talk show in the 90s, which Dave made turned a sad moment of failure into a happy moment of reflection and celebration. He later showed the clip during his "Moment of Zen" segment.
Also, Stewart mentions that The Daily Show would be in hiatus during the final week of Letterman's Late Show. Now that's rad respect to him and the producers taking one of the few times outside holidays to air a hiatus.
Jimmy Kimmel, who, when you watch the video below, has to be the biggest Letter-head (meaning Letterman fan) in the group, told us on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the story of watching Late Night when he was a kid, and later basing his childhood around it (even having a birthday cake shaped like a vanity plate bearing the show's name and gotten a plate for his car). He later got emotional praising Letterman. It's sweet, endearing and funny, and redeemed himself in my eyes.
Also, Kimmel did one of the best things he ever did in my eyes: he postponed a night of his show so that we can watch Dave's final Late Show. I'm not the biggest fan of his (or even a big fan) or JKL!, but I can say that I respect him very much thanks to this wonderful gesture.
Meanwhile, at his old stomping ground at NBC, both hosts of the network's red-eye shows (including the one he created) dedicated a segment to Dave.
On The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon (Another Letter-head) mentioned that as a kid, he would stay up and watch Late Night, just like all the other kids. It's just as cathartic.
And on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the open wasn't the usual, but a modern-day recreation of the original open of the show during Letterman's tenure. It's amazing and awesome.
Here's the original
and here's Meyers' recreation.
It's just almost uncanny. And yet just awesome.
And his Late Night successor Conan O'Brien penned something of a love letter to him in an article on the website of Entertainment Weekly. Here's an except of it:
"Like every comedian of my era, I watched Dave’s subversive, untamed morning show with delightful incredulity. The show didn’t last long, but quickly morphed into his late night program—and then Dave was really off to the races. Throughout college, everyone my age watched Dave and discussed his show the next day. The late night talk show had existed at that point for 30 years in more or less one form, but Dave and his writers completely re-invented the format.The rest is on the website: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/01/exclusive-conan-obrien-david-letterman
Dave’s show was that rare phenomenon: a big, fat show business hit that seemingly despised show business. Dave didn’t belong, and he had no interest in belonging. He amused himself, skewered clueless celebrity guests, and did strange, ironic comedic bits that no one had seen on television before. Everything about that show was surreal and off-kilter. Where late night television had once provided comfort, this man reveled in awkwardness. Cher called him an asshole. Andy Kaufman ran screaming from the set. Chris Elliot lived under the stairs. Throughout one episode the entire show rotated a complete 360 degrees, for no reason whatsoever. By 1985, when I graduated from college and was ready to try my hand as a comedy writer, Late Night with David Letterman had been the Holy Grail for several miraculous years."
I just love watching all the hosts doing everything they can to show their respect and love to this man.
These clips and letter are just lovely reasons why these hosts are grateful for the influence that David Letterman has bestowed upon them and that they (like everyone watching him on TV) love him and will miss him re-inventing and pioneering late-night television. Bravo all of them.
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