Late Night with David Letterman Premiered 39 Years Ago Today

On February 1, 1982, NBC premiered Late Night with David Letterman at 12:30 AM (making it technically February 2, but let's not get nitpicky). In the era of only three networks, it became home to a weirder, snarkier, and more ironic brand of comedy that couldn't be found anywhere else on television at the time, and it bent an entire generation of comedians to its influence.

You can watch the entire first episode right here, beginning with a cold open from stalwart Late Night stock character Larry "Bud" Melman (Calvert DeForest), thanks to Letterman archivist Don Giller. The peacock-feathered Rainbow Grill dancers that introduce Letterman on this first Late Night show echo their appearance on his last morning show. His first guests are Bill Murray and the inimitable Mr. Wizard.

Before this show began, Letterman had paid his dues as a stand-up comic, a comedy writer, a bit player on variety shows and game shows, and yes, his own morning show in 1980 that only lasted for 18 weeks. NBC liked him enough to keep searching for a place for him, and with Johnny Carson in corner, Late Night was developed as a replacement for The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. Late night was a much better fit for Letterman's brand of sarcastic oddness than the morning, and the show quickly became a cult favorite among the young adult set. 

Letterman's trademark Top Ten Lists were born on Late Night (the first one in 1985 was "The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme With Peas"), as were Stupid Pet Tricks and later Stupid Human Tricks. Letterman frequently and memorably made fun of his own network, and when General Electric bought NBC in 1986, he made great hay out of insulting "the pinheads at GE" for various reasons. His irreverence led some to consider him mean-spirited, a sentiment Cher infamously echoed when she admitted to Letterman that she was hesitant to come on the show because she thought he was "an asshole." 

As much as Late Night featured celebrity appearances, the show also shined a spotlight on unusual people, including American Splendor writer Harvey Pekar. In stark contrast to its lead-in, the show could also feel dangerous at times, like when Crispin Glover almost kicked Letterman in the head and Andy Kaufman got in a fight with Jerry Lawler.

Late Night with David Letterman ran from 1982 to 1993, when Letterman left to go to CBS and start The Late Show with David Letterman (first guest, also Bill Murray!). The reins of Late Night were then handed to Conan O'Brien, who ran with it for 16 years, until he moved up to succeed Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show, which flamed out spectacularly through no fault of his own. In 2009, Late Night was then given to Jimmy Fallon, who used it more successfully as a transition to succeed Jay Leno (again) on The Tonight Show in 2014. Since then, Late Night's host's chair has been filled by Seth Meyers.

Andy Hunsaker has a head full of sitcom gags and nerd-genre lore, and can be followed @AndyHunsaker if you're into that sort of thing.