Letterman signs off after 33 years
The taped intro of President Barack Obama and former presidents George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W Bush referenced Gerald Ford’s declaration to the country when he took office following the 1974 resignation of Richard Nixon. Letterman sidled up to Obama to say: “You’re just kidding, right?”
Ten stars from Steve Martin to Tina Fey delivered the final top 10 list of “things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave”. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with Jerry Seinfeld standing nearby, said: “Thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale.” Number one was Bill Murray, with: “Dave, I’ll never have the money I owe you.”
Letterman, 68, said goodbye after 33 years and 6,028 broadcasts of his late-night shows on CBS and NBC. The final Late Show broadcast ran long, 17 minutes over its usual hour.
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Letterman, who made top 10 lists and ironic humour staples of television comedy and influenced a generation of performers, will be replaced by Stephen Colbert in September.
Letterman joked in his monologue that he had been on the air for so long that the hot show when he started was Keeping Up With The Gabors. He said Stephen Hawking worked out that the 6,028 broadcasts included “about eight minutes of laughter”.
“You want to know what I’m going to do now that I’m retired?” he said. “By God, I hope to become the new face of Scientology.”
Letterman, whose wife Regina and son Harry were in the audience, was serenaded at the end by the band Foo Fighters, who sang ‘Everlong’, the same song they played when he returned following heart surgery in February 2000.
Letterman began his final monologue by joking: “It’s beginning to look like I’m not going to get The Tonight Show.”
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