Transitions: David Letterman did his last show on Wednesday, 20 May, 2015. In one of the longest runs on television, Letterman did over 6,000 shows (and remember: he taped them live) and had over 20,000 guests. An intensely private person–except for his on-air appearances–there is no reason to believe that Letterman will do stand up in Las Vegas or act as a spokesman in television commercials. He doesn’t need the money (in his final year on CBS hosting “The Late Show”, he was paid $32 Million), the acclaim (his show was nominated for 116 Emmy awards and won 16), or the pressure of delivering an hour of topical, sharp, entertainment and commentary to a network audience 5 days a week. Take a look at the piece “Letterman by the Numbers” below to get a sense of the scale of what he produced. He’s done his time, he set a very high standard, and he leaves the stage as one of the most innovative TV personalities and producers (like his hero, Carson, Letterman owned his own show) in media history. Before Dave moves too deep into cultural history, here’s an interesting selection of articles, reviews, tributes, and essays on David Letterman, his last show, and the incredible body of work he created. Not surprisingly, much of the material in the ClickPak below is from the press in New York, the city where Letterman hosted his show. We thank him for his efforts and wish him the very best going forward.
The David Letterman ClickPak: articles and information on the late night legend and the end of an era.
Start out by watching the final show (if you didn’t see it on Wednesday night):
Letterman reprise: Replay the last show (Source: CBS.Com)
And now, the print version of his last show and career:
The Last Letterman Show (Source: NY Times)
Looking For The Exit (Source: NY Times)
How To Do A Final Show (Source: NY Times)
Letterman by the Numbers (Source: Variety.com)
The Best of David Letterman (Source: NY Times)
One Last Look (Source: NY Times)
Top 10 List: How to Leave Late Night Television (Source: NY Times)
Letterman’s Top Quotes (Source: NY Times)
Conan O’Brien on David Letterman (Source: RollingStone.com)
Sign Off: NPR on Letterman’s Exit (Source: NPR.org)
Letterman’s Long Goodbye (Source: Money.Cnn.Com)
Dave Letterman: Growing Up on TV. (Source: nymag.com)
How David Letterman Re-Invented TV .(Source: RollingStone.com)
The Late Night Drama of David Letterman. (Source: VanityFair.Com)
Olbermann on Letterman (Source: Deadline.com)
The Esquire Profile of David Letterman (Source: Esquire.com)
The Fine Print. Sources for ClickPak links are listed next to the link. All rights belong to the respective rights holders, including the logo above from Dave’s TV show. We don’t know if it’s TM or (c) or held by Worldwide Pants or Dave himself. Whatever, it’s his. Used for reference purposes only.