Late Night with David Letterman

Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 and went off the air in 1993.

History

The first show was on February 1, 1982 with the final show on June 25, 1993, although NBC would air repeats until September 10, 1993. A total of 1,810 shows were broadcast during its eleven and a half year run.

Related Topics:
February 1 - 1982 - June 25 - 1993 - NBC - September 10

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The program ran four nights a week, Monday to Thursday, beginning in February 1982 until May 1987 from 12:30am to 1:30am. Friday shows were added in June 1987. Starting in September 1991, the show began five minutes later, at the request of NBC affiliates (though Letterman had a different reason for the delay: "With the extra five minutes, I will make certain that my make-up is absolutely perfect").

Related Topics:
February - 1982 - May - 1987 - June - September - 1991

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In 1993, Letterman left NBC for a better financial deal with CBS, where he started The Late Show with David Letterman. The Late Night time slot was taken over by the show Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Related Topics:
1993 - NBC - CBS - The Late Show with David Letterman - Late Night with Conan O'Brien

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When Letterman left, NBC asserted their intellectual property rights to many of the most popular Late Night segments. Letterman easily adapted to these restrictions: the Viewer Mail segment was continued on the new show under the name CBS Mailbag, and the actor playing Melman continued his antics under his real name, Calvert DeForest.

Related Topics:
Intellectual property - Calvert DeForest

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