The Career of Late Show Host David Letterman
He started out as a struggling stand-up comic, TV show writer, weatherman and game show host, and went on to become the substitute host on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.” Getting his own show, he brought an extremely unconventional take on the late night, and focused on politics, random calls to strangers, and making his guests feel uncomfortable. However, following a public spat with the network, he left to work for CBS as the star of “The Late Show With David Letterman”, a direct time-slot competitor. Since then, he has had health scares and became the target of an extortion scheme. Join WatchMojo.com as we take a look at the career of David Letterman.
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The Career of Late Show Host David Letterman
He is the American television host, comedian and producer with the trademark gape-toothed grin. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be taking a look at the career of David Letterman.
Born on April 12th, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana; Letterman emerged to prominence from a fairly ordinary childhood. Independent and often the class clown in his youth, he went on to graduate from Ball State University, and become a weatherman, TV announcer and radio host for the first half of the 1970s.
Following this, he worked as a struggling stand-up comic at The Comedy Store, and started writing for television shows, such as “Good Times.”
He later became a minor celebrity in the latter part of the decade due to appearing on various Television programs and game shows (The Gong Show, Mary, Liar’s Club, The $10,000 Pyramid, Password Plus). This exposure prompted his many appearances, and the role of substitute host on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.”
During this time, NBC saw great potential in the young comedian, and decided to give him his own daytime talk show called “The David Letterman Show” in 1980. Unfortunately, it was a ratings disaster due to its timeslot, lasting only a few months.
Yet, as luck would have it, Tom Snyder, the host of “The Tomorrow Show” was simultaneously forced off the air. As a result, Letterman quickly became the star of “Late Night With David Letterman.”
Bringing to television an extremely unconventional take on the late night talk show format, Letterman used his new program to focus on politics, random calls to strangers, and making his guests feel uncomfortable. Due to this shake-up, he became a household name and instant draw for audiences.
In 1992, with the announcement of Johnny Carson’s retirement, many thought that Letterman would be a shoe-in for the position. Despite this, NBC leaned toward Carson’s then-substitute Jay Leno. Following a very public and vicious spat, Leno claimed the highly sought position.
Within a year, Letterman left to work for CBS as the star of “The Late Show With David Letterman”, a direct timeslot competitor. This shocking move prompted another round of battles, this time centered on NBC claiming that Letterman’s staple show elements, such as his Top 10 Lists and throwing a pencil at the camera, belonged to them as intellectual properties.
Winning this battle, Letterman came to dominate over “The Tonight Show” show for two years. However, Leno took the lead with a guest appearance by Hugh Grant who had decided to discuss his arrest with a prostitute. Afterward, Leno consistently beat Letterman in the ratings.
In the mid 1990s, Letterman teased his retirement, but an impressive 14 million dollar per year deal kept him with CBS. And in that time he made headlines with such events as Drew Barrymore’s infamous table dance, his cameos in the films “Cabin Boy” and “Man on the Moon”, and for hosting the 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995).
Not just a talk show host, Letterman became an active head for his production company Worldwide Pants, and has served as the executive producer on shows such as “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
However, tragedy struck in January of 2000 when the host was struck with coronary arterial blockage, and had to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. Recovering, it only seemed to further increase his popularity.
In recent years, Letterman has toned down his show, and has opted to act and dress more conservatively. Yet, other late night show hosts, such as Conan O’Brien, have adopted Letterman’s earlier off-the-the wall hosting style.
Despite his newfound low-key presence on television, he made massive headline news in 2009 due to an extortion attempt made against him. This led to the revelation that he had been engaging in sexual activities with several of his show’s female employees. As a result, he made a public apology for his actions, and his show continued along unaffected.
An often times controversial and offbeat television presence, David Letterman continues a long-running career that has led him to be among the most nominated people in Emmy Award history.
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