"Have a good weekend" "Yea, Right" Never gets old

@rickleblanc8900

2 жыл бұрын

I love his deadpan humor. Flunky was a genius

@RideAcrossTheRiver

2 жыл бұрын

@@rickleblanc8900 THE Rick Leblanc?

"Yeah, right." - and a star is born.

I’ve been waiting for this one. I still can’t believe my letter inspired Jeff to create Flunkie. I also can’t believe I misspelled “Flunky” as “Flunkie”.

@NecroticCadaver

6 жыл бұрын

Jeff Edstrom Did you end up going to Europe??

@jeffedst

6 жыл бұрын

palegreenstars Not that Summer. Who’d go against Flunkie?

@theincredibletvchannel4297

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Jeff for your contribution to entertanment.Accidental or not.

@OhanaFilms

5 жыл бұрын

Ha! Amazing. The first thing I did when I saw your name on the letter was look for you on facebook, just in case you didn't know this was up on youtube.

@chado3000

5 жыл бұрын

Believe it, Jeff.

If late night were still this good, I would still have television.

@markviereck4547

5 жыл бұрын

Tubebrerry I got rid of my last TV 3 months ago. Alls I need is my IPad. And KZread

@sleazoid99

5 жыл бұрын

Well, Trump's tweets are comedy gold.

@dantyler6907

5 жыл бұрын

We no longer need TV. All anyone needs now is a 'net connection. Even movies are history. Brave new world...

@redacted2275

4 жыл бұрын

@@sleazoid99 Your kind of humor is what f**ked up late shows nowadays.

@sleazoid99

4 жыл бұрын

@@redacted2275 Humor is subjective. But no, it must be me and not you, right?

Exciting back then. Lettermans' writing and idea creation. cast of characters and unique guest choices. It was always surprising

His delivery is fucking awesome.

Finally! Finally found Flunky. I told my 21yr. old son about this clown on Dave's show how very funny and rude he was. Thank you for posting these clips. How I miss Late Night with Dave.

Honestly, one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I watch this clip in its entirety once every couple of months, and I laugh out loud every single time.

@RideAcrossTheRiver

2 жыл бұрын

Is it pronounced "tate ee" or "taht ee"--?

@tateyambrose7290

2 жыл бұрын

@@RideAcrossTheRiver Tate - ee

@markbtelevision

2 жыл бұрын

We have the same sense of humour

I love how his makeup is always different.

"Yeah, that's a real powerful organization. What are they gonna do? Take the shoes back?" 20:13 EPIC!

"Yeah, right..." And comedy gold was mined!

Despite knowing how it will play out, it still brings amusement

I graduated high schoolin 1985 and watched Letterman as often as I could. I loved Flunky and thought he was hilarious. Thanks for talking the time to compile this video.

There were only a couple of times in this whole collection where Jeff Martin broke character and laughed at his own joke. One of those times was when he tried to say "more tail than Sinatra" but he couldn't keep himself from laughing. Thanks so much for putting this compilation together.

@zxccxz164

5 жыл бұрын

omg - i could watch hours more of this!!!!!!

@HowardTVFan

Жыл бұрын

Can u give me thr timestamp for that part?

@DaveBrett99

Жыл бұрын

@@HowardTVFan 32:54

@HowardTVFan

Жыл бұрын

@Dave W thanks! I taught my neice to say this to people back then. She's 40 and still says it to me when I see her. Also "I lost my dollie...down the crapper!!!!" 🤣🤣

@DaveBrett99

Жыл бұрын

@@HowardTVFan Your niece says "I get more tail than Sinatra?" I think it would be funnier if a guy said it.

I miss the old "Late Night" show on NBC.

@TS-qq7vr

4 жыл бұрын

It was groundbreaking, but the CBS show felt leashed and that they never let him have a great team to work with him.

@keithwilson6060

4 жыл бұрын

Spontaneous and organic. Remember the conversations with Meg in the building next door? You had to know that at least began as a whim.

@jayhache5609

3 жыл бұрын

@@TS-qq7vr Very true, though I think Late Night started going downhill in 1988, when the real genius of the show, head writer Merrill Markoe, left because she caught Dave messing around on her… It was never the same after that, imho.

@danejurus69

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. Both Conan and Dave.

The NBC Dave was soooo much better than the big-budget CBS Dave.

I'm watching this anticipating "folks were having trouble keeping down the corn dogs".

@Redhotlugnut

3 жыл бұрын

That line killed me!

Thanks for the compilation! Brings back memories of my college years.

Jeff Martin also wrote one of the best Simpsons episodes of all time, Homer's Barbershop Quartet.

In the old days, it was as if Letterman and his writers were just trying to amuse themselves whether folks got it or not, and I think that's what made all of it so funny.

@JungleScene

3 жыл бұрын

I think thats one of the reasons dave loved conan so much, cause conan was very much the same attitude.... as long as theyre just trying to make themselves laugh it meant they were taking chances.

@postive-vibes

3 жыл бұрын

@@JungleScene Yeah, no doubt. Conan took so many great risks and his show seemed like a natural follow-up to the quirky irreverence of those early Letterman years. Leno was ultra-conservative, in contrast, which is why NBC might've preferred him to take over for Carson. But no one respects his show over Letterman or Conan.

@DJRitty

3 жыл бұрын

@@JungleScene early conan was much like early dave... I really liked that. Even Killborn was gold, I liked him more than Conan tbh.

@ariplatt8192

9 ай бұрын

I love how the writers could care less if the audience got it. They went with it

I watched Flunkie in my 20s when I was closing the bars every night. Now my prostate is on the blink and my liver feels like granite too. Go figure.

This first one aired the very day I was born. Flunky is literally my spirit animal.

My wife doesn’t get it and thinks I’m nuts, but these are hilarious!! Hahahaha!!

@subg8858

5 жыл бұрын

Time to find a new wife pal

@riggermortisfpv526

4 жыл бұрын

Are you related to Jim Plasterass, Mr Stucko ?

@SleepyDroid

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah Right

@davidwehr

4 жыл бұрын

Ditto

@MarkAhrens-HeritageFilms

3 жыл бұрын

Most women don’t get good comedy.

My letter was the one that got the ball rolling in May 1985. I wish I could take credit, but it’s fun that the writers got inspired by the idiocy I wrote. And my misspelling “flunky” as “Flunkie”

@crispywan

4 жыл бұрын

Did you go to Europe that summer or did you follow Flunkys advice?

@AlmostReady504

4 жыл бұрын

Nice job. You helped create TV history. This character and Larry Bud Melman were my favorite

@PatTheBatmanFan

4 жыл бұрын

Bless you Jeff.

With as much as people talked about Dave's "influence" around the time he retired, I can't imagine Colbert, Kimmel, or even Conan running a bit this dark and depraved, let alone keep running it. Dave had subversive, even mean streak that I haven't seen since in late night. Anyway I hope Flunky didn't get the DT's on the ride to Atlantic City with Rooney for Spinks-Cooney.

@moncorp1

5 жыл бұрын

There was a time when Conan would, but sadly, not so much anymore.

@redacted2275

4 жыл бұрын

Conan did a series of bits with Butterscotch the Clown that was pretty good... OF COURSE it's not nearly as good as Dave but the fact that Conan's efforts in 2017 still exists is something that I'm happy about it. Dave's humor is dark, Conan's humor is slapstick most of the time, can't compare it... well, the other late night hosts are nothing but political actors.

@RFC3514

4 жыл бұрын

The old (Comedy Central) Colbert would probably have done it (they had Hans Beinholtz, after all). The new Colbert is too saccharine.

@livejay9062

4 жыл бұрын

Conan used to run one of a racist 1930s singer. KZread has a really great montage of it. Feeling too lazy to get you the link, sorry!

@RunawayPancake1

4 жыл бұрын

@@livejay9062 You're thinking of Brian Stack's recurring bit as Artie Kendall, the Ghost Crooner.

Am I the only one who can’t go to sleep at night until I watch this video every night? Flunky should have had more air time on LNWDL. Without a doubt it was Flunky and Chris Elliot that made me a big fan of the show when I was living in the USA 🇺🇸. I still to this day watch reruns of show. I love America, I miss it but I am happy to be back home.

"yeah right"

@kmac3215

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, right.

I'm laughing as much at this now as I did when I watched it when it was new 😂

Why cant anyone recognize the only show that feels like old late night shows is conan :)

@dennisparker1363

4 жыл бұрын

@alan wilson damn. I almost spit out my beer reading this response. Lol

@danhill9952

4 жыл бұрын

And I find it sad cuz Conan can't hold a candle to Dave's sarcasm streak in the day. There were times his humor rivaled a rainey dull day with the Pythons. 😂 Just dreadful....

@jeffdekimpe1746

3 жыл бұрын

@@danhill9952 opinions vary

"Plaster-Ass, it's not my fault, that's the man's name!"

The guy who wrote the letter that started this Flunky character ought to have an annual parade.

@abrahamlincoln9758

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, right.

@GHotSauceAnd1

3 жыл бұрын

The guy who wrote that letter actually commented on this video!

I was just thinking a Flunky collection would be awesome and voila! Awesome

Flunky The Clown is my new role model.When I grow up, I want to be just like him.

THE BEST 38 MINUTES ON KZread!!

@TheTallMan50

6 жыл бұрын

palegreenstars Yeah right 🚾

@GeoffNelson

6 жыл бұрын

up there, for sure

...then Jeff Martin goes to write for 'The Simpson's' full-time in 1990 a year after his writing on the show and the appearance of 'Krusty the Clown'. Krusty is cartoon Flunky.

@dongiller

6 жыл бұрын

Actually, Jeff and others who were associated with The Simpsons say it's not, that Krusty came from an entirely different source.

@kanealson5200

6 жыл бұрын

Yes. That is a very legal thing to say. They were very, very similar though ; )

@dongiller

6 жыл бұрын

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krusty_the_Clown "Krusty was created by cartoonist Matt Groening and partially inspired by Rusty Nails, a television clown from Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon. He was designed to look like Homer Simpsonwith clown makeup, with the original idea being that Bart worships a television clown who was actually his own father in disguise. His voice is based on Bob Bell, who portrayed WGN-TV's Bozo the Clown."

@kanealson5200

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah I actually just saw that in an earlier comment on here. Must check out some footage of 'Rusty Nails' ( if there is any on youtube ). In another weird twist, Dan Castellaneta voices Krusty who's voice sounds remarkably similar to Simpson's writer Al Jean.

@kanealson5200

6 жыл бұрын

I was actually spelling Krusty as Crusty. Can't believe I'm actually getting that Rusty.

Best thing about viewer mail: It's highlighted in crayon!!!

I like to think that Flunky the Late Night Clown was the voice of my generation, X.

The Flunky Sucks letter was awesome, but the "bite me you weasel" comment, PRICELESS. Yeah,right love ya Flunky.

Keep the good work of showing great memories.

Jeff Martin’s dead pan stoner delivery as “Flunky” just always killed me!! 🤣😂🤣😂

These are all hilarious! -Thanks

Flunky was awesome. He may have been based on Koko The Clown from The Groove Tube. Great compilation

This has to be the last television show that had someone smoking a cigarette.

Staff writer Jeff Martin as Flunky. He also wrote for seasons 3-5, & 27-28 of The Simpsons

When late Nite was fun.. Thx DAVE !😎👍🏻

I was born in 81 so I never saw this stuff before until this days, amazing... Flunky rules :D So bad people can not smoke on stage now days its boring :D

Wow thanx for memories! Flunky was the best!

@ernestolombardo5811

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, right.

Dear Don, You are the man! Thank you so much for resurrecting and posting all the great classic clips from some great shows. It really means a lot to us of our generation. Can you please(and by "please" I mean, I will compensate you in any appropriate and legal manner) the clip from a 90's or mid-2000's episode of Conan where Tom Brokaw is the guest and he burns Conan with an epic insult, prompting Conan to drop his face and stand in front of the Christmas tree that was behind the desk. The setup was a discussion of Bill Gates and his philanthropy.

@dongiller

4 жыл бұрын

I would if I had it, but I don’t.

he only broke once "yeah, i'm sure i'll get more tail than sinatra" can't believe i watched the full 38 mins.....

@billslocum9819

3 жыл бұрын

32:50. Yes, he broke there. Nearly hid it until he fumbled the cig.

18:04 lol "she was stupid too"

Thanks Don

I love that there are people going “wuhuu” at Plasterass 😅

Flunkie, Melman, Chris Elliott....."What a show kids! C'mon back..."

@rickleblanc8900

2 жыл бұрын

And Brother Theodore !

I was so bummed when Flunky went away. "Yeah, right...."

Always wondered who writer was behind this genius and lines like “yeah right,” and health commissioner/corn dogs shut Down etc. First saw Jeff Martin’s brand of humor directly on the Smithsonian worthy footage of Norm Macdonald covering The Master’s; 6 hours plus of Shakespearean level humor and eating. Thank you.

@lpm4450

3 ай бұрын

That’s my Uncle Jeff and he really is hilarious.

Nice collection. I hadn't seen all of these clips before.

During the NBC 1980s version of Letterman I was first in high school and later in my early 20s. I absolutely loved these shows. To the point of staying up late to watch on school nights in high school to result in being so tired the whole next day at school. The dropping stuff off the rooftop was my favorite bit back then

@dongiller

3 жыл бұрын

They’re all here - kzread.info/dash/bejne/dZqNxI-spt3cdM4.html

Awesome Don! Thanks so much for all the hard work putting together these compilations...brings back fond memories of the old Late Night. Miss Dave so much... I do remember one Flunky episode that's not included here. A school teacher wrote in asking Dave about bringing her classroom of kids to the show. Dave suggests she bring them to to see his other show, his Saturday morning kids show. Flunky comes on and does a bit where an anvil falls on his head.

@dongiller

2 жыл бұрын

It doesn’t ring a bell, but I’ll check when time permits. And thanks!

@chikkenbonz

2 жыл бұрын

@@dongiller I have it taped on VHS somewhere...if I can find it maybe I can locate the date it aired. :-)

It was a Dodge Dart. It was really comfortable actually.

The line at 18:00 was funny as hell. You were married once before though? Yeah, but she was a gold digger. I didn't think clowns made a lot of dough? She was stupid too. LMAO!!!

My favorite Late Night character--and considering how great Chris Elliott was on the show, that's saying a lot.

Me and the bros used to always watch after bar hopping. Order pizza.

back to back appearances full of confetti

Literally the definition of comedy. A clown in true form. The more dark and real he gets as he tries to cut through the zany disguise, the more we laugh.

"I like em a little heftier, ya know? More bounce to the ounce that way."

"wanna hear another joke, David?"

that's my act without the clown suit

@esanch4918

4 жыл бұрын

“Yeah, right”

So you would advise the kids NOT to get a tattoo? .. I don't know, they can do whatever they want. -Flunky

I've been waiting for this one. I'm surprised they didn't do more Flunky. But Dave seems to get sick of it at some point.

You can hear the Krusty As he speaks. I'm not surprised to realise the connection is Jeff Martin. YEAH RIGHT.

There weren’t enough Flunky bits on Letterman. There should have been many, many more.

Thanks for putting this and your other videos together. These are some of the best on yt! Subd

@dongiller

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Bob Hillman who wrote the letter for sketch no.4 was the sports anchor for WGN-TV (no network affiliation) in Chicago. He was fired about a year after the segment aired...

@AlmostReady504

4 жыл бұрын

...why???

Excellent!

17:59 Gold digger ... LOL! classic response from Flunky.

Great to see Flunky again! Thanks for posting it. I think it is Howard Sterns greatest role!....he should have stuck with the name Flunky on his radio show.....OK it;s a joke....

@AlmostReady504

4 жыл бұрын

I thought it was Howard Stern to the first time I saw it. A lot of people thought it was Steven Wright. Then I realized we were all just foolish teenagers and it was neither

Man... I generally hate clowns so much but I gotta say : Flunky is the BEST!!! All clowns should smoke, be depressed and not give a sh**t !

85-89. 4 short years where I totally messed up my life with bad decisions lol.

@anthonysacco4718

5 жыл бұрын

me too, buddy......but at least we can laugh, and get to laugh at this amazing comedy....

@lynngold1865

2 жыл бұрын

Brian Holmes-me too but got sober 11-7-90.😉

20:14 Flunky has just a moment's respite from his dreary existence.

Loved this.

Oh, Hell yes. thank you. It's well worth mentioning that Jeff Martin went on to write for 'The Simpsons' during seasons 2, 3, and 4. There would seem to be a lot of Flunky DNA in Krusty.

@dongiller

6 жыл бұрын

I don't remember where I read this, and I should find the source, but I believe that Krusty was _not_ based on Flunky, despite Jeff's lineage.

@petercipriani3307

6 жыл бұрын

Was Krusty based in part or in spirit on Dave?

@nnneptune

6 жыл бұрын

Krusty, at least the voice, is based on Bob Bell who played Chicago's Bozo the Clown.Google Bob Bell Bozo Krusty the Clown for multiple sources. Chicago native Dan Castellaneta used the gravelly voice of Bell. However, Krusty acts more like Flunky, so Jeff Martin could have carried that over!

@divingduck1970

6 жыл бұрын

Krusty was loosely based on Rusty Nail, a Portland clown who had his own show that Matt Groening was sort of paying tribute to.

@Williamwerenberg

5 жыл бұрын

Eww

@13:18 Saw this when it aired. Laughed my ass off at his last line still do

I loved Flunky and Brother Theodore. Pure entertainment !

Flunkie sounds just like Steven Wright.

@fullbag50

4 жыл бұрын

No he does not. Sorry, you do not know Letterman, Wright or anything else genius in the way of comedy. Flunky was performed by Letterman writer Jeff Martin.

@stevesheldon8616

4 жыл бұрын

@@fullbag50 Hey dumbshit, I didn't say it was actually Wright. What does a humorless turd like you know about comedy anyway. geez

@Hs3u39

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Sheldon you were bitten by a troll. Get that checked out.

@stevesheldon8616

4 жыл бұрын

@@Hs3u39 Haha, I made an almost instant recovery.

@fullbag50

4 жыл бұрын

@@stevesheldon8616 You assume I am humorless because I found your observation off-base? That's unfounded, as much as your first opinion was. Flunky does not 'sound' like Steven Wright. Both of them had disaffected personas, but Flunky was dismissive and bothered while Wright was droll and insightful. That aside, they simply do not 'sound' the same, period.

Love Flunky...There's something about clowns acting inappropriately, like Flunky, Krusty & Homie.

Flunky represents what everyone in American wants to be. Originally, I wanted to be a bridge tender. Bless

Flunky was my role model as a lad.

At least a Late Night tattoo would still be relevant through all these years. A nice enduring tribute. 14:03

PURE BRILLIANCE...

if I was a producer I would have put a show of flunky the late-night clown that would have been hilarious it would have made top news hope you're doing well Frankie we miss you

Young Dave > Old Dave

can't get enough

OK, I finally have a chance to correct the record. I’m glad this misquote promoted a funny character, but Jay’s line was “Diseased animals and hermaphrodite clowns.” Altogether different kind of clown. Letterman immediately repeated it as “diseased clowns” and that stuck. But “Hermaphrodite clowns” was actually Jay’s beef. Thank you.

"yea I got some advice, don't go to Europe Jeff, stay in school" idk why but this cracks me up lol

This. Just superb ❤

Bring back both of these guys.

".....folks were having trouble keeping down the corn dogs....." !

At 32:54, Flunky finally fully breaks character on his last appearance after having been on the brink so many other times.

@dongiller

3 жыл бұрын

Good catch.

I wonder if Flunky ever had a nice weekend?

@alrivers2297

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah right

There's an expression you don't hear much anymore: "I'll live." Hilarious.