Vintage David Letterman (1987) - Late Night Thrill-Cam 1 of 3

[duckab234]

NBC Orchestra? I thought they were "The World's Most Dangerous Band" until the move to CBS...

[Jontehmannen]

HE HAD HAIR?

[Gossage54]

This is the Letterman I remember, funny and edgy. The show had that underground feel I love Late Night pre 1990. Check out some Harvey Pekar spots to see some great spontaneous TV as well.

[ptcrescent12]

TV shows in stereo, was a big thing back then. (LOL)

[whitewitchoz]

This is good quality video....if you didn't have cable back then this was the best thing on TV in that time slot...it had a hip underground feel to it........Damn I feel like I'm 14 again !

[cavalierfan1995]

i still love the time they tested the jumbo screen at shea stadium does anybody have that?

[crazy360playa]

letterman is the true successor of johnny carson

[inrwizards]

daves still the man. he has a family, had heart surgery and is in his 60s and yet hes still got it. watch his interviews with joaquin pheonix, paris hilron, the time mccain canceled and the sarah palin joke and u ll see. it also helps when hes got an interesting guest that helps his energy, at this point hes had so many guests its hard to impress him

[lukasnummer1]

@inrwizards You´re so right. It´s wrong when people always say "this is back when letterman was funny..." or something like that just to critisize. When he´s got a guest he can destroy (like Hilton) or a great one he likes he hasn´t lost a bit, I think. Even Shakespeare said: "The hair that God takes from you during your life, he´ll give you back as humour." Maybe he meant Dave ;-).

[abehammy]

@lukasnummer1 Yeah but looking at some clips from his old NBC show, I wish I could have been around then to have witnessed it on tv.

[DemonOfRazgriz89]

lol "In Stereo where available" and now its "Presented in HD where available"

[misterfunnybones]

I enjoy listening to steve jordan on drums, but anton's great as well.

[ePhilosopher9]

loverly from the most daaaaangggggerous band

dat's dat

Re:#6 KNOW... KNOW... KNOW!.. WHAT I MEAN, VERN?

[sdflksdfkfh]

Hi Reddit!

[ptolemy135]

sweet kicks on letterman

[kidmongo1]

Obviously the influence behind Space Ghost Coast To Coast

[Theeggman18]

Best late night show ever period.

[DartsRme312]

hal...tan chinos...blue shirt...penny loafers....

[alramone1]

band sounds damn good

[foxpawz]

hahahaha Dave will always be king of late night for me !

[travisandlisa1]

Sure do love this show, esp in these days.  Wish someone would post the 'Ill-tempered Librarian' bit he used to do.

[jay1970]

"What's Hal Wearing" Whats the fucking point?? Why is it funny??

[hgates101]

...to see what Hal is wearing........its an old Letterman joke that you wouldnt get unless you watched him back in the 80's

[jay1970]

Try explaining it please.

[chubbsuperfly]

@jay1970 Hal ALWAYS wore the traditional uniform of AV/video geeks everywhere: blue shirt, khakis, chinos or Dockers, and brown loafers. This was a running gag since Gurnee, one of Dave's closest friends, had probably the most arid wit of all the staff, and never came out of his droll, deadpan character. This 'behind the scenes' feature is Letterman being irreverent, always ready to lift the curtain and reveal the workings of tv and the unheralded crew who make the magic happen. All hail Wobey!

[ringbolt9]

used to love the show in this era

[worm082]

that shot of the WTC is really spooky now.

[reichmarshall]

Hal Guernee was the TRUE genius of this show!

[at1212b]

Definitely... the show just wasn't the same when he left.

It truly changed the tone of the show, and lost that class.

[oli696969]

"Hey i think this is the episode where they almost get off the Island? " seems like reference to lost 20 years in the past, i dont understand, could somone explain lol

[gluecement]

"Hey i think this is the episode where they almost get off the Island?" --

Implying that the GE researchers were watching a rerun of Gilligan's Island.

[immoley]

The opening shot of the world trade center is very disturbing now. The way the camera is moving right into the windows of the building? Just sayin', not criticizing them for it or anything, it's just hard not to think about that.

[mattmanmkb]

Thats how they got the idea

[scottantonsmith]

I think its interesting how you say "Not criticizing." How could you? It happened 20 years in the past!

[misterspiffy2008]

"Paul Shaffer and the NBC Orchestra"? I thought it was "Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band"? When did that change?

[ixceix]

that's what i thought as well.

[BucketFurter]

Of course it wasn't REALLY the NBC orchestra.

As with the 'fake glamourous' opening, the name was a jab at yuppie culture of the time - ie Trump Tower & the like - where the solution to making something 'respectable' was to put a coat + tails on it (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Calling Shaffer's rough and ready rock combo an 'orchestra' was cute in the same way any retro sophisto pose was from back then. See the Moonlighting Black and White episode for more...

[hgates101]

Hey good point I thought Carson's tonight show had the NBC orchestra and there couldnt be 2 bands with the same name so they made it the most dangerous band.....I wonder what happend?

[MikeChuk21]

Dave and the writers did it as a goof, but Paul asked them to change it because he thought it was a diss to Doc Severinsen. Ironically, it's the CBS Orchestra now in part because NBC claimed the name "World's Most Dangerous Band" as intellectual property.

[BucketFurter]

These were the days when it was still kind of 'underground' to like this show. The best time.

Would somebody please post the whole 'Upstairs' show where it's just Dave & the staff in their offices, with Teri Garr? For that matter, could people post more Dave & Teri clips in general? Thx

[jbranstetter04]

Teri Garr? I remember Teri Garr. I will look in my archives.

[joejoeirish]

yah kinda--- but id' say that also ended right around this time......middle 80s was more underground.

[WookieeBlaylock]

I wonder what the joke was that he ditched from the monologue

[SirMuddysJourney]

paul is still a clueless twerp

[919evilkiller919]

will he is a twerp but I don't know about clueless that guy is really cool

[western9]

Let's all remember this fondly..it's from the era when Dave's show was funny and culturally relevant.

[amadeusyaoi]

It's been a long time, hasn't it?

[adamf34]

Amen!

[mwmaki1]

Paul Shaeffer looks and sounds drunk and gay

[WookieeBlaylock]

So you're an angry homophobe then?

[ainsleyp]

I think I may have grown to like David Letterman's shows if it weren't for Paul Shaffer. God why did they ever give him a mic ...

[MrBadham]

that was weird how the camera went straight at the twin towers and into the window. Creepy.

[policeeatdoughnuts]

anyone know who the late night announcer was back then?

[rulabean]

It was Bill Wendell.

[gunneralquist]

Anton's offbeat drumming from :14 to :16 is about as smooth as it gets.

[HottBoi90210]

Will Lee sure had a lot of energy didn't he!

[djbattman]

Hell yeah this was when they were a true "rock" band!

[WillyVictor]

Shouldn't those UGLY assed Obammy spawns be doing this?

Hey, it's comedy, right? Put the monkeys to work for laughs!

[mastertung7]

he won bub,and there aint a good thing u can do about it....if you want to be a better personYOU can though

[WillyVictor]

One including ME can always hope for sickle cell for our favorite monkey! Does a country good Bubba

[mastertung7]

sadly,bub...that infirmity may very well take up residence with you,or someone you love...you wouldnty want that,.so why wish it.for some one else,whom u know nothing of?it is clear you hate some of your own ways,that is why u are critical of others,calling them names..be bigger,.be better to yourself...but u must step up,.and not down

[WillyVictor]

Sorry Chimp, is English your 5th or 6th because it sure isn't your first 4.

[mastertung7]

the mirrors on yourself,are working,as they are truly reflecting you,do you know the total bub?

[WillyVictor]

Sure, very simple equation. WV>

mastertung7

[mubd1234]

The first 9 seconds seems familar...I just can't put my finger on it.

[Qasmus7]

edgy

[djbattman]

This is the Greatest Late Night Intro in TV History!!! I watched this show religiously from 87-90.. VCR Recorded it every night in High School.

[flugel76]

I actually remember seeing this episode when it aired!

[dcau1]

Sorry...he wasn't funny then and he isn't funny now. Doing the same lame ass gags over 20 years later.

[newyorkeastside]

I AGREE

[mlaechel]

This was when Letterman and his band were cutting edge and low rent. The show was fun and irreverent back then, Letterman 'grew up' when he moved to CBS in '93. The show took a lot more risks back then with cutting edge stuff. Watched it all the time in high school 82-86 and college late 80s. A 22 yr old billy idol, a 25 year old David Lee Roth, etc. Great classic early shows with a really cool beginning he doesnt have now....

[Audioquest56]

The band was sooooo much cooler back then.

[mdumas43073]

Do my ears deceive me, or does announcer Bill Wendell bill them as "the NBC Orchestra" in the intro?

I thought that term was the exclusive provenance of Doc Severinsen's band on Carson's "Tonight Show". I always remember Shaffer and co. being the World's Most Dangerous Band.

[ixceix]

the old intro's he had on nbc are so much better than the ones he has now.

[jackmehoffer68]

I used to watch him doing shots with the Kennedy boys. Dave and Mike. I loved this show so much.

[spacegeek]

I think Paul meant to say "Hey, A cat can come out and do a show" lol Poor Paul lol

[mjok2004]

Same show format as today, except they sound much slower.

Imagine doing this show every day for 20 odd years. :(

Look at Paul Schaeffer, looks like a different man.

Getting old sucks the dick!

[CusterFlux]

Dave is way stressed out, totally understand why he eventually got that by-pass operation, he's a different guy now: good on ya Dave, most people get stuck in a house of mirrors as they get older.

[jbranstetter04]

The alternative to getting old is dieing, I would prefer to get old. If you get old, that means you didn't die.

[doctorbeepers]

where are the other 2 videos???

[tubester4567]

Hahaha that bald headed badger Paul has been with him for all this time?? We only got letterman since he went to CBS. Hahaha it looks low rent compared to his show these days.

[djbattman]

These were the good ol days of Letterman... the best!!!

[wooliescoom]

Jesus Christ! How many years has Letterman and shaffer been doing this show.

[bone75]

Seventy-five

[dknights411]

Real answer, since February 1982. That's when Letterman started Late Night on NBC immediately following Johnny Carson. Of course, Letterman and company moved to CBS in August 1993.

[GD29]

@wooliescoom a LONG time. They did this show for 11 years (82-93) and they've done the show they're doing now on CBS for 17 years (93-present) so that in total should add up to 28 years doing a show together which is getting very close to carson's 30 years on the tonight show but word has it that dave could possibly have the motivation to surpass that beyond his current 2012 contract deadline...

[shoemanbundy]

When terabyte discs come out this show should be released. ALL OF IT FROM BOTH NETWORKS!

[LateShowFanClub]

Love the classic shows too. Wish we could buy them all on DVDs. XXOX *hugs*

[HeartBreakKid1987]

David Letterman is God! Hopefully they will start producing all the great shows of the last 30 years...

[glazemeister]

is that the same set that conan uses today?

[BuckyRossler]

no... totally different.

[glazemeister]

obviously its been rearranged but i'm pretty sure its the same studio

[dknights411]

Studio 6A has not only been the home of Letterman on NBC, but if I'm not mistaken, its where Johnny Carson started the Tonight show before moving to L.A. And now it is home to Conan O'Brien. I guess it's as close to TV comedy sacred ground as it gets.

[GD29]

@dknights411 actually, carson started his tonight show in studio 6B where jimmy fallon does late night.

[ozmang]

scarey camera work into north tower.

[ozmang]

Sorry south tower.

[John6yt]

LOL I thought this was one of the ones where the thrill cam would go out into the hall and show a conquistador and a guy in a bunny suit...it was a running gag for a couple of weeks around the time this was recorded

[wmarkj]

do you have Dave with Dr. Voodoo?

[undergroundcircus71]

Letterman did stuff in the 80's that he'd never do today. It was always entertaining and usually off the wall funny. The best was when the show circled around. One-half way through the show, the screen was upside down.

[GD29]

@undergroundcircus71 yeah i wasn't born til 91 so i pretty much missed out on his 80's NBC heyday and now catch him every now and then on CBS but thank god with youtube you get to see what ground this guy broke and how he inspired many comedians ahead of him including conan and jon stewart.....it would probably look like an old geezer trying to fit in with the young crowd if he attempted to relive all of this now so i think he's okay with just doing stuff suitable for his age....

[PreviewSubscription]

Forgot Letterman had hair at one time;These old clips rule.I think Dave is funnier than Leno.

[LoBoCoPonYouT]

Love the intro

[TeganX7]

Classic Letterman .... awesome show!

[neomilan89]

the opening credits are crap on the old show!

but letterman is still just as great