You know you are talking to a writer when he drops the word "preamble" casually in a conversation.

I loved Dave on CBS, but watching him on NBC late at night while in college was a highlight of my life. It felt like being in a secret club. We won't see the likes of him again.

@peachbottom2010

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah! So different. Cool and hip, as they say.

@ObamaFromKenya

2 жыл бұрын

I remember watching in college in the 80s and they did a Top 10 things found by the side of the road and number one was serial killers man we laughed so hard 🤣🤣

@NoellaScott

Жыл бұрын

Despite being born in 1985, I understand precisely what you mean. I wish I'd been there.

Thank you, Steve O'Donnell, and Dave. Please continue to bring back these classics. There will never be anything like this again.

Man I miss watching Dave on a regular basis. I hope Letterman continues to upload these clips!

@discosecret6363

2 жыл бұрын

200,000+ subs in one week! I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of these.

@brantmacga

2 жыл бұрын

Nothing even close to this on TV today.

That John Candy clip is priceless. I miss him so much.

I actually knew the guy who wrote the "catch a glimpse" letter. He was one of my classmates at Marquette University. That clip got replayed a lot and so it was cool to hear Dave say, "from Marquette University," every time. It was the best thing to happen to Marquette since winning the NCAA championship in 1977.

Steve O'Donnell 's comedy material and performances were always entertaining and laugh out loud funny. Jimmy Kimmel hired Steve to write for him. Steve is a real Pro! One does not last as a Head Writer or wins multiple Emmy Awards for over a Decade if they are not simply the best. Thanks for sharing.

Great choices! As O'Donnell notes, the first few years of this show were legendary.

@jimlaforte1755

2 жыл бұрын

"Late Night with David Letterman" started to become really popular in 1985. However, it was not until 1987 that the show would air five nights a week, now on Fridays.

So many of the early writers for Dave went on to create some of the best, most noteworthy comedy of the last few generations. Steve mentions George Meyer, as well as Gammill & Pross, those guys ended up writing for Garry Shandling's Show, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, so much iconic stuff. Dave's early staff & Conan's early staff were so loaded with talent that went on to become legendary, it's pretty remarkable.

Dave mocking anything solemn and hokey was comedy gold.

Damn, Dave was SUCH a good actor. LMAO.

The after school special parody is one I will never forget. I can't believe it's been 40 years.

Why can't late night talk shows air like these. Genius switch = ON. 💡

I watched most of these first run - it was such a brilliantly odd and captivating program that felt like a unique gift to those up late. The guests were great - not just the celebs but the regular people interviewed on the street or in their shops, and both the comedy & gimmicks were never predictable.

@richieboy6825

2 жыл бұрын

I was there with ya- at least in the summertime - I was a middle schooler when it first came on. One of my friends & I would watch it & then call each other the next morning to review our favorite parts. Not many shows have ever captured my imagination like this one.

It wouldn’t have been a proper early clip reel without “They Took My Show Away.”

@patrickb8345

2 жыл бұрын

Conan went by 'John Vopal' back then in afterschool specials.

Awesome to see these lesser known sketches. The many absurdities of the last one is the best… like, why is that young boy Jimmy living with David Letterman? You’d think the writers of the bit would have made it a father and son but no, it’s David Letterman and Jimmy…

@blindriv3r

Жыл бұрын

he was 'uncle' David

@10:14 Johnny LaRue sobbing

This is fantastic stuff. Thank you so much for making this channel!

I remember a bit that had Dave driving Bill Wendell, who is reading the newspaper comics and laughing hard while Dave never cracks a smile. They reach a lonely spot in the woods, and Wendell is still talking and joking while digging his own grave, and Dave is standing over him with a gun in his hand. Is was an extremely dark piece and funny as hell. There's more to it, but that's about all I can remember.

@kstepko

Жыл бұрын

I‘d love to see that.

Stupid human tricks, stupid pet tricks, dropping stuff off a six-story building, Larry Bud, Super Dave....the golden age of Late Night!

This was a formative show during my middle/high school years growing up. Thanks for all the laughs.

@jimmy5391

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome profile pic

And a whole head of hair, David!! Great pics!

We need you Dave! The world was so less complicated when you gave us laughs not politics.

@KokoTheGorilla69

2 жыл бұрын

Did you not watch his show for the final 10 years? All he did was complain about politics

I could watch old Dave 24 /7

O’Donnell is a legend

Thanks big time for making a channel devoted to all you guys shenanigans 🤪. This is my favorite place to get lolz now.

The beginning of the park scene w/Jimmy, does this remind anyone of Chevy Chase in Caddyshack?

Some fun triva from the Lesile Nielsen bit, Dave still has some of that popcorn stuck in his hair.

I miss you Dave ! Especially when you and Jack Hanna got together. But my favorite people were always Robin Williams , John Candy, and Bill Murray ❤ along with your staff. They were hilarious also. In fact, we see a girl in movies and shows who started as an intern on your show. I think her name was Kathleen, but I'm probably wrong. Anyway we miss watching your show every night 🌙

RIP Norm

thanks for these snippets Steve ..classic!

5:55 NBC After School Special "They Took My Show Away"... CLASSIC! Voyagers, Manimal and that Mr. Smith show which I had completely forgot about (Orangutan goes to Washington DC).

@FloraWest

2 жыл бұрын

I hadn't thought of this piece for a *long* time but found I could say most of the dialogue along with it. Must have had it on VHS back in the day!

Wonderful

The description tho 🤣

I was 13 and starting to stay up later and already enjoyed Johnny. So I grew up watching this show and loved it. I have enjoyed and not enjoyed many late night talk show hosts since, but it was Johnny and Dave. No one else comes close. imo

Thanks Steve. Interesting that most of the comments are from 3months ago. Its as if Steve called all his friends and said "I'm on youtube! Leave a comment!" Nah Steve wouldnt do that. Thanks again Steve. Loved and miss the show.

"... and that little boy grew up to be Conan O'Brien."

@davidgeary490

Жыл бұрын

For reals? Is that true? Was just now wondering what eventually happened to that kid....because he was a pretty good actor! Hope it IS Conan.

Steve. Thank you so so much for your creativity back in those halcyon early days. I watched every night and marveled at the wonderfully inventive and goofy comedy. I was rooting really hard for Dave to get the Tonight Show but, alas, a stupid NBC executive with some pull backed Leno. UGH!!! Jay and his writers couldn't even get a sniff of the Muse that inspired Dave and his staff. Still peeves me to this day. Anyhow, I recognized the brilliance of those early shows and, again, thank you for all the laughs. I love watching old clips on KZread. So many awesome skits but one that sticks out is the time Dave and Paul ice skated on the Rockefeller Center rink. Hilarious!!

I met a micheal o'donnell in the everglades about 8 years ago. Germany, chicago, now bolinas beach.

The greatest invention, memories of the greats💜

Thank you so much for this !

Had no idea this was an official Letterman channel until I saw this video.

At 1:35, this has got to be my favorite clip from the early years of the LETTERMAN show.

nice work... thank you

Steve is a great writer not just this show.

I'd never seen poor Jimmy and his beloved Voyagers. Absolutely sensational. I'm going to go watch some TV, right now!

I would love to see the clip of John Candy coming out with his hair spiked up after Dave’s interview with Nastassja Kinski. And I’d love to know if that was his idea.

The payoff for Glimpse Letterman is still funny. It is also strange to see people holding cash again.

My parents were always nagging me about doing homework all night!

I use to work second shift. Thank god Dave was on. Back than nothing exciting was on

From a time tv had relevance.

I'm loving these clips - but nothing beats watching a bit develop and mature over time while watching whole shows - is there anyway to just see the whole dang catalogue in order?

Why did I still remember the Manimal payoff 40 years later? Oh that’s right, because Manimal was a joke even then.

I too was devastated when Voyagers! was cancelled 😢

So great and cutting edge. In my mind it really replaced snl as the place for modern comedy

@simplenough

2 жыл бұрын

Then Conan took its place in the mid ‘90s

@joeski734

2 жыл бұрын

Well yeah, those were the years that Lorne Michaels left SNL.

Letterman was doing Tim and Eric type meme silliness front the get go

I always get a kick out of that kid "Jimmy" at the end bearing a striking resemblance to Conan lol, seems appropriate knowing just how incredibly influential Letterman has been on the generations after him. As a Millennial, I didn't grow up with the NBC show so much, but Conan was my bread and butter. Looking back to these early Letterman episodes, it's clear just how much later hosts borrowed from these ideas.

Was really hoping the John Candy bit was going to the one with the hornet's nest

Dave was best on the NBC show. He seemed too big a deal on CBS. At NBC he could roam the hallways drop in on people and talk to the girl across the way. The smaller studio was more to his personality.

The pilot for Voyagers is on KZread. Apparently it is a takeoff on Dr. Who, except the tween who falls in with the time-traveller is a boy. It was canceled after one season.

jimmy from voyagers sketch is actually young conan o'brien

Happy Da.

@zbthunderwood

2 жыл бұрын

Birthday Ve.

Reminds of that tragedy

That boy was actually Jimmy Kimmel

There’s a head writer, he gives you h……

... and that's when Conan started at NBC ...✔

Young Conan O'brien really does a great job as "Jimmy"

It would have been fun to be a writer on the Letterman show but then I remember I was "Jimmy's" age when the Letterman show first aired. That being said, I wish I had an adult like Letterman to comfort me when "Voyagers" was canceled.

How many thousands of shows do they have to draw from?

@preesi1403

2 жыл бұрын

6080

As it turned out it was the executives who were wrong. Voyagers was much more popular than it's replacement and the shows touted at the end both sucked as well.

He even talks like Letterman

He sounds a bit like Chevy chase

I am serious,, and don't call me Leslie.

Back when it was funny

Ah dear if I only watched this before I killed my brothers goldfish through over feeding :/

I'd forgotten that Conan got his start as the boy who loved voyager - such a great genre this, the late night talk show...

Is it possible these skits were funny then but aren't now?

@jackcurtin5772

2 жыл бұрын

Yes

Dave was a legend and funny af. But these were horribly unfunny. I didn't laugh once. How could this be one of his main writers when he's so off the mark about what is and isn't funny in choosing these bits out of all of Dave's bits as supposed highlights of his decades on air?

@4seeableTV

2 жыл бұрын

The Leslie Nielsen bit produced some chuckles from me. But yes, the last bit with the kid kind of went on and on. Should have stayed with Leslie. They're new to the KZread thing, so maybe they will do better with future clips as far as weeding out the bland from the brilliant.

Jimmy, sometimes executives give a show.... well, like the Tonight Show... to someone less deserving. Like Jay Leno for instance. Sometimes. But not this time. Jay Leno was the obvious logical choice. You see Jimmy, David Letterman just wasn't that funny. He was no Johnny Carson. Not by a long shot. Do you understand Jimmy?💩

This channel is brilliant. We can enjoy late Night again before the woke lefties ruined it.

@ckycamron3844

2 жыл бұрын

Yikes

@preesi1403

2 жыл бұрын

If you want Conservative shows watch The Duggar family

@VideoAmericanStyle

2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, the irony of another sensitive conservative 'snowflake' triggered by the world changing around their outmoded selves. It's even funnier that you are unaware that the young Late Night writing staff of that time were undoubtedly 'lefties.'

@JasonJBrunet

2 жыл бұрын

The left famously hates it when a man looks into the camera and shouts "WE'VE GOT TO FIND THAT MONKEY".

@preesi1403

2 жыл бұрын

@@JasonJBrunet What?

Finally so you're the one who passed off all those really crappy jokes that just ruined the David Letterman show The comedy writing was so horrible it made the show unwatchable the only thing that saved it was David Letterman's wit with interviews the comedy writing was the downfall of the show you should be ashamed of yourself.

These are all terrible…

"They Took My Show Away", "My Dog Bob", Brother Theodore and the Melman Bus lines bit with the guy coughing sold me on Letterman for life.