The Late Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman in which he hosts a wide variety of guests, interspersed with sketch comedy acts, satire, in-studio musical performances and commentary on current events.
The show premiered in the USA on CBS on 30 August, 1993.
The Late Show with David Letterman premiered in South Africa on Dstv's Sony Entertainment Television (SET) channel on Monday 1 December 2008, at 22h00. New episodes air daily, from Mondays to Fridays.
Repeats
Weekdays: 18h10
Synopsis
Helmed by critically-acclaimed funnyman David Letterman and taped before a live studio audience at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York, the Late Show with David Letterman boasts a lively range of guests – from Barack Obama, Will Smith and Charlize Theron to Madonna, Johnny Depp and Oprah Winfrey – razor sharp commentary on current events and a range of comedic gags.
The Late Show also features an in-studio musical performance from a wide range of artists such as Duffy, Beck, R.E.M., Tricky and Lou Reed.
After more than 4,500 late night shows, Letterman is one of the most influential personalities in the broadcasting landscape, with a total of 14 Emmy Awards to his personal credit.
2008 marked his 26th year in late night comedy and his 15th year as host of the Late Show.
In 1992, Letterman received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for taking "one of TV's most conventional and least inventive forms – the talk show – and infusing it with freshness and imagination."
Letterman has also won two American Comedy Awards as Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series and was honoured as Favourite Late Night Talk Show Host at the 31st Annual People's Choice Awards in 2005.
Letterman's first network break came in 1978 as a performer on the CBS variety series Mary, starring Mary Tyler Moore. In November of that year, he made the first of 22 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and also guest-hosted The Tonight Show numerous times.
In 1980, he began hosting a double Emmy Award-winning morning comedy-variety program, The David Letterman Show, which ran for three months on NBC.
His critically acclaimed show Late Night with David Letterman premiered in February 1982, winning five Emmy Awards in an 11 year life-span.
On August 30, 1993, the Late Show with David Letterman made its debut, quickly becoming one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed programs of the year.
Airing for the first time in South Africa, the night-time talk show airs on SET a week after the original US broadcast on CBS.
Resources
Episode Teasers: The Late Show With David Letterman