Late show finale

[Doug Eastick]

Julia on the top ten was great.

I thought the whole show was great.

While I didn't see the morning show often,  I started watching on NBC.    I even had a tshirt "there is no Off on the genius switch"

[Jon Delfin]

I was addicted to the morning show, and through a connection to bandleader Frank Owens, managed to get into the audience for the last show. Anybody want the Coffeecup Theater cue cards?

--
--
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "TV or Not TV" group.
To post to this group, send email to tvor...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
tvornottv-...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Diner]

Yes, the whole show was great. (Except for the smug and nasty Taco Bell bit, which I hated then and hate now.)

 

I watched the show on DVR this morning. Here's what I posted on Facebook afterwards:

 

You know, I got tired of David Letterman years ago. In the eighties I loved him. But by the late nineties, I'd had enough. Enough of his crankiness, his obvious boredom at having to do yet another episode with guests he didn't care about, the repetitive and nasty jokes, the skits he hadn't bothered to rehearse, you name it. I watched a lot more Tonight Shows (both Leno and Fallon) over the past twenty years than Late Shows, and I don't regret it. When I go to bed at night, I want to be entertained, not aggravated. And watching his shows over the last couple weeks has reminded me of everything I love about him and everything I hate about him.

But when he thanked Paul Shaffer on his last show, I cried. And when the closing credits rolled, I wept like a freakin' baby.

I wish he could do another thirty years.
#thanksdave

 

[Jon Delfin]

[snip]

 

Yes, the whole show was great. (Except for the smug and nasty Taco Bell bit, which I hated then and hate now.)

Much like the "Rupert highlights" from the night before, which, as always, left me hating pranks and thinking Dave was an asshole. 

Here's hoping Colbert brings conversation back to late-night. He might be the only person who could.

[Joe Hass]

It was as close to perfect as you can ask. My favorite moments:

1. The subtle joke in the Simpsons clip where Maggie builds the blocks to read "WORLDWIDE PANTS"

2. Seinfeld's reaction to JLD's Top 10 entry.

3. The morning show segments

4. Seeing Michele O'Callahan in the memoriam section of the finale.

5. That final shot of Harry skiing, which was extra sweet if you remember the backstory from a bonus segment from the Foo Fighters residency in October (www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm1SlkrEP40)

The single best moment, the moment I'll take away from the finale:

When Dave introduced Regina and Harry and they cut to them in the audience, there were two things I noticed. One, that Harry had that look on his face that every kid has when they're dragged to something for their parent. He looked uncomfortable, embarrassed by the attention, and like he'd rather be at any other place in the physical universe than there. Two, that there was another kid right by him, who likely was Harry's friend. The kind of thing that a parent concedes to their kid: do you want to bring a friend to tag along?* He seemed to be slightly awestruck at that moment.

* Can you imagine being the kid's parents? "Harry wants me to go to his dad's last show. Is it okay?" What the hell are you going to say? And how desperately are you hoping the invite is for parents, too? 

I don't know if Dave just saw the discomfort on his kid's face, or if Harry really had asked him prior to the show, but Dave quickly noted that Harry asked him to introduce his friend Tommy Roboto. They cut back to the seats, and Harry's face had totally changed. He was thrilled now, and Tommy seemed to laugh at the absurdity of this. Cut back to Dave, who is laughing now at the whole thing. At that moment, he seemed to be a dad, thrilled that his kid was laughing again.

Several writers noted that Dave closed by using the phrase "for the final time on television" and wondered if that meant Dave was closing the door on anything television related. After thinking, I interpreted that as pulling a reverse Johnny: Johnny said he'd be back and never did; Dave said he wouldn't be back, but if he did, it'd be a delightful surprise.

--

[PGage]

I loved everything about it, including the things some on this thread did not, except that even super-sized I did not want it to end.

My favorites were the opening joke, with its call backs ("Its beginning to look like I'm not going to get the Tonight Show"), and as mentioned elsewhere, the whole sequence with Harry and Regina, and particularly that look on Dave's face throughout.

Dave explained with Howard Stern that Leno had asked him to be on one of his last shows, and Dave had deferred saying the focus should be on Leno, and that while they had invited Leno to be on one of their last shows Leno had declined, probably for the same reason. I think that is charitable, as I don't think the two are in parallel situations, but okay. He did show a Leno still from the old show, and a still from the Oprah SB commercial. What I was kind of hoping for was some brief bit with a gaggle of former and current late night hosts, perhaps led by Colbert, that also included Leno. I guess something like that could never really happen.

Melissa posted recently the WaPo piece about the existence of Stephanie from the good-bye tour. I missed her too (as I have missed her on the show these last years), but I don't know that it is really a "shame" - over and above the shame of the actual affair. If anyone really needs an explanation for it, that last shot of Harry and Regina should probably be sufficient. Perhaps there was more room for more recognition of the contributions of Merrill Markoe, Rob Burnett and Bill Wendell in the last show.

As it turned out, I was glad to have the extra padding so I could see the start of the LLS (which I actually have never seen before). And I still had a few leftover seconds to sit alone and softly weep (I guess I will admit here that last is not an exaggeration).

[David Bruggeman]

I was happy to see Corden do several nods to Dave over the course of the show.  My favorite was the Top Ten list, but I can understand if people enjoyed the watermelon dump, the monologue (with shades of SCG on Johnny's death) or the cold open more.

David

---

From: PGage <pga...@gmail.com>
To: "tvor...@googlegroups.com" <tvor...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] Late show finale

[Bob Jersey]

Joe Hass, to Doug Eastick, in part:

I don't know if Dave just saw the discomfort on his kid's face, or if Harry really had asked him prior to the show, but Dave quickly noted that Harry asked him to introduce his friend Tommy Roboto. They cut back to the seats, and Harry's face had totally changed. He was thrilled now, and Tommy seemed to laugh at the absurdity of this. Cut back to Dave, who is laughing now at the whole thing. At that moment, he seemed to be a dad, thrilled that his kid was laughing again.

Just watched this (on VHS tape... tho I imagine it's 'toobed as well)  Just brilliant.

Several writers noted that Dave closed by using the phrase "for the final time on television" and wondered if that meant Dave was closing the door on anything television related. After thinking, I interpreted that as pulling a reverse Johnny: Johnny said he'd be back and never did; Dave said he wouldn't be back, but if he did, it'd be a delightful surprise.

As I just told dad, I foresee him showing up in odd places, f'rexample like the upcoming Indy 500 (he's still a partner with the well-travelled Bobby Rahal), but his foreseeable TV future will be behind-the-scenes... they might take a year off at The Pants, only to show up at someone's upfront in '16 backing some fresh new face that impressed him...

B

[Diner]

The overnight ratings are in: Dave's last show drew 13.7 million viewers.

It's his fourth highest rated show ever, and his biggest audience since February 1994 (in his sixth month at CBS). But just like most nights during the intervening 21 years, he got beaten by Leno: Jay's farewell show last year drew 14.6 million viewers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/business/media/david-letterman-finale-draws-almost-14-million-viewers-in-ratings.html

 

-Tim

 

On Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 2:34:28 AM UTC-4, Doug Eastick wrote:

[Kevin M.]

I just watched it. I suppose there were things I'd do differently (no Baldwins, for example) but he went out with a smile, perhaps more of a smile than when either Carson or Leno said their farewells. Some of the clips of vintage Dave made me think -- as I often think with classic Carson -- that there has to be a way to repurpose those moments, via social media or the Tube of You or elsewhere, to introduce Dave to future generations. Because I doubt you could explain to kids today that the guy who recently interviewed President Obama once dropped himself into a giant bowl of milk while clad in nothing but Rice Krispies. And I also doubt that you could explain a TV series capable of dropping gallons of paint off the roof of a theater (just for a cheap visual gag) is the same series where a terminally ill musician can tell us all to "enjoy every sandwich."

I still say I'll continue to miss Johnny more than Dave, but I suspect if I was neutral about it, Johnny stayed a little longer than he should have, whereas Dave left precisely when he needed to. As the media shifts, Dave didn't need to take part in that shift -- frankly, it would be beneath him to try. 

In my perfect world of 500 channels that actually feature unique branding and unique programing, I see a channel devoted to the lost art of the talk and variety show. A channel where Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Tom Snyder, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, Rowan & Martin, the Smothers Brothers, and the original "not ready for prime time" players could live on. Letterman's work is a worthy addition to that fictional channel. Somebody needs to turn that fiction into reality. 

#ThanksDave

--

--
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "TV or Not TV" group.
To post to this group, send email to tvor...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
tvornottv-...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Joe Hass]

On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 11:02 AM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote:

As it turned out, I was glad to have the extra padding so I could see the start of the LLS (which I actually have never seen before). And I still had a few leftover seconds to sit alone and softly weep (I guess I will admit here that last is not an exaggeration).

I was expecting to wind up in tears, and yet I wound up not. I think it was because that was ending was so pitch perfect. I look back at Johnny's finale as a funeral, and Dave's as a celebration.

[Bob Jersey]

Kevin M., to Diner and Doug Eastick, in part:

In my perfect world of 500 channels that actually feature unique branding and unique programing, I see a channel devoted to the lost art of the talk and variety show. A channel where Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Tom Snyder, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, Rowan & Martin, the Smothers Brothers, and the original "not ready for prime time" players could live on. Letterman's work is a worthy addition to that fictional channel. Somebody needs to turn that fiction into reality. 

The cost of building such a network is probably still enormous... someone, somewhere, always seems to own the rights to someone's likenesses, and if it's a musical artist, their repertory as well... and it doesn't help that some of said rights-holders repeatedly pester our legislators to extend applicable law so they'll keep 'em.

IYC, the NY Post has a photo gallery (link) of the cleanout of the Ed... sounds like CBS ordered an overhaul for Stephen.

B

[David Bruggeman]

The refurbishment of the Ed probably had to start soon.  It was a little over three months between Craig leaving Stage 56 and British Jimmy taking over, and September 8th is just a little more than three months away.

David

---

From: Bob Jersey <bob.in...@juno.com>
To: tvor...@googlegroups.com; drunkba...@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 9:07 PM
Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] Re: Late show finale

[Joe Hass]

I'm actually surprised they're disposing of the chairs. Unlike set pieces, the chairs could easily be warehoused and put up for sale/auction as often happens at sports facilities.

[PGage]

On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 2:41 PM, Kevin M. <drunkba...@gmail.com> wrote:

I just watched it. I suppose there were things I'd do differently (no Baldwins, for example) but he went out with a smile, perhaps more of a smile than when either Carson or Leno said their farewells. Some of the clips of vintage Dave made me think -- as I often think with classic Carson -- that there has to be a way to repurpose those moments, via social media or the Tube of You or elsewhere, to introduce Dave to future generations. Because I doubt you could explain to kids today that the guy who recently interviewed President Obama once dropped himself into a giant bowl of milk while clad in nothing but Rice Krispies. And I also doubt that you could explain a TV series capable of dropping gallons of paint off the roof of a theater (just for a cheap visual gag) is the same series where a terminally ill musician can tell us all to "enjoy every sandwich."

Kevin - I really wish you had been able to produce the prime time special they had for Dave a couple of weeks ago, because it was precisely the kind of juxtaposition you capture above that I found missing there. When they focus just on the Ed Ames type moments, Dave's career can stand with other Late Night Hosts - but what put him on an entirely different playing field was his ability to do the more thoughtful, sustained, serious pieces as well. As I have been thinking about it more and more since Dave announced his end date, that Warren Zevon show just grows more and more in its central important, not just for Dave, not just for late night, but for a shining example of what television of any kind can be at its best.

[Kevin M.]

On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 6:16 PM, 'David Bruggeman' via TVorNotTV <tvor...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

The refurbishment of the Ed probably had to start soon.  It was a little over three months between Craig leaving Stage 56 and British Jimmy taking over, and September 8th is just a little more than three months away.

Agreed. When a show is done, it's done. In my time on studio lots, the time between a show's end and striking the set is either same day or next. Load out is typically a fraction of the time as load in, so nobody takes any care handling the stuff being hauled away. And many of the set pieces have been on stage for a decade or more -- they would be in rough shape. While we as fans would consider that bridge a priceless relic, in the world of TV it is now just flotsam and jetsam in the way of Colbert's new set. It is by no means unprecedented. When Letterman moved into the Ed, changes were made to the ornate ceiling, the upper level, the wings of the stage, and several other features that made the Ed the Ed. The theater was renovated, not restored... any viewer of This Old House knows the difference. And now it is to be renovated again.

The difference between a studio and a theater is, as evidenced by the pics posted, passersby can see the removal right out the stage doors. But this is the way of things, even now in the era of EBay. I suspect Worldwide Pants (Dave himself) dictated what, if anything, was to be saved/donated, and since they own it, all the rest must be destroyed, and woe unto the union guy who tries to auction off a smuggled out souvenir online.

--

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Kevin M.]

For those who like the vintage Dave silliness, I'd commend to your attention his final episode of Late Night, if it is available on the Tube of You. It has the visit to GE HQ, a montage of Dave getting dunked in things, Larry Bud Melman, and easily his best interview with Tom Hanks. I've rewatched it today after watching the Late Show finale, and it holds up well.

As for the serious stuff, it is d*mned hard to rewatch the post 9/11 show or the Carson tribute, even though I'd rank those among Dave's most memorable, just because you can feel the collective sadness. But I watch the Zevon episode from time to time, whenever I am having a self-pity party and need to be reminded how to endure pain in a dignified way. That show is the epitome of the show business axiom, "the show must go on." The cracking voice as Zevon sings "Mutineer"... gives me chills every time.

https://youtu.be/MqWqyjUsCAw

-- 

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Tom Wolper]

Deadline.com has the best article about cleaning out the theater. It's less breathless than the NYC tabloids. The marquee is scheduled to be changed in the next week or two.

http://deadline.com/2015/05/late-show-david-letterman-set-demolition-crew-1201431275/

[JW]

> The cost of building such a network is probably still enormous... someone,
> somewhere, always seems to own the rights to someone's likenesses, and if
> it's a musical artist, their repertory as well... and it doesn't help that
> some of said rights-holders repeatedly pester our legislators to extend
> applicable law so they'll keep 'em.

I'm no expert, but I think the standard contracts allow for rebroadcast. The legal problems come with other media, like DVDs, which is where those demands kick in. Even now, production companies will save a few bucks by not licensing music rights for DVDs before it's obvious that they'll be successful enough to make that an issue.

The harder part for Kevin's network (an interesting idea) would be dealing with all the material that was topical at the time. Johnny's jokes about Earl Butz don't resonate much any more, even among people who remember him.

[Kevin M.]

On Fri, May 22, 2015 at 4:07 AM, JW <redb...@gmail.com> wrote:

The harder part for Kevin's network (an interesting idea) would be dealing with all the material that was topical at the time. Johnny's jokes about Earl Butz don't resonate much any more, even among people who remember him.

There's a UK sitcom I liked called Drop The Dead Donkey which was a sort of Murphy Brown type of show that featured jokes about current events and politicians. For reruns, which is when I discovered it, it was preceded by a five or ten second Chyron and narrator who gave the date the episode aired, and the two or three people or events in the news that were going to be joked about. 

Problem solved in five or ten seconds.  

--

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[K.M. Richards]

What struck me was that, after that wonderful build up, when Dave thanked him, Paul immediately turned the attention back to the band, giving them another round of applause after they had just gotten recognition by Dave as individual band members.  Such a classy thing for Mr. Shaffer to do, and I wish I had connections that would allow me to meet him just to be able to tell him that.

[Diner]

On Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 5:41:17 PM UTC-4, Kevin M. (RPCV) wrote:

In my perfect world of 500 channels that actually feature unique branding and unique programing, I see a channel devoted to the lost art of the talk and variety show. A channel where Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Tom Snyder, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, Rowan & Martin, the Smothers Brothers, and the original "not ready for prime time" players could live on. Letterman's work is a worthy addition to that fictional channel. Somebody needs to turn that fiction into reality. 

 

 

Great minds think alike...

 

http://www.newsfromme.com/2015/05/22/disposable-entertainment/

 

-Tim

 

[Brian Peek]

Perhaps…

 

https://twitter.com/jippyg/status/601802497641021440

 

 

From: tvor...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tvor...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Diner
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2015 4:57 PM
To: tvor...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] Re: Late show finale

 

--

[JW]

The annotated shot breakdown of the final montage:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153848803898102.1073741832.608003101&type=3

[Michael]

I thought the whole thing was a very classy and uplifting way to wrap the show. There was no obvious rancor, nor regret - just pride and good feelings and first-rate clip packages. I remember watching the Christmas kids interview when it first aired, and how much my significant other and I laughed at the frustrated little boy busting Dave with "You are not, you are not, you are not funny" to the tune of "Jingle Bells." The bit is still hilarious and is sure to be so down the line. In the aftermath, I'll just say that it was more than difficult to hear the local CBS news-team throw to "Crimetime After Primetime - Mark 2" with "The Mentalist" on Thursday and Friday. Bring on Colbert.

[Jon Delfin]

On Sat, May 23, 2015 at 6:05 AM, Michael <miketh...@gmail.com> wrote:

[snip] In the aftermath, I'll just say that it was more than difficult to hear the local CBS news-team throw to "Crimetime After Primetime - Mark 2" with "The Mentalist" on Thursday and Friday. Bring on Colbert.

If CBS had a sense of humor, they'd get Simon Baker to V/O a throw to Corden after "The Mentalist." Or Tim Kang, at least.

[Bob Jersey]

Billboard, possibly a lit-tle late, sent me its interview with Paul S. (link)...

Oddly, the highlights in the accompanying video all came from NBC, yet are labelled as "Late Show..."

Yes, they ask him about Spinal Tap... and playing with the surviving Beatles... and he teases something he's doing this winter...

B
 

[David Bruggeman]

There is a teaser out now for that special project.  Clooney mentioned the same project when he was on with Dave.

David

---

From: Bob Jersey <bob.in...@juno.com>
To: tvor...@googlegroups.com; eas...@mcd.on.ca
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2015 11:41 AM
Subject: [TV orNotTV] Re: Late show finale

[Bob Jersey]

Whoever's running Dave/Pants' tweetbox is RTing any face-shot with the Ed marquee anyone will send.

This one (link) refs an old shot of folks from the AF of L. Anyone we know in it?

B

[Tom Wolper]

On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 4:56 PM, Bob Jersey <bob.in...@juno.com> wrote:

Whoever's running Dave/Pants' tweetbox is RTing any face-shot with the Ed marquee anyone will send.

This one (link) refs an old shot of folks from the AF of L. Anyone we know in it?

It's from the year before I started attending.