By Daria Laycock
May it be the monologues, the guests, or the infectious personalities of the Comedians themselves late night television has left a permanent mark on the psyche of American entertainment. Late night television serves as a bedtime story to its adult viewers. Brimming with jokes, skits, and celebrity guests the late night talk show provides the ideal cocktail with which to take a load off and unwind. The American populous has given late night hosts its eyes, ears, and hearts and in return they have received greats such as Jay Leno, Johnny Carson and more recently Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon.
Perhaps of the most notable of the late night hosts is David Letterman. An Indiana native known for his contemptuous brand of locker room humor Letterman gained notoriety in the seventies as a writer for Good Times and as a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Presented with his own late night show in 1980 ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ was a critical success that prepared him for the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ in 1993.
Fast-forward twenty-two years and the once small town comedian is now an entertainment mogul. Boasting one of the most extensive fortunes in comedy history Letterman also owns the production company behind successes such as Everyone loves Raymond and the Late Late show with Craig Ferguson. His collection of Emmy’s, Peabody’s and other awards is seemingly endless. Now after an impressive career he wishes his audience a final farewell.
Letterman’s last show was inundated with his celebrity friends coming out to bid him adieu. In attendance were Chris Rock, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Carey, Tina Fey and Jerry Seinfeld to name but a few. The show was business as usual with Letterman preforming his most loved bits, the same jokes that earned him his fame so many years ago. His last show was not warm and heartfelt but rather a cool and cooky reminder of why America fell in love with him to begin with. He ended with the irrevocable words “That’s pretty much all I got … thank you and goodnight.”
