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David Letterman Thinks NBC's Late Night Plans Are Just Plain Goofy
Posted by Seth at 2:50 AM on September 4, 2008
Sitting down with Rolling Stone for a rare interview, David Letterman opened up on his two-step process of alienating and courting some of his most famous guest-emies—towering pop culture figures like Madonna, Oprah, and Richard Simmons—as well as his own plans for retirement. ("I would like to go beyond [my contracted] 2010, not much beyond," he told them.) He was also asked to weigh in on the curious scheduling shift going on at his old network NBC, where top ratings-getter Jay Leno is being forcibly vacated to make room for new The Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien, and his Late Night successor, Jimmy Fallon. No one is more confused about the changes than Letterman:
"Unless I'm misunderstanding something, I don't know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that," Letterman said, adding, "I have to believe he was not happy about it."
Letterman speculated whether "that's actually what's going to happen," while acknowledging NBC might be too far down the road to retreat. [...]
Letterman, who called O'Brien "a very funny guy," was asked about facing him as the new "Tonight" host. A cautious Letterman said he couldn't predict the outcome.
"It will be weird to see Conan at 11:30, don't you think? Which is not to say he can't succeed, but, no, I don't know what the competition will be like. I hope we're able to do OK."
The late night landscape is hardly recognisable from the one Letterman originally landed his comedy spaceship upon back in the early '80s, lowering its pod doors to release fantastical alien life forms like Larry "Bud" Melman upon America's unwitting insomniacs. Today's audiences have since grown utterly inured to the sight of Conan's masturbating bears and copulating manatees. Pitting these veterans against one another might therefore inspire a competitive Letterman to reach even deeper into his bag of absurdist-stunt-comedy tricks—perhaps with a heavily hyped round of "Will the Former V.P. Candidate In A Bikini Float?" Time will tell.
- Letterman wants to go out on his own terms [CNN/AP]
- Dave at Peace [Rolling Stone]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
denominator
Posted 3:19 AM 4/9/08
Is that satire? They ASKED him about it. For a guy as smart as Letterman to try to feign ignorance about what the developments are in the extremely specialized industry of late-night talk shows would be a ridiculous move. Just because he's as aware of what's going on as the rest of us and willing to talk about it, I don't think that necessarily qualifies him as fixated. And you might be right about Saccharine Jay, but Two And A Half Men gets better ratings than Arrested Development ever did.
denominator
RonMwangaguhunga
Posted 3:05 AM 4/9/08
David Letterman is so exquisitely, wonderfully human. Can a Hossier even be existential? Even years out of NBC after an acrimonious split, he is still almost entirely preoccupied by the goings on at the peacock network and the legacy of "The Johnny Chair." Letterman doesn't even try to hide his fixation. In a business swarming with oily, sufacish polishers, it is kind of nice to see those sometimes uncomfortable thoughts in a normal, unvarnished mind. It is no wonder Jay wins the late night wars so consistently, Letterman is an acquired taste probably too raw and organic and unsweetened for the late-night viewing masses.
RonMwangaguhunga
juniperjenny
Posted 3:56 AM 4/9/08
Of course he's up on it. If you were the #2 glass window supplier in Des Moines, you'd know what was up with the #1 glass window supplier. You'd even subscribe to the national trade magazine. It's business, kids.
juniperjenny
Tiger_Tanaka
Posted 3:53 AM 4/9/08
What are you on about? You make the man sound like Charlie Rose. He throws watermelons from rooftops, for God's sake, and if Hugh Grant had kept his zipper up, Dave would probably still be winning the ratings battle.
Tiger_Tanaka
turdknuckle
Posted 4:10 AM 4/9/08
Whats the over/under on the number of heads that will roll on the Jimmy Fallon debacle?
turdknuckle
denominator
Posted 4:35 AM 4/9/08
@RonMwangaguhunga: (what's up with the lack of the 'reply-to' arrow, anyway?) Right on. Let's never fight again.
denominator
RonMwangaguhunga
Posted 4:27 AM 4/9/08
@denominator: Yes they ASKED him about it, but this is the first time he was so honest about it. Even the NY Times thought that was a noteworthy development: [www.nytimes.com]
@Tiger_Tanaka: Letterman is defintiely not Charlie Rose. He throws watermelons off buildings and he even does (consciously) mindless skits about "Will It Float." But Letterman also has a interesting and wholly organic undercurrent of uncomfortableness that is unique to the usually polished late night presentation. And his ability to puncture celebrity pomposity -- see Paris Hilton -- is staggering when its on display. Letterman doesn't fly in Hollywood -- for further reference: see Dave hosting the Oscars -- but the more discerning feel its flavor.
RonMwangaguhunga
RonMwangaguhunga
Posted 4:45 AM 4/9/08
@denominator: Was having tech problems with the arrows. All good now. Friends.
RonMwangaguhunga
OldTowneTavern
Posted 5:25 AM 4/9/08
@RonMwangaguhunga: Okay, I googled "sufacish" and the only thing that came up was another post of yours.
OldTowneTavern
Xylo
Posted 6:55 AM 4/9/08
Awww, the story about Warren Zevon - I saw that show.
Now my damn screen's all blurry.
Xylo
Desk_hack
Posted 7:22 AM 4/9/08
Bless his lovely, Midwestern heart.
Desk_hack
Passwordforgetter
Posted 4:16 PM 4/9/08
Mindread much?
Passwordforgetter