Editing David Letterman (section)

== NBC ==
=== Morning show ===
{{Main|The David Letterman Show}}
On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on [[NBC]], ''[[The David Letterman Show]]''. It was originally 90 minutes long but was shortened to 60 minutes in August 1980.<ref>Peter Kerr. "David Letterman's Off-Center Humor Finds a Home." ''The New York Times'', February 19, 1984, p. H27</ref> The show was a critical success, winning two [[Emmy Award]]s, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled, the last show airing October 24, 1980.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a34945/letterman-morning-show/|title=Let's Not Forget David Letterman's Hilarious, Innovative Morning Show|date=May 12, 2015|work=Esquire|access-date=October 13, 2017}}</ref>

=== ''Late Night with David Letterman'' ===
{{Main|Late Night with David Letterman}}
[[File:Jerry Lewis with David Letterman.jpg|thumb|Letterman interviewing comedian [[Jerry Lewis]] in 1982]]
NBC kept Letterman on its payroll to try him in a different time slot. ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' debuted February 1, 1982; the first guest was [[Bill Murray]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Murray @ David Letterman #1, 1982, 1 of 2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7US7PU6tidM |publisher=YouTube |year=1982 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422224920/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7US7PU6tidM |archive-date=April 22, 2012 }}</ref> Murray went on to become one of Letterman's most frequent guests, guesting on his later CBS show's celebration of his 30th anniversary in late-night television, which aired January 31, 2012, and on the final CBS show, which aired May 20, 2015. The show ran Monday through Thursday nights at 12:30&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern time zone|Eastern Time]], immediately following ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' (a Friday night broadcast was added in June 1987). It was seen as edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an [[wikt:acerbic|acerbic]] interviewer was borne out in verbal sparring matches with [[Cher]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBgDHhmSrAo |publisher=YouTube |title=Cher on Late Night (part 1 of 2) |year=1986 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111023335/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBgDHhmSrAo |archive-date=November 11, 2011 }}</ref> (who even called him an "asshole" on the show),<ref>{{cite news | last=Hunt | first=Stacey Wilson | date=May 14, 2015 | title=Cher Pays Tribute to David Letterman: 'I Called Him an Asshole on the Air' | work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cher-pays-tribute-david-letterman-795447/ | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> [[Shirley MacLaine]],<ref>{{YouTube|uh2UVul29CM|Shirley Maclaine on Late Night (1988) (Part 1 of 2)}}</ref> [[Charles Grodin]], and [[Madonna]]. The show also featured comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1950s and 1960s programs of [[Steve Allen]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Allen Remembered|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/steve-allen-remembered-36211/|author=Michael Ausiello|work=TV Guide|date=November 1, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref>

The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks"<ref>{{YouTube|title=Late-Night with David Letterman Stupid Pet Tricks|id=kTPB14ivKUs}}</ref> (which had its origins on Letterman's morning show), Stupid Human Tricks,<ref>{{YouTube|title=Stupid Human Trick on David Letterman 1–1987|id=Oa4Vfn-pjHI}}</ref> dropping various objects off the roof of a five-story building,<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman 4th Anniversary Special, Pt. 7|id=bFyRBOx_auM}}</ref> demonstrations of unorthodox clothing (such as suits made of [[Alka-Seltzer]],<ref>{{YouTube|EAu0USchCrI|David Letterman "Alka Seltzer" suit}}</ref> [[Velcro]]<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman in a Suit of Velcro|id=N9uxxqKGmYg}}</ref> and [[suet]]), a recurring [[Top 10 list (David Letterman)|Top 10 list]], the Monkey-Cam<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman – Monkey Cam|id=RLmiVi9HXK4}}</ref> (and the Audience Cam), a facetious letter-answering segment,<ref>{{YouTube|DzIea4w1F6E|David Letterman answers viewer mail in person}}</ref> several "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrIiLrNq0oI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/BrIiLrNq0oI| archive-date=2021-10-28|title=A film by Bob the dog (from David Letterman)| date=March 25, 2007|publisher=YouTube|access-date=November 20, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> (often with comic results) and Small Town News,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUs5hNVZuCs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/jUs5hNVZuCs| archive-date=2021-10-28|title=Classic Dave = small town news, 1/12/88|publisher=YouTube|date=January 12, 1988|access-date=November 20, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> all of which moved with Letterman to CBS.

Other episodes included Letterman using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on ''[[Today (NBC program)|The Today Show]]'' on August 19, 1985, announcing that he was the NBC News president [[Lawrence K. Grossman]] and that he was not wearing any pants;<ref name="todayshow">{{cite magazine|last=Hall|first=Jane|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-late-night-letterman-vol-26-no-2/|title=Late Night Letterman|magazine=People|date=July 14, 1986|volume=26|issue=2|pages=88–|access-date=May 31, 2022|quote=Bryant Gumbel was not amused when Letterman interrupted an outdoor Today show special in Rockefeller Center, shouting from his own taping session above, "I am Larry Grossman, President of NBC News … and I'm not wearing pants!" ("I don't blame Bryant for being pissed, but we were invited in by the Today show producer," says Letterman. Unfortunately, nobody told Gumbel and Pauley.)|archive-date=July 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726133451/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094089,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> walking across the hall to Studio 6B, at the time the news studio for [[WNBC-TV]], and interrupting [[Al Roker]]'s weather segments during ''[[Live at Five (WNBC TV series)|Live at Five]]''; and staging "elevator races", complete with commentary by NBC Sports' [[Bob Costas]]. In one appearance, in 1982, [[Andy Kaufman]] (who was wearing a neck brace) appeared with professional wrestler [[Jerry Lawler]], who slapped and knocked the comedian to the ground (Lawler and Kaufman's friend [[Bob Zmuda]] later revealed that the incident was [[work (professional wrestling)|staged]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailyhaggis.com/2002/12/27/kaufman-fight-was-a-fake/|title=Kaufman Fight Was a Fake|publisher=Daily Haggis|date=March 6, 2010|access-date=November 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512055909/http://www.dailyhaggis.com/2002/12/27/kaufman-fight-was-a-fake/|archive-date=May 12, 2008}}  This scene was re-created in the film "Man in the Moon" starring Jim Carrey</ref>