this is "through the decades," a unique hour-long time capsule. today we look back at the titans of late night television from the king himself "i think my only philosophy is to go out and make people laugh - to amuse and to entertain them." to one of the funniest women to ever grace the small screen. to one of the funniest women to ever grace the small screen. "if you would look at those sketches, there wasn't one joke. it was all character." and a comedic giant who ruled two timeslots on two different networks. "as a comedian, the stupider you are the smarter you are. by that measurement, dave's the smartest man in the world." those stories and more in the next hour, part of a different kind of television experience, where we relive, remember and relate to the events that are cemented in history. i'm ellee pai hong.

and i'm your host, bill kurtis. it's the titans of late night "through the decades." late night television is a place where we go to unwind to find humor in the news of the day or catch up on what is happening with our favorite stars, even see the latest musical acts. it's a place where we feel that we are participating in the it's a place where we feel that we are participating in the collective cultural it not only relatable and interesting but funny. it's a place familiar in feel but holds onto unique personalities who have carved out their own place. today here on "through the decades," we are remembering those titans of late night television. and we begin with one of the most recognizable faces of late night television. he was the king of late night and he hosted the tonight show

one and only - here's johnny! "here's johnny!" though ed mcmahon wasn't the one to introduce johnny on his first official night as "the tonight show" host, those two words are inseparable from the king of late night t.v. "i like doing the show. it's just that simple." carson would rule the post primetime roost for the generation making him the longest running host in tonight show history. "basically, what i am is an entertainer and whether this show as any great sociological or philosopy behind it, i think my only philosophy is to go out and make people laugh, to amuse and to entertain them." carson's predecessor, jack paar only had good things to say about his replacement. "carson. no one can ... nothing but praise for carson. i know more than anyone what it's like

it for 25 years. no one will ever do it as well again. no one perhaps has ever done it as well." in a 1985 interview, carson revealed what he thought made the viewers turn on the tonight show before turning off the lights. . "i think if you like what you're doing and i enjoy doing the tonight show, you can keep a fresh outlook on it you know. even though occasionally we have a lot of repeat guests, the trick is to come out every night and try to get something out of nothing." night and try to get something out of nothing." always good for a laugh. "sis-boom-bah." "sis-boom-bah." "describe the sound made when a sheep explodes." before taking over for carson when he retired in 1992, jay leno talked about the tonight show legacy "as a kid, steve allen and jack paar and johnny carson .. gee, i mean, it is sorta overwhwelming this kind of thing. now you have your

of fun." but before he left, carson admitted he had no idea about his impact on the tonight show. "somebody, just a few weeks ago, they were burying a time capsule back somewhere in new york city and they wanted a tonight show or an excerpt from the tonight show with a letter signed by me to future generations and it was difficult to sit down and think what you would say. so, i think my note was 'dear sir or madam or n, tape of the tonight show from, i think it was, january, 1985 and i said if you still have a show like this on the air as you read this letter, you haven't progressed very far so go back and try again. i don't know how people will look at something like this 100 years from now." before johnny put his own pervasive stamp on late night t-v, there was steve who helped

our cultural diet. as the first "tonight show" host, steve allen debuted his late night program on nbc in 1954 setting the standard for all the late night talk show hosts who came later. "the tonight show simply evolved out of my previous experience i'd been in radio for eight or nine years gradually specializing on comedy and a casual approach to the medium and then in '48, '49 and '50, casual approach to the medium and then in '48, '49 and '50, angeles which was luckily very successful and it was the success of that show that induced cbs to to lift me out of los angeles take me to new york and say, do the same show on television, so i did." at first, it was just seen locally in new york city. "welcome once again to the steve allen program. nice to have you here!" "the show had started i think a little over a year before we went on the full network." "it was then just called the steve allen show."

and picked it up for a national version calling it "tonight." on his first show, which premiered september 27, 1954. allen sat at his piano and played down all expectations. "it'snot a spectacular. it's gonna be kind of a monotonous, i think." while allen deserves much of the credit for what most late night talk shows look his show had a little bit of everything. "it was a talk show but some nights it wasn't. some night we might book the basie band and let them do six or seven songs not just one quick one as most talk shows these days." "on two occasions, we did half hour dramas, complete dramas with scene re-enactors and three weeks of rehearsal and scripts." "in other instances, we would have people on opposing sides of an important issue and have political debates. we did remotes from different parts of the country as well as

"we did comedy routines out on 44th street near times square." "and it was a great challenge, but we had no idea that we were making any kind of t-v history." allen admitted his formula for the "tonight" show which has lasted for more than a half century was mostly spontaneous and lots of fun. "i simply lived it. i walked out on the air whether i was on late at night or early in the morning or the afternoon and if it was near meal time, i would eat." "i would have my clothes fitted on the show. i would read a "if something struck me funny, i would take a camera and go out on the street and talk to a cabdriver- whatever." his monologue, adlibbing and celebrity interviews kept audiences glued to their t-v's. "with us it was my god, what'll we do tomorrow night? you know. we didn't come off the stage thinking boy, that was great. they loved it and whoops there's a new 90 minutes to be filled up tomorrow night." the multi-talented talk show host who also was a musician, comedian, composer and writer

but recalled his favorite- the the night he interviewed pulitzer prize winner writer andoet carl sandburg. "mr. sandburg reminisced about lincoln, recited his poems, recalled the days of his childhood. it was magical television." but the footage was later burned because the storage facility ran out of space. "it was great television and it was burned." allen never knew what would make a great night. "the crazy nights were always predict which we never knew it would be next tuesday that would be the great show of the month. it was just some magic in the air. you could never explain it and if you could you could plan it and you can't." but he was sure the tonight show was going to endure. the tonight show will always be with us in one formation or another simply because it's become a television institution." when our look at those titans of late night continues, we'll consider a pioneer of the genre and his lingering impact.

definitive legacy on amercan pop culture and who brought more talent and sparkle to t-v than perhaps anyone else. and the woman who broke into the boys club - brash funny woman, joan rivers. rivers set a standard for those to come. including this comedienne, she drew in 30 million viewers a week for 11 seasons, the one and only carol burnett. and after 30 years at the reigns of america's most iconic late night talk show, we look back on when johnny car the torch and began the late night scandal of the

jack paar manned the tonight show desk from 1957 to 1962. paar was an opinionated host who got his start in radio. he brought those exacting interview skills to television along with the concept of 'carrying air on your own' at the top of every show. "i claim no invention anything. i'm the one that made it work. i think that's possible. but i think i made it work differently than they're doing it now." he may sound modest but jack paar did more than just make his late night talk-show "work." to mastering the sit-down interview, the second-ever host of nbc's "tonight show" helped cement a format that continues its reign over late-night

his five year journey began on july 29, 1957. "i was ready for fame when i was six. i was in a crouching position all my life. of course, i want to be famous. i want to be successful." paar cut his teeth entertaining the troops during world war ii. by the early '50s he received a few acting roles, one even alongside marilyn monroe in "love nest." however, his confidence and intellect were much stronger than his acting and those skills were perfect for a program like "the tonight show." he took the lead from steve allen, whose version was much more of the traditional variety show. "i cannot put on a funny hat. if i do, the audience says, 'take it off, it's ridiculous.' i'm your uncle drunk at a party when i put a hat on. i'm just trying to show off. so, i never did it and sketches? who needs sketches? i don't do them well but what i can do is talk."

paar didn't need sketches or dry and witty humor.rs just his "they dry your sinuses. what are these things, sinuses, not adnoids, what are these?" "fingers." "fingers. yes." (laughs) he also had an uncanny ability to connect with his celebrity guests often getting them to let their guard down during his famously playful sit down interviews. guard down during his famously playful sit down interviews. "what do you do for exercise?" "i stumble and then i fall into a coma." "it's a moment of reality, in a world, in a television world that's quite unreal. here are two people talking and they're doing the best they can and they're making all kinds of errors and stumbling by god they're just like us. i guess that's the appeal." and it wasn't just celebrities, politicians knew an appearance on "jack paar" could help

you john?" "no, you're fine." "because if you make i it'd nice for my daughter to know. we have a small arrangement you know?" "can kennedy be defeated in '64?" "well, which one?" paar was polarizing however, often calling out his critics during the broadcast. and after producers cut one of his jokes without telling him, paar famously quit on air walking awor in 1960. "so i thought, 'i don't need them. i don't need to be on television and you don't need me.' and uh, on my tombstone i want it to say 'you had your chance. now he's gone.'" paar would return before ending his run for good in 1962. johnny carson would take over and add to what paar accomplished. carson would remain at the helm for the next 30 years.

"i always feel like, you don't really have the 'tonight show,' you just kind of hold it until the next guy takes over." in 1957, the "next guy" was jack paar, a pioneer for the late-night talk show. "ladies and gentleman this is a 17-jewel, shock-proof, water- proof wrist watch. now watch this impressive demonstration. (hits watch). there you are. this hammer can be purchased at your local department store (claps)." your local department store (claps)." "and a jack paar will do a jack paar type show and that's good or bad. not everybody loved me." now we look back to 1993 when arsenio hall weighed in on the so called late night wars. we're waiting right now for the other shoe to drop in the letterman leno situation. nobody knows what is going to

spent time with his dog. no one knows what is happening. the dog was like roh, roh, dave said not to talk about it. you know, it's like no one knows what's going on and i can't wait to find out what's happening. late night has become a more interesting soap opera than one life to live. you know a lot of people watch it and they only see entertainment value, but it's a business. you can be the funniest, most talented person on the planet, but it's about jack paar may have been a trailblazer of the late night talk show but our next television greats pioneered their own style. first, we'll remember the legendary host who brought beatlemania to america. then, we turn back the lens of time on a queen of comedy that broke barriers for women -- carol burnett. this is "through the decades." carol burnett. this is "through the decades." would you say no to a lot more money? [excited scream]

no thanks. nice balloons, though! or no to more vacation days? janet, i'm giving you an extra week's vacation! oh, ah... nooo. what? no way. who says no to more? time warner cable's all about giving you more. like the most free hd channels and virtually unlimited movies and shows on demand, so you can binge all day. call now. and don't forget the free tv app. get ultra-fast internet with secure home wifi to connect all your devices. helps big time. switch to time warner cable. for $89.99 a month you'll get free hd channels, 30 meg internet and unlimited calling to half the world. we can call aunt rose as much as we want now. switching is easy. get our exclusive 1-hour arrival window, a money-back guarantee with no contract to sign. plus get free installation, tv equiment and epix included. really? honest...no.

critics panned this t-v host, calling him boring, common and awkward but audiences embraced him. ed sullivan d the longestunning television variety program - the ed sullivan show. and for 23 years, sullivan discovered talent, launched careers and solidified superstars. "he was a little removed but very gentlemantly and and very nice. he was a nice man, just kind of removed. i think... i think he might've been a little shy." "god love him, but he's a newspaper man. he's not an

he can't even finish a sentence when he talks." "he was a wonderful man - very unlike show business." ed sullivan may have been "very unlike show business" but helovedshow business. "you know, he wasn't funny to say the least and he just pointed you know and put the acts on.ed ran the show like a newspaper man which he was. he was a journalist and he scooped everybody." from ventriloquist senor wences to from ventriloquist senor wences to to the biggest entertainers of all time, ed sullivan was a curator of culture - educating and entertaining america. "he never seemed to be terribly impressed by himself. he was a fan of people in all walks of the business you know from a ballerina to an elephant. and if they were the tops orif he

and they would all be on the same show." "every sunday night, millions of people would watch and the exposure was tremendous and there was so much work because he had so many acts on, it was an old adage about sullivan show was like the weather in chicago -if you didn't like it, wait a minute.tremendous, tremendous insight into what people wanted to see." that insight is what made him a household ritual every sunday night for 23 years. ed sullivan started his as a newspaper reporter and in 1932, landed a job writing a column for the new york daily news called "little old new york." it gave him a cache that led to opportunities to emcee major events. he didn't know it but one of those events was televised. after watching it, a cbs executive hired him as host of a new variety show called "toast of the town" in 1948. it was renamed "the ed sullivan

of the most historic moments in television history. including the legendary 1957 appearance of elvis presley when cbs censors would only allow elvis to be shot waist up because his swinging hips were considered family unfriendly. "ladies and gentlemen, the beatles!" and the 1964 american t-v debut of the beatles, when more than 70 million viewers tuned in, making it one of the most sullivan was also a trailblazer in changing the racial picture of television. he embraced the talents of african american pformers at a time when some sponsors objected to their appearance on the show. "the supremes became very famous and we were on ed sullivan show every single sunday. i got to the point where i was saying god, can you believe? this was in the days where black people weren't really on t-v and we were saying

every sunday we had our own television show." ed's final show aired on june 6, 1971 after having introduced america to over 10- thousand acts. he died of cancer in late 1974 but the impact he's had in connecting the aspiring performer to a riveted audience continues to live on. contribution to the entertainment industry has been extraordinary, he was far from the only one to leave a lasting impact. our next television great was a force to be reckoned with. we'll look back on how joan rivers changed the face of comedy. plus, the decision that led david letterman to make a major network jump. those stories and more are still ahead as we continue our look back on the titans of late

now we look back to 1984 when a late night royal, phyliss diller, reflected on her enduring career. "i hate to say this. you have to be terribly smart. you have to be very bright. joan rivers is phi beta kappa. she's a mental giant and i admire her have to be terribly smart and then you have to be a lady to make it." "the barriers are falling down and they're moving out. there is more room now you know for words that sometimes ... look in the beginning days of television you were not allowed to say broad, instead of lady, woman. you were not allowed to say hell and you were not allowed to say damn. you're not allowed to show cleavag naval or knees.

"but i'll tell you what. number one, i didn't know that there was nobody else out there. i just didn't think about it, didn't know it.and simply took that big gigantic step, stepped on stage and did it. now once i got my foot on stage, i was committed. i wanted to do it and i had to do it. and i simply went through what you have to go through which was miserable." "being an unknown femaleic is akin to being a leper. i mean, nobody wants you around." "i had a little bungalow on sunset boulevard. the club was there and i had bombed so badly in front of real people that the next day, i sat on the floor, cut all my material apart, the lines all apart and i sat in the middle of them, laid them all around me on the rug

i realized the material was lousy. it wasn't the right material but i had to live with it because it was all i had." "and you have to go through the terrible part of being unknown. where people look at you really with almost hate in there eyest's like until you are important and in this case, known and important and rich, they don't want any part of you. they want something to look up want a leader. you have to be the leader. they don't think you've earned it until you're really known. you see once you're known, you walk out and get automatic applause and acceptance." "phyliss! straight ahead phyliss. phyliss do the same thing! phyliss!" "i did it with the magic of believing in myself. believe in yourself. in fact, one of my

in the fall of 1967. no woman had ever hosted a t-v variety series before. but cbs decided a young comedienne was worth the risk and 11 years later, "the carol burnett show" ended its run as the most acclaimed variety show in television history. "i said, 'i don't -- i would nevewant to do a weekly show. i couldn't do that. it would be -- ecch. what would i do?' you know, it was always -- it was the furthest thing from my mind." fortunately, carol burnett came around and "the carol burnett show" came to be. to support her, burnett assembled a now legendary cast, including harvey korman "harvey. i had fallen in love with when i saw him doing the danny kaye show." "i attacked him in the parking lot at cbs television city." "and i just practically bent

said, 'please, please, oh please, you've gotta be on our -- you've gotta be with us!'" . lyle waggoner. "lyle came in and not only was he good-looking and could announce but he also was able to do the sketches." and vicki lawrence a teenage lookalike who burnett hired on a hunch to play her sister. "i literally feel like i got to go to the harvard school of comedy in front of america." "i was green and i was trained by the best. " later, tim conway joinedhe cast. "he was just, of all of us, the one that lived to never rehearse. the rest of us were rehearsers. tim just lived to cause chaos." "where are you from?" the series is best remembered for elaborate musical numbers and for recurring characters such as mr. tudball and mrs. wiggins.

about this receptionist who couldn't work the intercom. every time the boss would press the button, she'd press the button and he'd say, 'don't press that button when i'm talking. hello! hello!" "mrs. wiggins, i wonder if you could..." "hello? hello?" "and we were gonna have somebody else do mrs. wiggins, and she was gonna be an older lady. and i went to tim and i said, 'can i be mrs. wiggins? i would like to be mrs. wiggins. but make her this dumb -- this bimbo.'" but make her this dumb -- this bimbo.'" "so we gave her a farrah fawcett hairdo and a tight skirt, and she said, 'i can't walk in this skirt.' cause i made it absolutely tight at the knee. and i said, 'stick your butt out.' and the whole thing started. it was a character that we did a million times." costumer bob mackie was also responsible for the biggest laugh the show got in all eleven years, which came in a parody of "gone with the wind."

dr comes down the stairs, the writers had written that she comes down with everything just hanging on her. which would've been funny you know. and i walked into costumes that wednesday before we were gonna tape on friday, and mackie said, 'i got an idea here, you want to look at this'' and we walked into the room and he picked -- off the floor he picked up the curtain rod with the draperies. i fell on the floor." "i think th' engraved on my tombstone. 'he designed the curtain dress.'" the most enduring characters came from the "family" sketches with mama and eunice. "if you would look at those sketches, there wasn't one joke. it was all character. it was the way we played it that made it so silly and funny." "they often ran half the length of the whole show. they were little play-lets. and were --

bordering on very poignant, serious, tearjerking little pieces sometimes." "i am reachin' for immortality and all you can talk about is that damn wang laundry." "wang? are you sure?" "it was waaaaang!" "the carol burnett show" was pure magic but even magic fades. "the eleventh year, we were doing okay and cbs wanted to re but i got to ... i'd be reading a sketch and i'd say, 'we did this. we did this the eighth year or we did this the ninth year.' we started to feed off of ourselves. and there are two ways to go off the air. one is to go first and the other is to have them go (knock, knock, knock) goodbye. go away. i -- i thought i would rather leave the party before i'm asked to go

and so that's what happened." in 1968, the new york times called joan rivers "quite possibly the most intuitively funny woman alive." she achieved prominence in 1965 as a guest on the tonight show only to be named johnny carson's permanent guest host in 1983. three years later she left for her own late night talk show on carson never forgave her and banned her from his show. it was the start of professional and personal challenge in the life of the humorist. "i knew from the minute i was rational, i was in this business. i knew that's the business for me from the first time i could verbalize to myself. i was four years old, saw margaret o'brien in journey for margar. she was my age and i said why is she up there

in brooklyn cameo theater watching her? this is all wrong." joan rivers was born joan alexandra molinski to russian immigrant parents in brooklyn on june 8, 1933. she attended barnard college in manhattan, where she pursued her interest in performing, determined to succeed, in spite of her parent's strong objections. "neither one of them wanted me in the business and i was very "neither one of them wanted me in the business and i was very bitter about that. and my was adamant about not having me in the business so i think that caused a lot of bad feeling and then after i started to do well, he was the proudest of all." after years of struggling, rivers' finally landed a stint at 'the second city' comedy show in chicago and in early 1965, came her big break, an invitation to appear on the tonight show with johnny carson. that also led to rivers' meeting her future husband, british film and television

"he was peter sellers' very good friend and they had a script they wanted punched up and i had just done the carson show and they said 'oh there's a very funny girl writer she'll do the script.' and we met, with the script, had a conference and we married in four days. i just knew it was right. don't ask me, there's nothing to explain it and it wasn't just passion. it was everything. it was just right." rivers made several more as well as the ed sullivan show. and in 1968 gave birth to a daughter, melissa. "i was very child oriented. i really adored melissa. and i adored being the scout mother. i adored being the teenager's mother with all the kids, and adored...halloween was far more fun for me than for her." throughout the '70s, rivers's star was on the rise. she was everwhere from t-v comedy and variety shows to the vegas

her tough talking style of satirical humor broke through taboos and overturned what had been considered acceptable female behavior. in 1983, rivers, already a household name was hired as carson's regular guest host. but three years later, their longtime friendship ended. the soon-to-launch fox television network announnced that it was giving rivers a late night talk show making her the first woman to have her own late night show o she would be competing directly with carson, who learned of the show from fox. "it was a bad mixup and very sad because he found me. he discovered me. he gave me certainly everything in my career at the beginning and it's never left me and i've always credited him with absolutely giving me my life." the late show starring joan

a disaster. ratings were poor and when rivers challenged fox executives who wanted to fire her husband as the show's producer, the network fired them both in may, 1987. three months later, rosenberg killed himself in a philadelphia hotel room. "with suicide you never get- i mean, i look around, i think, why did you do this to us? why did you..,and of course i understand why now. but, i mean, he just ripped everything away from us, from my daughter." mean, he just ripped everything away from us, from my daughter." rivers continued to perform though and tried another talk show on daytime t-v. the joan rivers show ran for five years and won her a daytime emmy for outstanding talk show host. in september, 2010, she started co-hosting the hit e! show "fashion police" commenting on the dos and dont's of celebrity fashion. "she's great. she's just the sweetest woman and absolutely hilarious. so my laughs are not canned. they are genuine."

in the ratings in the summer of 2014, when on august 28, rivers stopped breathing while undergoing a minor throat procedure at an outpatient clinic in new york. resuscitated an hour later, she was transferred to mount sinal hospital and put on life support. rivers never awoke from a medically induced coma and died on september 4. she was 81. medically induced coma and died on september 4. she was 81. tributes poured in from friends, family, fans and fellow celebrities. on september 7, a private memorial service at temple emanu-el in manhattan was attended by 1,500 people. howard stern delivered the eulogy, describing rivers as 'brassy in public and classy in private, a troublemaker, a trail blazer, a

we'll remember when it all began for a man who would become a ratings champ of late night television. we'll turn back the lens of time on the everlasting effect that jay leno left on his viewers during his 21-year run as host of "the tonight show." you're watching "through the

a young comedian named jay leno made his first appearance on the tonight show in 1977. a decade later, in 1987, leno became a regular substitute host for carson and when carson announced his retirement in 1992, leno got the gig. it was a shock in late night t-v but 1992, leno got the gig. it was a shock in late night t-v but leno would go on to host the tonight show for an impressive 22 years. "and a landmark last night for television as jay leno took over as new host of 'thetonight show.'" in the pantheon of late-night television, there's been innovation, domination and those who just failed. "here's johnny!" but there is one host who stands above them all.

tonight show from johnny carson on may 25, 1992, it marked a new era. carson had presided over the nbc late-night staple for three decades before handing over the reins. "it wasn't really until johnny officially said he was going to leave after 30 years and they said well is this something you'd like to do? why don't we sat down to talk? and i said sure and they made me an offer and i said yeah, let's do it." the move came as a shock to carson's heir apparent at nbc, david letterman, whose show had followed carson since 1982. the saga was later turned into a book and a movie both called the late shift. leno meanwhile focused on how to follow in some very big footsteps. "johnny has set the standard for this show. you don't see the cheap shots and some of the bad taste jokes you see on a lot of the other shows. thats the

leno' began his tenure in the throes of the 1992 presidential campaign and he milked the material. "and i guess clinton ... clinton is the big front runner now. scandals du jour. i have some clinton fans here. i mean he's gotten by it pretty good, the whole marijuana thing. you know, he said he smoked marijuana but he did no inhale. he also said he did not enjoy it. forty million americans have smoked marijuana and the only ones who didn't like it were bill cli and clarence thomas. that's unbelievable to me, ladies and gentlemen." presidents, as it turned out, would prove to be among leno's favorite guests. "on one hand, you flunk social studies and on the next hand the president of the united states is waiting to talk to you. i mean, that's kind of funny to me. you know, when you knock on the door and the president goes, 'oh, jay,' 'oh, hi mr. president.' oh, this is kind of neat, the president knew who i was or schwarzkopf. politics are somewhat of a hobby of mine so i like it when famous political people come on."

would last years although jay generally got the best of it in terms of ratings. then in 2004, it looked like a plan was in place to transition the tonight show to a new host. that year, leno signed a contract extension with nbc that would keep him as host until 2009, when conan o'brien would take his place. that transition was almost as controversial as leno's replacement of carson. controversial as leno's replacement of carson. prime-time show and o'brien didn't deliver the audiences nbc had anticipated. so by march 10, 2010, leno returned as host of the tonight show where he remained until february 6, 2014 when jimmy fallon succeeded him. when we continue our look back on the titans of late night, we turn to a man who helped breath new life into the "talk-

for a generation of comedians. one who also made a huge career move that would start a time- slot defining rivalry. the story is next right here on

david letterman brought a fresh, young, irreverant style to his 1980s late-late audience and for the next 11 years, he dominated the genre. in 1993 after letterman failed to win the earlier time slot on nbc, he jumped to cbs with "the late show with david letterman" kicking off the late-night wars. letterman would stay with cbs for more than two decades cementing his place in late night television history. during the premiere of the late show with david letterman, the host took a few jabs at his former employer, nbc. "thank you very much welcome to

checked this now with the cbs attorneys and legally i can continue to call myself dave." "i'm a little shocked frankly dave, i'm kind of disappointed. the fact is these last two jokes are the intellectual property of nbc." in 1975, letterman, an indiana native, moved to los angeles, where he worked as a stand up comedian and write for popular sitcoms like good times. letterman's big break came in 1978, when he began appearing on the tonight show starring johnny carson. his off-beat and self- deprecating humor endeared him to carson who invited him back on his show several times. it would ultimatley lead to letterman getting a show of his own. on february 1, 1982, nbc and

night with david letterman, which aired following the tonight show on nbc. late night's signature features included the top ten list, stupid pet tricks and viewer mail. through late night, 35-year-old letterman and his twenty- something writing staff, attracted a new and younger audience and produced a critically acclaimed show. "well, these people we've been together a long time and "well, these people we've been together a long time and they've become the guys that friends and i couldn't bey happier thats a great situation to have at work everyday." letterman's show laid the groundwork for talk shows that would come after it and challenged and changed the way we look at celebrties and popular culture. "i think he just fears celebrity and since he suffers no fool gladly and many fools tend to be celebrities, he has a hard time justifying his own celebrity."

david! thank you!" "he never reads any of his own press unless its really negative. i brought up to him that day that the new york times on the op ed page had said he was a hero for an entire generation and actually he did look at it for a minute and then threw it aside and said misprint." but nbc executives gave the job to 42 year old jay leno who had guest-hosted the tonight show several times. "he had his big shot yanked out from under him. the rug was pulled out from under him. here he'd been toiling for 11 years doing late night and basically to the naked eye everyone could tell that this man was in training he was johnny's choice. he was there and suddenly for it not to happen, for jay to come around the bend and end up getting the

letterman." "johnny, i think, also believed dave should've gotten the job. i think that's not a secret at this point. he clearly thought dave got rooked by nbc." "just how pissed off are you?" "i'm not angry at you or the tonight show about this. i mean, realistically if it were not for you. i wouldn't have a show and i wouldn't have socks actually if it weren't for you." in 1993, in a very publicized move, letterman left nbc for cbs in 1993, in a very publicized move, letterman left nbc for cbs where he started a new franchise. "i really hope it's the same old show i really loved dave the way he was on the other station." "i'm skipping the first day at indiana university to be here." the late show with david letterman would air an hour earlier than his last show meaning letterman would go up against the tonight show with jay leno, kicking off the so- called late-night wars.

looks like dave's comedy is a lot different i think than leno's" "oh there's no competition, dave's got em beat all around." "dave's gonna rule!" though jay leno's tonight show ely beat letterman in the ratings, leno never achieved the critical success dave did. letterman was considered an innovator and his fans and critics loved him for it. in 2015, after 33 years on late night, letterman announced he "my wife and i have shared our bedroom at night with dave for 33 years. i hate to see him go." "this is kind of closure something that's been entertaining and its also been a constant in my life in so many ways." during its 22-year run on cbs, the late show with david letterman racked up nine emmy awards and 73 emmy nominations.

"i think david letterman's largest legacy will beyond late night, beyond television, he didn't invent irony but he was a major architect in making it part of our culture so he realy affected not only what we laugh at but sort of the way we see things and the way we talk to each other." "a lot of comedic integrity. so and that's something. e' letterman you know. they don't come along often and i think that's it." "well as a comedian, the stupider you are the smarter you are and so by that measurement dave's the smartest man in the world." on may 20, 2015, in his final sign off, david letterman, bid an emotional farewell to his audience. "the people who watch this show, there is nothing i can ever do to repay you. thank you for everything. you've given me

john, we're giving you a raise. that's fantastic! but i'm gonna pass. are you ok? honey, you got another present. no thank you, dad.

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at the titans of late night television, "through the

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