Late Night with David Letterman poster

Late Night with David Letterman

★ 7.5 5K votes 1982–1993 12 seasons · 1725 episodes Ended NBC
Talk & panelTalk, panel and interview formats.This show: 10/10Dry humorDeadpan, understated wit.This show: 8/10EpisodicSelf-contained episodes you can watch in almost any order.This show: 8/10Witty banterRapid-fire verbal sparring.This show: 7/10
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Written by
David Letterman
Written by
David Letterman

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About

"Late night before it knew what it was"

Long before he was a network institution, David Letterman hosted this scrappy post-Carson experiment where a talk show format got quietly demolished and rebuilt as absurdist comedy. Stupid Pet Tricks, viewer mail, dropped objects off the roof, and the debut of the Top Ten List all lived here, delivered with a smirking, anti-showbiz detachment that felt genuinely new for network TV. Watching it now feels loose, cheap, and gleefully weird, a far cry from polished late night. The energy and Letterman's deadpan boredom-as-bit carry it more than any guest ever does.

Watch it for

the anarchic, low-budget comedy bits that quietly invented modern late-night absurdity.

Maybe skip if

you need slick production or expect a typical celebrity-interview talk show.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

Season 11982
7.212917590h 18m
Season 21983
01645h 36m
Season 31984
01437h
Season 41985
014625h 12m
Season 51986
016149h 18m
Season 61987
015518h 12m
Season 71988
011142m
Season 81989
014642m
Season 91990
016242m
Season 101991
013642m
Season 111992
01582h 6m
Season 121993
0683h 30m

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

David Letterman Self - Host, Self
Paul Shaffer Self - Musical Director, Self, Self - Bandleader
Bill Wendell Self - Announcer, Self, Announcer
Stephen Hibbert Self - Guest, Various Characters
Calvert DeForest Self - Larry 'Bud' Melman, Larry 'Bud' Melman, Self - 'Larry Bud Melman'
Marv Albert Self, Self - Guest
Chris Elliott Self - Guest, Self, Self - The Conspiracy Guy
David Sanborn Self, Self - Guest, Self - band
Richard Lewis Self - Guest
George Miller Self, Self - Guest

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