Doing David Letterman

By Steve Rhodes

I used to be a huge David Letterman fan - long before he had a late night show. Letterman started on network TV with a morning show that was as brilliant as anything that's ever been on TV; just like his late night show was in its early years, the morning show was as much a parody of morning shows as it was for real. I bailed on Letterman years ago, though, when his late night show became too fratty - and too much like the very thing he once slyly and savagely parodied. You know, he became like Leno.

To wit:

1. Animal psychic segment.

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2. The morning show ran bumpers for segments that never were to come.

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3. One of the coolest parts of the morning show was the news segments by Edwin Newman. You don't get to see his wit here, but you can get a tiny little whiff of the action.

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4. By 1994, Letterman had become ripe for parody rather than the parodist. Mike Judge brought the clip with him when he made his first Letterman appearance.

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5. Then the parodists - Beavis & Butt-head - went on Letterman to flog their movie.

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6. Likewise, Family Guy took a crack at him.

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7. And then Peter Griffin wound up on the show as well.

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8. And - also with something to sell - Homer Simpson followed suit.

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Comments welcome.

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