When David Letterman’s show ended on May 20, 2015, an era also ended. Letterman was the last connection to the glory years of television, that is, the 70s and 80s. Letterman was also the last real connection we had with Johnny Carson, who is often considered the best talk show host of all. the times. Normally I tend to agree with the assessment that Johnny Carson was the greatest talk show host of all time, but after 6028 shows and over 33 years, you just have to give David Letterman his due and say which was at least as good at a late night talk. show the presenter who Johnny Carson was.
David Letterman never did what Carson did with the skits and characters, instead dropping objects from buildings and watching them crash into the street. He came up with his own way of speaking, saying things like “Fat Guy”, “Goofy” and “Boob”. He once even called a star baseball player a “fat pot of goo.”
Letterman was one of a kind and had a deep understanding of what comedy is. Comedy is about having fun, it’s about sarcasm, it’s about funny words, funny sounds, and seeing funny things. Watching a watermelon explode after dropping 20 stories is fun. Ultimately, this is what David Letterman was all about, having fun.
So now we’re left with a whole new world, where the remaining talk show hosts are average at best, and who for the most part aren’t that funny. They play and try different things, but it will never be the same again. Letterman was our last connection to the glory years of the ’70s and’ 80s, when comedy was interesting, imaginative, and every night on the Johnny Carson Show could be considered a major event. There’s never been anything like a night when Johnny Carson had Don Rickles on his show, Steve Martin, or Burt Reynolds. You knew that an exciting night of laughs awaited you that you would always remember. Nothing like this has ever happened again. Jimmy Fallon is good at playing celebrities, Jimmy Kimmel is a pretty good interviewer, but no one will ever be like Johnny Carson or David Letterman. For my part, I can’t believe the David Letterman era is over and I wish it could have been for a few more years.
We will deeply miss David Letterman and the era and level of talent he represented.