The David Letterman Show
| The David Letterman Show | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Presented by | David Letterman |
| Narrated by |
Bob Sarlatte Bill Wendell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 90 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David Letterman Jack Rollins |
| Producer(s) | Barry Sand |
| Location(s) | Studio 6-A, NBC Studios New York, New York |
| Running time | 90 mins. (June 23 – August 1) 60 mins. (August 4 – October 24) |
| Production company(s) | Space Age Meats in association with NBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | June 23 – October 24, 1980 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
Late Night with David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman |
The David Letterman Show is a live morning NBC short-lived talk show, hosted by David Letterman. It ran from June 23 to October 24, 1980. Originally, the series lasted 90 minutes, then 60 minutes from August 4 onward.
A precursor to 1982's Late Night with David Letterman, the series was a critical success but the edgy comedy did not go over well with morning television watchers, more used to talk shows, soap operas, game shows, and prime time reruns. The show had replaced High Rollers, Chain Reaction, and the daytime version of Hollywood Squares on NBC's schedule (NBC president Fred Silverman also considered canceling Wheel of Fortune as well, but he changed his mind upon discovering that the show was in fact one of the highest-rated programs on the network's morning schedule).
The original producer was Bob Stewart, a veteran quiz-show creator who had enlisted Letterman as a panelist on Pyramid from 1978 onward. However, due to creative differences, Stewart left the show four days before its premiere. He was succeeded by H. Barry Sand, who remained at the helm for the rest of its run and re-joined Letterman for the first five years of Late Night.Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers wrote the opening theme of the show.
Behind the scenes were Hal Gurnee directing and Barry Sand producing, with Biff Henderson serving as stage manager (a role he would serve for the next 35 years of Letterman's career). The writing staff consisted of Merrill Markoe (head writer), Valri Bromfield, Rich Hall, Gary Jacobs, Harold Kimmel, Edie McClurg, Gerard Mulligan, Paul Raley, Ron Richards, and Letterman.
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