Feb 1, 2007 10:45 pm US/Central
Letterman Marks 25 Years On Late Night TV
NEW YORK (CBS News) ―
-
-
David Letterman moved to CBS from NBC on Aug. 30, 1993.
David Letterman marks 25 years as a late night talk show king on the "Late Show With David Letterman" Thursday on CBS.
Joining him will be actor Bill Murray who was the first guest on Letterman's "Late Night" program on NBC, Feb. 1, 1982.
When Letterman moved to CBS on Aug. 30, 1993, Murray was the guest for the inaugural "Late Show" broadcast.
Letterman's work on late night has earned him 14 Emmy awards and 89 Emmy nominations. Over the years he's had 4,506 broadcasts featuring 14,772 guest appearances on both his shows.
Here are some highlights from Letterman's 25-year career on late night television:
• Feb. 1, 1982 -- "Late Night With David Letterman" premieres with guests Bill Murray, musician Warren Zevon, science guy "Mr. Wizard" and Larry "Bud" Melman. Murray does jumping jacks and sings "Let's Get Physical."
• Feb. 4, 1982 -- The first edition of Stupid Pet Tricks is broadcast, featuring a bunny on a skateboard and a dog using the telephone.
• Sept. 18, 1985 --The very first Top Ten List, "Things That Almost Rhyme with Peas" is presented.
• Aug. 30, 1993 -- More than 23 million viewers tune in for the premiere of "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS. Guests include Murray, who spray paints "Dave" on Letterman's desk, and singer Billy Joel. News anchor Tom Brokaw and actor Paul Newman make surprise appearances.
• March 31, 1994 -- Madonna makes her infamous appearance on "Late Show."
• Dec. 2, 1994 -- The "Late Show" premieres the first edition of "Fun With Rupert" featuring Hello Deli owner Rupert Jee.
• April 12, 1995 -- Dave gets a birthday gift he'll never forget when drew Barrymore jumps on his desk and flashes her breasts to a stunned Letterman.
• June 6, 1997 -- Farah Fawcett makes an unforgettable appearance on "Late Show"
• Dec. 31, 1999 -- "Late Show" rings in the new millennium with a prime-time broadcast. Guests include "The King of Queens" star Kevin James, a performance by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and special cameo appearances by Dick Clark and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
• Jan. 14, 2000 -- Letterman undergoes quintuple bypass heart surgery at New York Hospital. He returns on Feb. 21 and brings his doctors and nurses on stage to personally thank them. The following night Bill Cosby becomes the first person other than Letterman to host the "Late Show."
• Nov. 3, 2000 -- Madonna makes her first return to the "Late Show" since her infamous March 1994 appearance.
• Sept. 17, 2001 -- Letterman returns to the airwaves after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in a show that featured Dan Rather and Regis Philbin. The Emmy Award-winning broadcast was hailed by the New York Daily News as "one of the purest, most honest and important moments in TV history" and a valuable service to the community.
• Nov. 4, 2003 -- Letterman proudly announces that "last night at 11:58, I became a father" to his first son, Harry Joseph Letterman.
• May 9, 2006 -- Britney Spears makes a surprise visit to the show and announces to Letterman that she's having her second child. "Don't worry, Dave," she says. "It's not yours."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Slideshow: 25 Years Of David Letterman
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
