david letterman: yes. you are convinced you know it's a good show? david letterman: yes.'m sitting right there. i feel it. charlie: how many times a week do you have a good show? 3 out of 5? david letterman: three out of five would be great. i would sell my soul for 3 out of 5. sometimes we get there. sometimes we get 5 out of 5. some nights you get a good show one out of five and you think, ok. charlie: how different is the show you are doing and the show that carson did for all those years? david letterman: we are doing circus time. we get people swinging on things, setting fire to stuff, we get folks running around naked. johnny would come out and do his monologue and then maybe he would do aunt blabby, and say silly things to florence henderson. i don't mean to suggest he was loafing. he was doing a lot of work. but it was not this barrage of stuff where ok, let's see what party boy is doing tonight. scare somebody. charlie: do you think you got to do that because that is where the audience is in 1996, or do you think it is simply a reflection of your sense of humor?

. >> david letterman! >> i have more memories of the letterman show than of my own life at that time. >> before kimmel, conan, seth, or fallon, there was dave. the king of quips. >> hi, and welcome to the damn show. >> and outrageous pranks. >> it's hard to say what his influence is not. p hello, this is blackmail. >> a late-night legend signs off. >> what this means now is that paul and i can be married. a cnn special report, david letterman says good night. >> i still have to do things like answer viewer mail letters. >> viewer mail. >> dear david, what's the deal with the sneaksneakers? well, we decided this letter should be answered in person. >> david letterman's trademark bit. it was 1966 and steve o'donnell was a writer for dave's show. >> if we would get a letter that seemed provocative enough, we would seek them out. >> i think this is the house. >> just one scexample of how da changed the game. >> let's see if colleen is home. let me just ring the bell here. doesn't appear that anyone's home. >>

. >> david letterman! >> rif more memories of the letterman show than of my own life from that time. >> before kimmel, conan -- >> i'm the champ. >> -- seth or fallon, there was dave. the king of quips. >> hi and welcome to the [ expletive ] show. >> stupid pet tricks. and outrageous pranks. >> it is hard to say what his influence is not. >> but behind the scenes, it wasn't all laughs. >> he was devastated. he was devastated. >> nbc has no use for you people. wash up and get out. >> oh, hello. this is blackmail. >> a late night legend signs off. >> what this means now is that paul and i can be married. >> a cnn special report, david letterman says good night. >> i still have to do things like answer viewer mail letters. >> viewer mail. >> what is the deal with the sneakers? we decided that this letter should be answered in person. >> david letterman's trademark bit. it was 1986 and steve o'donnell was a writer for dave's show. >> if we got a letter that was provocative enough, we would seek them out. >> i

and offers his own tribute to david letterman. first, the headlines of this sunday morning the 17th of may, 2015. several tornadoes slammed into the nation's mid section. they were concentrated in rural oklahoma reports of damage to homes, businesses and power lines but no casualties or injuries reported. a top isis leader has been killed by american special operations forces in syria. the pentagon says, forces tried to capture him. but he put up a fight. his wife was captured, he was in charge. terror groups big money oil businesses. amtrak officials say an emergency braking system will be in police on the lines northeast corridor when passenger service resumes. a speeding train derailed last tuesday, killing eight people. a 16-year-old girl has been gored by a bison in yellowstone. she was posing for a picture. the girl was airlift with serious injuries. the downpour at the preakness in baltimore american pharaoh took the second leg of the triple crown. he won with california chrome before losing at the belmont stakes. as for to

david letterman made on them. >> and leno won the -- the ratings but david letterman had an impact on pop culture. >> thank you. that does it for us. stay tuned for the cnn special report, david letterman says goodbye. >> the follow is a cnn special report. >> i happen to be the most powerful man in american broadcasting. >> there really was no preparation. it was spontaneous. >> carson was the best show. jay created the anti-show. >> i have more memories show than my own life from that time. >> before kimmel, conan, seth, or fallon, there was dave. the king of quips. stupid pet tricks. and outrageous pranks. >> it is hard to say what his influence is not. >> but behind the scenes, it wasn't all laughs. >> he was devastated. >> nbc has no use for you people. wash up and get out. >> oh, this is blackmail. >> a late night legend signs off. >> what this means now is that paul and i can be married. >> a cnn special report, david letterman says good night. >> i still have to do things like answer viewer mail. >> viewer mail. >> what is the deal with the sneakers? we decided this should be

kbb.com >> david letterman.d letterman hosting a live morning talk show in 1980. >> why do you have this stuff? >> and this was one of the few people watching. >> everything about it was arresting. >> an electronic wizard, conan o'brien, then in high school. >> it's hard to explain that to people today. this guy was 180 degrees different from anything you had seen in that format. >> would you like a tissue? >> the whole thing felt wrong-perfect. >> perfect for conan, but poor for the time slot. after four months, david letterman was canceled. he thought he thought his career was over. >> he was about as devastated as you can be. he remained for a lot of his career consumed with self doubt. >> nbc brass had other plans for dave. >> david letterman! 1982 lave landed late night at 12:30 a.m. after his hero, johnny carson. >> that's what they are doing. >> a dream job in a time slot so late, he could do anything he wanted on air. >> right over there is the "today" show. >> prime time program was my idea and i'm not

letterman is retiring. >> final farewell. a star-studded send off for david letterman. the "late show" host retires from a career in comedy with a final show filled with laughs. >> i'll be honest with you, it's beginning to look like i'm not going to get ""the tonight show"." >>> a break in the case in a washington, d.c. family killed in their home. police are on the hunt for a suspect and prepared to charge him with four counts of murder. >>> the united states releases thousands of documents seized from osama bin laden's culture. the show left fans misty eyed and laughing. don champion is at the ed sullivan theater where a chapter of history is now closed. don, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, the late show marquee is still lit up. it was jam packed running 17 minutes over the usual hour. fans of letterman still wanted more. >> the only thing i have left to do, for the last time on a television program, thank you and good night. >> reporter: after more than 6,000 shows, 20,000 guests and countless laughs it was david letterman's final farewell. foo fighters pla

letterman is retiring. >> final farewell. a star-studded send off for david letterman. the "late show" host retires from a career in comedy with a final show filled with laughs. >> i'll be honest with you, it's beginning to look like i'm not going to get ""the tonight show"." >>> a break in the case in a washington, d.c. family killed in their home. police are on the hunt for a suspect and prepared to charge him with four counts of murder. >>> the united states releases thousands of documents seized from osama bin laden's hideout, including what he was reading and future plans for al qaeda. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday may 21st 2015. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. top ten list stupid pet tricks presidential interviews and celebrity encounters that often went off script. david letterman said good-bye to it all last night. over a career that spanned 33 years and two networks letterman transformed late night television and left an undeniable mark on american culture. the show left fans misty eyed and laughing. don champion is at the

>> it's the late show with david letterman.

and more on letterman's farewell. now with some of eddy bettour's performance on "the late show." i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." do you have nutritional gaps in your diet? try the improved formula of boost® original nutritional drink. each delicious serving provides... 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle, and 26 essential vitamins and minerals including calcium and vitamin d to support bone health. plus, boost contains 3 grams of fiber which helps support digestive health. try boost original nutritional drink today. i've been the same shade of red for many years. it's time to change it up! hello, golden blonde. shift a shade with nice'n easy. for natural looking color i don't know if blonde has more fun, but i plan to find out >>> three generations of the british royal family were on hand monday with the opening of the world famous chelsea flower show in london. queen elizabeth and her husband the duke of edinburgh were joined at the lavish display by prince charles and his wife camilla.

letterman wanted to be on one of these networks. think he was going to change his mind. mark: what were your first impressions of david letterman when you met him? >> i knew him so well. to me, he is a familiar figure. he's very smart, well educated, very original. i had seen this program a lot. he reminded me, though i'm not sure he liked it, with the david frosts and john cleese and the smart people from the satire world of the bbc and beyond. to me he was very familiar. had been to indianapolis a lot, which is where he was from. he had kind of a sophisticated adults humor with a satirical edge the belonged on cbs. cbs was a mature, smart company. did it matter that jay leno consistently be david letterman in the ratings? >> no, i didn't. it's a different kind of humor. for a different kind of audience. i knew it was a very high-profile audience, a very good audience for advertisers. i didn't think about that. 9.5ere going from zero to out of 10. i was very happy. and i liked the show. in the end, when you are running programming,

>> it's the late show with david letterman.

the final "late show" with david letterman. on cbs, starting at 11:35, 10:35 central. >>> stephen colbert delivered the commencement address at wake forest university. >> for you grads, the future say dark chasm of yawning uncertainty. but don't worry, you don't have to face the future for like two hours. [ laughter ] first brunch then yawning uncertainty. >> the comedian was also awarded an honorary doctorate. colbert takes over on "late show" on september 8th. >>> coming up oscar-winning actor george clooney. and we'll leave you with some of the performances on "the late show." i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." do you have nutritional gaps in your diet? try the improved formula of boost® original nutritional drink. each delicious serving provides... 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle, and 26 essential vitamins and minerals including calcium and vitamin d to support bone health. plus, boost contains 3 grams of fiber which helps support digestive health. try boost original nutritional drink today. i

it's a 30-year-old david letterman. >> it's sunday night. what do you got to do anyway? >> reporter: long before he became a household name letterman was the host of the starland vocal band show and taped comedy routines around the area. john carroll grew up in d.c. and was a member of starland and was just 20 when the show aired. we interviewed him from massachusetts. >> when somebody offers you a six week summer replacement series in primetime, that's not something you say no to.

a disappointed letterman moved to cbs to host "late show with david letterman" airing opposite leno.let me just start with a question here. just how pissed off are you? >> brown: it, too, was a showcase and launching pad for new stars and an inspiration to younger comedians, says al madrigal of "the daily show with jon stewart." >> so i grew up watching letterman as a comedy nerd, comedy fan i really was excited about the opportunities that he gave comics and years and years later, friends of mine. the show was unpredictable and that's what i really enjoyed about it. >> brown: among the many comedians who appeared often with letterman on their way to stardom: jerry seinfeld, martin short and jimmy kimmel who now has own late night show. >> one thing i will say, you know i was here before the show started and i really feel like you led me astray by not telling me how much lying i would be doing. >> brown: one star who gives letterman credit for launching his career is ray romano, of "everyone loves raymond" fame, who hosted a tribute to letterman recently. >> i'm only here because of

david letterman has walked out on stage more than 6,000 times. here he is doing it again for his final late night show. before tonight's finale. ♪ >>> hey hey. >> joining me now on the phone, david letterman's most frequent guest, and that's regions fillman. you were amazing that night. >> thanks very much don. i didn't have much time but it's great to be a part of that. >> when you look back on your appearances on the show is it 150? >> i think it's 136 is the count. >> 6,028 shows, tonight's a big finale "the late show with david letterman." what are you going to miss the most? >> when you get used to seeing a guy who you know is going to be there every night, i think it's going to be terrible not only for all of his viewers, thousands of people who have gren up with him, but for himself as well. >> i always watch you and you were such a gracious host he's such a gracious host. you're in on the joke. was that far of his, you think, his success? >> i think so. oh yeah. there are a lot of guys that get a little wild with their guests and put them

that's not letterman's "late show."late show is about spending an hour with somebody you like, spending an hour with somebody you know. not about necessarily crazy gags, that are going to go viral the next day. i think that is something that is special and something permanent about letterman's late show. certainly there are moments that he, he had on his show, many moments that kid go viral. he had moments on the show in the 90s that would have gone viral if we had internet back then. we didn't hatch ve it back then. when it comes down to it. letterman was an old school broadcaster, someone you wanted to spend time with. stephen colbert his successor will learn from that. >> held to his core comedic values all the way to the end. brian steltzer joining us from new york tonight. thank you a lot. >> thank you, brian. >> now we are following breaking news on an alarming victory for isis. the militants now in full control of an ancient city full of century's old artifacts, a live update on the breaking story after this shor

>> it's the late show with david letterman.

d on late-night and david letterman's legacy.al football league is moving the extra point kick back to the 15-yard line. do you think that will make a difference? yeah, i think so. i heard that if you get the ball, you can run back for two points. mark: stick around. ♪ mark: welcome back to the bloomberg market day. let's check the markets with julie hyman. julie: hello, we're still limping along here in this session with not a lot of change in major averages. seeing a little bit of a decline. look at what is going on with oil prices today. we have had a little bit of volatility in the oil markets throughout the session but now trending higher i about 1.5%. we got an inventories report this morning showing crude stockpiles dropped while refineries have been raising operating rates, putting 2.67tories down about million barrels last week, a bigger drawdown than had been estimated to as oil is rising, one of the big declines we're watching is within the airline industry. some of it might be tied to oil. also, we had comments from t

letterman is retiring. >> oh, the guests did not stop there to help letterman get through one of hisments a who is who have frequent guests and friends of the show to read the very last top ten list. >> last night's theme was things i've always wanted to say to dave. >> dave, did you know you wear the same cologne as moammar gadhafi? >> yes, barbara. >> dave, i have no idea what i'll do when you go off the air. you know, i just thought of something. i'll be fine. >> i'm just glad your show is being given to another white guy. >> thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale. >> dave, you are to comedy what i am to comedy. >> thanks for finally proving men can be funny. >> dave, i'll never have the money i owe you. >> oh, no. >> that was an incredible top ten list. you've got give it to them. >> i'll miss that list. >> we were also treated to some of letterman's best bytes over the years including some of his colorful conversations with kids and his turn as a drive-through worker one of my favorites, at taco bell. how his sarcastic teasing changed telev

says good-bye to the retiring david letterman. this is the "cbs morning news." says good-bye to the retiring david letterman. this is the "cbs morning news." with certain diabetes pills or daily insulin your doctor may be talking about adding medication to help lower your a1c. ask your doctor if adding once-a-week tanzeum is right for you. once-a-week tanzeum is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes along with diet and exercise. once-a-week tanzeum works by helping your body release its own natural insulin when it's needed. tanzeum is not recommended as the first medicine to treat diabetes or in people with severe stomach or intestinal problems. tanzeum is not insulin. it is not used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis and has not been studied with mealtime insulin. do not take tanzeum if you or your family have a history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you're allergic to tanzeum or any of its ingredients. sto

it is david letterman himself. i mean that, and good luck. he was good, funny and he knew when to sit back and when to let the chaos unfold. so david letterman we're bringing you back. we will see you tomorrow night at 11:30 on cbs. this whole retirement thing has been a huge ratings boost for both of our shows. >> unfortunately dave won't back tomorrow, reruns anyway, but watch the the late, late show with james corden12:37 weeknights here on cbs-3. >>> lets get traffic and weather together and check with vittoria. your car is back. >> my carries back, daisy is doing just fine and i wanted to say thank to you everyone that hit me up on facebook twitter even on instagram. your thoughts and your jokes got me through the the take. so thank you so much. but daisy is doing fine. traveling on 422 and rest of our majors volume wise you are also doing fine but unfortunately my heart goes out to this reak will here. disable vehicle on the westbound side of 422 or eastbound, excuse me, not too far from the area of oaks. oth

she had a letterman jacket for me. >> all i wanted to do, my dream job was to work for david letterman the show and then he came along and he created the anti-show. and it was a revelation. >> o'brien failed to get hired on letterman's writing staff in 1986 shlgs i was certain that i was screwed. my career was screwed. >> but in 1993 after dave let for cbs, the then 30-year-old comedy wruter was tapped to take over for his hero on nbc's "late night". >> calm yourselves. >> what it felt like is you're at fenway park and it's 1961 and they say, ladies and gentlemen, ted williams is now at his final at bat. ladies and gentlemen, replacing ted williams now, 19 years old, chip whitly. this skinny kid comes running out on the field. hi everybody. chip whitly. it's going to be fine. ie got this. no i'm fine really. i'm fine. i'm fine. >> e was never that ambitious. in fact if anyone in my life had said, you know maybe you could be a writer on the letterman show, that's where i would have -- i probably would have focused on that. >> in 2003 you got your own show on ans and then all of the sudd

after 33 years on television, this is it, end of an era as david letterman sayse show. >> he did find a possible loop hole that could keep him on television. >> unless it rains then there will be a rain delay and we will probably make it up , we will make it up in a double header around labor day. >> jokes like that have kept us laughing with letterman late at night for decades but the funnies all coming to an even tonight. "eyewitness news" reporter nicole brewer joins us outside ed sullivan theater but you cannot see it but ukee is doing his best dave impression with the enormous dave cut out head. >> good morning. >> good morning i'm so sorry i didn't hear a word you said, but we are live outside the ed sullivan theater where it is final moments final hours david letterman is expect to say a so long to late night television after more than three deck kids. >> it is the late show with david letterman. >> for 33 years david letterman made us laugh. >> is this something left over from the batch already days. >> reporter: from his very first broadcast back in 1982. >> i necessity think

they will bid farewell to david letterman. the scott pelley reports the "cbs evening news" from new york city. >> pelley: potentially deadly air bags must be replaced in millions of american cars, but what should drivers do in the mean time? also bin laden's bookshelf, formerly secret documents recovered in the raid reveal his obsession with 9/11 and himself. tornadoes flatten homes in texas and oklahoma. the next threat is flooding. and the stars come out tonight to tend to have a tell -- to the end of a television era. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: today, japan's takata corporation said it is stepping up production of air bags to replace the protensionly deadly ones in millions of american cars. but with 33 million americans

letterman. >> tell it again.ere there for so long. we left about a year ago. and so we started off as fans as kids. i was food poisoned at 13 and i went to my father who was a physician and hoping for medical help and he would make me feel better. >> where is this story going? >> nowhere. >> well, the guy before us talked about isis and now you have us coming out here. >> a nice warm-up. >> hold on, hold on. uhe cleared for landing. finish your story. >> so my dad put down a are the possible tv and walked out of the room so he could question back to sleep and i saw one of the first leather mans st lettermans ever. so we started off as fans. worked there for 17 years and then watched as fans. >> you were old enough to remember how subversive it was in '82, '38 '83, 8 # '4. they had the boot leg show. it's unbelievable. >> they did a show on a plane, a show in the lobby, a show where the screen rotated. >> wrer the "good morning america" thing where they had the blind and it was the most inane stuff. >> they did a

you first appeared on "letterman" in 1990. old i was then but it was a long time ago, and you made over 30 appearances on "letterman." when you think about dave letterman what do you think about? >> well i think, it was just a fun time. it was a fun time for me. it was hectic. i was a high school teacher. so that was kind of cool and i didn't get too nervous, because i still had a job, if it didn't work. so that was good. and we brought a lot of kids on there over the years, and a lot of them had a really good time. >> they certainly did. it was your idea to bring the kids on and i do wonder from you, lee, what you think it is about dave letterman that gave him this unique ability to make sort of any sort of people you know -- fascinating to the american public right? he was sort of like turn you guys into overnight sensations, overnight celebrities? >> he did, and the kids were -- he was very -- at ease with the kids and he was very nice to the kids. nicer than when i was on the show. he would treat them with respect, and he'

apparently leno invited letterman on to his show during his last week and letterman refused, just sayingself. we will see if leno comes back to letterman show for the first time and buries the catchet, i hope so i think would be amazing. >> letterman's ratings going up the past few weeks, people do want to see how he is going to sign off. suspect that a shame, because in your good-bye that's when everyone decides to tune in? if only all of that support and love there was along the way, then maybe the demise would be different? everyone loves letterman and everyone certainly, you know, honors his career because he really has been one who has exhibited real staying power on late night for a very long time, brian. >> leavening on his own terms. brought so much to late night, innovative like no other comedian has. he deserves the kind of sendoff he is getting with these tributes from across the television landscape. >> sean pierre what's next, the next chapter of late night, since we are talking about good-bye to one generation hello to another, what is to be expected when colbert steps in?

. >>> and david letterman prepares to say goodbye to the late show. the news starts right now. >> good morning. welcome to wusa9 at 6:00. while you were sleeping, we went from a toasty day to a cool, breezy one. i'm nick giovanni. >>> i'm debra alpha reasonable. we have regard -- i'm debra alfarone. behave larry million we are traffic but let's first begin with allyson rae. what is going on out there? >> allyson? >> i didn't know she was going to -- you saw erica there with her fleece on so it is a little cooler this morning. >> you're -- she's running later. >> she is. she'll give us some details on that coming up. it's a good runners day. it's not humid out there. maybe easier to breathe but it is going to be breezy for sure. take a look at this, your michael & son camera. i don't like it when it's breezy when i run but to each his own. a few clouds through the afternoon. temperatures just continue to fall. we always see temperatures fall this time of day but they have just plummeted because of the north, northwesterly winds bringing in the cool, dr

bill murray was on letterman's very first late night show in 1982 when this all got started.ast night the the two talk about that iconic movie caddy shack and got into somewhat of a sing along with the crowd let's take a listen. >> ♪ >>> so again just two old friend that go way back, they finish things off with a round of shot, what else, toast go to more than three decades on television. now, the network itself hasn't listed any guests for tonight's final she but they do promise plenty of surprises and also, a top ten list. >> speaking of those famous top ten list we have top ten list of our own here on cbs-3. i'm not sure i can deliver it a as well as dave would but i will give it my best shot, here they are folks the top ten reasons we will miss dave, starting with number ten dave's mom, at thanksgiving. >> i like that. >> yes, we will miss her. >> top ten reasons we will miss dave, number nine, ukee and erika darlene love at christmas, right holiday tradition for a lot of people. >> yes. >> top ten reasons we will miss dave, number eight, flying yellow projectiles. his sh

he proceeded to smear cake all over letterman. there was a montage of appearances and then he had one last gag. >> everyone is trying to get you to stay and not give up. we just want more, dave. more. >> more? >> more, more, more. >> thank you. >> good. >> thank you very much. >> i'm just going to be one person to try to organize this, if you'll excuse me. >> help. i need some people to help me. will you help me? >> what a great moment. murray led a group of people singing a song asking letterman to stay. his appearance was followed by the last singing guest, bob dylan. here fans are still holding out hope to see letterman's final show here tonight. there are stand-by lines, but as you can imagine, those tickets are extremely hart to come by. >> i bet, don champion at the ed sullivan theater. you can assure yourself you'll be able to see his last farewell. it promises to be afternoon hour of laughs and surprises and maybe a few tears. it can be seen tonight at 11:35, 10:35 central. straight ahead, back in the fryer. a fast food co

letterman would be a fabulous senator. >> well tonight on letterman, bill murray and bob dylan. >> i would vote for him? a second. >> absolutely. >> and have bill murray be vice president or something. >>> mid 50s out there. bill moon, 56 degrees. scott lester in whispering pines, 54 degrees. a better barbecue weather coming up this weekend as it is milder and sunnier. but we are not to the holiday weekend yet. high red showers and thunderstorms all over the western third of the country today. as close as clear lake, we had mountain thunderstorms there. we may over the next couple of days as the low pressure scoots down the coast working its way into southern california. but then, higher pressure doesn't even move right over the bay area. it gets close and changes the wind direction. it has been out of the southwest for 18 straight days. it will turn more northwesterly. drier, sunnier, milder, finally making it back into the low to mid 70s away from the waters in time for the holiday weekend. on the cool and cloudy side tonight and tomorrow the next couple of days. a slight chance of

. >> reporter: david letterman wraps up his television career tonight. i'm suzanne marquez outside ed sullivan theater with the big finale. >> next a look inside the federal government surveillance program... has collected records on nearly every american's phone calls... emails; your most private moments without a warrant... without cause and without your permission. right at this moment... so we got your test results back and... and this moment... the courts have ruled the government... call surveillance program illegal, but the nsa... hasn't stopped. when they invade your privacy, they've gone too far. tell washington: protect our privacy. >>> a new look at what was inside osama bin laden's hideout when those navy seals killed him four years back. the al-qaeda leader had shelves and shelves of american books including bob woodward's bestseller obama's wars plus materials on thought control and some how to terror books. the seals also handwritten letters and one of them bin laden wrote, the focus should be on killing and fighting the american people."

david letterman: i cannot thank you enough.k: letterman also found humor and improbable places, like the local deli making an unlikely star of its owner. >> one thing he had me do was dress in drag. i had makeup on and false eyelashes, stockings, the whole nine yards. another thing was water team, but they did not tell me it would be in the polluted hudson river. nick: younger rivals like jimmy fallon have been paying tribute. jimmy fallon: it is a result of him playing with the genre experimenting, exploring. like every kid to grew up watching him, i will miss him. nick: letterman decided to bow out at 68 years old. we are at the end of a time when people came home from work and let the show wash over them. the conversation with celebrities that was funny engaging, and they went to sleep. now it is short attention spans with quick comedy you can play the next day. tina fey complained about never having to wear a smart address on tv again and stripped like drew barrymore. it has been a long, sentimental, irreverent farewell. be

letterman is retiring. >> reporter: letterman then took the stage and got a more than two-minute standingvation. the laughs continued from there with a star studded final top ten list. the topic? things i've always wanted to say to dave. >> i'm just glad your show is being given to another white guy. >> dave, you are to comedy what i am to comedy. >> reporter: much of the show featured memorable moments from letterman's 33 years on the air. >> can i ask you to get me a little something to eat? >> now? >> reporter: letterman seemed to love the trip down memory lane. he took time to thank his staff and family. >> and really nothing else matters, does it? >> reporter: he also thanked his fans. >> the people who watch this show, there's nothing i can do to ever repay you. thank you for everything. you've given me everything. >> reporter: the show then ended with a simple farewell and the foo fighters playing the song "ever long." >> for the last time on a television program, thank you and good night. >> reporter: a humble farewell for a man who all but changed late night tv. thanks, dave. don

david letterman made on them. >> and leno won the -- the ratings but david letterman had an impact on pop culture. >> thank you. that does it for us. stay tuned for the cnn special report, david letterman says goodbye. >> the follow is a cnn special report. >> i happen to be the most powerful man in american broadcasting. >> there really was no preparation. it was spontaneous. >> carson was the best show. jay created the anti-show. >> i have more memories show than my own life from that time. >> before kimmel, conan, seth,

letterman is retiring. >> reporter: letterman then took the stage and got a more than two-minute standingause and cheers ] >> reporter: the laughs continued from there with a star-studded final top 10 list. the topic, things i have always wanted to say to dave. >> i'm just glad your show is being given to another white guy. >> dave, you are to comedy what i am to comedy. >> reporter: much of the show featured memorable moments from letterman's 33 years on the air. >> can i ask you to get me a little something to eat? >> no. >> reporter: letterman seemed to love the trip down memory lane. he took time to thank his staff and family. >> and really nothing else matters, does it? >> reporter: he also thank his fans. >> the people who watch this show, there's nothing i can do to ever repay you. thank you for everything. you've given me everything. >> reporter: the show then ended with a simple farewell and the foo fighters playing the song, ever long. >> for the last time on a television program, thank you and good night. >> reporter: a humble farewell for a man who all but changed late night t

on cbs after 33 years on television david letterman is retiring as host of the late show. >> tonight is that final show, but is he really leaving on his own free will? listen to what he told the audience last night a lot of people think i'm retiring and i have been telling a fib. i have been forced to leave the job because i gave $75,000 to the clinton found days. sorry, sorry. >> oh, man. >> dave has been poking fun at himself for decade, that self dep case that made us watch for 30 years now. >> "eyewitness news" reporter, nicole brewer is in new york outside the ed sullivan theater. hi there nicole, good morning. >> good morning to you. yeah ed sullivan theater may be located in insuring but ukee and erika the the city of brotherly love have gotten plenty of affection from the late show host david letterman. here we will look back at david letterman's flavor for philly. >> from new york, where half of the audience fridays

letterman was an acquired taste.n't be here tonight. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and letterman being letterman, he wouldn't sell out to get a bigger audience. a rare thing, especially in show business. so on this last night, many of his fans have but one thought -- don't go. harry smith, nbc news, new york. >>> that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news thank you for watching. good night. watching, and good night. narrator: puerto rico's healthcare system is on life support, putting three and a half million puerto ricans at risk. it's an outrage. puerto ricans are us citizens and pay the same medicare taxes, but receive only half the federal healthcare funding as the other 50 states. the headlines tell the story... woman: "unfair treatment from washington." man: "thousands without medications." woman: "it's a crisis that could imperil the whole economy." narartor: washington must act now to protect care for three and a half million u.s. citizens. before it's too late. >>>

letterman was an acquired taste. you either got him or you didn't. >> joaquin, i'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and letterman being letterman, he wouldn't sell out to get a bigger audience. a rare thing, especially in show business. so on this last night, many of his fans have but one thought -- don't go. harry smith, nbc news, new york. >>> that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching. good night. it smells like gasoline. it's really intense. you can smell it from miles away and when you look out to the ocean you can understand why there are clumps of black sludge out there. the most heartbreaking part is when you see birds diving for fish in the water. crews have been out here cleaning but a long way to go. >> heard the news and went here we go again. >> reporter: what is normally a scenic ocean look out point along highway 101. >> it's too bad. >> reporter: offers a different perspective. connected by a boon tryi

it was letterman's first guest on late night there it is, that first appearance.uring the show they took a minute to look back at several of murray's appearances on the show. musician bob dillon was dave's final musical performance. >> be sure to catch dave's final show tonight and keep it here on "eyewitness news" all morning long. our nicole brewer is live from new york talking about dave's final shows. heel be live coming up in our next half an hour. we will check with nicki b up in the big apple. >> 4:43. sun finally making a come back. >> yes, we were like, yeah, you get worried about sunshine dealing with the storms that were starting to roll through. they are scattered in nature. most of us ended up dry which was good but i guarantee everyone will stay dry. we had fog then we had sun. >> yes, i know. >> today it is sunny and will cooler. that is it. less humid. we have a bit of the breeze too but that transition that we're making that high pressure parked itself over the area we will even up with a quiet stretch of weather here guys. storm scan three showin

>> pelley: it's the last "late show with david letterman".steps down tonight as the all-time king of late-night comedy. a record 33 years, 6,028 shows and 19,932 guests. >> and, joaquin, i'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight. (laughter) >> can you take the pepperoni off the pizza and leave it on the sidewalk? >> pelley: letterman's comedy routines became part of the culture. moses may have introduced the world to the top ten list, but letterman made it funny. >> and the number one sleep recommendation from the national sleep foundation, when all else fails, watch letterman. >> pelley: truth is millions lost sleep to catch his monologue, which often delivered the punchline to an evening news headline. did the new england patriots cheat their way into super bowl by deflating game balls? >> there apparently are incriminating texts and e-mails about what they call deflategate. earlier today, hillary announced she would be happy to delete them. (laughter) >> pelley: and what's next for david letterman, he told jane pauley on "sunday morning." >>