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David Letterman: Johnny Carson
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O[N] August 30, 1993, the LATE SHOW with David Letterman made its debut, and it quickly went on to become one of the most talked-about and critically acclaimed programs of the year. One year later, Time magazine named Letterman the heir to Johnny Carson's late-night crown. Nearly three years later, TV Guide's "Best of '95" edition praised Letterman as "still the funniest man on TV in the hippest show on at night," and cited LATE SHOW as one of The Ten Shows that Clicked of the hundreds of television programs on the air. Letterman, who is beginning his 15th year on late-night network television, has earned the honor by consistently delivering inventive and imaginatively inspired comedy.
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After nearly 4000 broadcasts, David Letterman remains one of the most influential personalities in the history of television. Other than Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years, no late-night host comes near Letterman in longevity, critical praise and award recognition. Often imitated but never matched, Letterman presents, night after night, an unpredictable hour of innovative comedy.
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Thanks in part to Letterman's influence, late-night talk heated up during the mid to late 1980s and the early 1990s. Though the genre is dominated by male host-performers, Joan Rivers eventually (briefly) hosted her own late night show. Arsenio Hall and Chevy Chase were ... in the competition for viewers, and like Rivers, hosted programs on the new on the FOX network, competing with Carson and Letterman on NBC. Game-show host Pat Sajak briefly hosted a CBS talk show in the late-night time slot. Rivers, Sajak, and Chase quickly dropped out because of poor ratings. Hall's show, far more successful, lasted for several years.
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After almost 17 years and thousands of broadcasts in the late night business, David Letterman remains one of the most durable and influential personalities in the history of television. With the exception of Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years, Letterman has had the longest run in late-night television.
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As the late 1980s approached, Letterman was becoming more and more of a household name, often at odds with the censors over his show, and never one to curtail to guests' wishes. But that only made him more popular, and he garnered more and more status as a world class talk show host. Among the more classic moments in his early show was the time he covered his suit with Alka Seltzer and jumped in a vat of water. Letterman helped Andy Kaufman with his wrestling saga, as Kaufman and Jerry Lawler pretended to get in a fight on "Late Night." Letterman ... became known for his on screen reclusiveness with respect to other shows. While Carson at one point in his career would often make cameos and guest appearances, Letterman would shy away from cameos and stuck almost solely to doing his "Late Night" show.
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In 1975 Letterman moved to Los Angeles and wrote material for popular sitcoms, including Good Times. His big break came when he began appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, whom he has since referred to as his mentor. In 1978, he became Carson’s regular guest host, and in 1980, he was offered his own show, the daytime David Letterman Show. The show only lasted for three months, but was a critical success, and convinced NBC-TV to give the young comedian a late-night show following Carson’s.
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