Rise to Success: Career Highlights of David Letterman
How David Letterman built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
David Letterman is a renowned American television host, comedian, writer, and producer, best known for his influential late-night talk shows. He holds the record for the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history, having hosted a combined 6,080 episodes of 'Late Night with David Letterman' on NBC and 'Late Show with David Letterman' on CBS. His career spanned 33 years, from 1982 to 2015, solidifying his status as a major figure in the entertainment industry.
1981: Letterman's Emmy Nominations Begin
Since 1981, David Letterman has received 52 Emmy Award nominations as a performer, producer, or part of a writing team, winning two Daytime Emmys and ten Primetime Emmys.
January 1984: The Avengers Issue Featuring Late Night
In January 1984, David Letterman and his show were the focus of The Avengers issue 239, titled "Late Night with David Letterman", in the Marvel comic book series The Avengers, where the title characters appeared as guests on Late Night.
1986: Appearance in Coach Toast Pilot
In 1986, David Letterman appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived series Coach Toast.
May 2, 1989: Oprah Winfrey's First Appearance on Letterman's Show
On May 2, 1989, Oprah Winfrey appeared on David Letterman's Late Night show on NBC, leading to a 16-year feud between the two.
1991: Establishment of Worldwide Pants Incorporated
In 1991, David Letterman started his production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, which produced his show and several others.
August 1993: DL Foundation Founded
In August 1993, the DL Foundation was founded, which would later become the Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming (LFCG).
February 25, 1994: Late Show Ratings Peak After Olympics
On February 25, 1994, The Late Show with David Letterman reached its highest ratings since following the 1994 Winter Olympics.
May 13, 1994: Johnny Carson's Final TV Appearance
On May 13, 1994, Johnny Carson made his final television appearance on David Letterman's Late Show during a Top 10 list segment.
1996: Seinfeld Appearance
In 1996, David Letterman appeared as himself in "The Abstinence" episode of the sitcom Seinfeld.
1996: Voice acting role in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
In 1996, David Letterman provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the animated film Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.
1999: Appearance in Man on the Moon
In 1999, David Letterman appeared as himself in the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon.
February 21, 2000: Letterman Returns to Late Show after Surgery
On February 21, 2000, after recovering from heart surgery, David Letterman revived the late-night talk show tradition of guest hosts. He then brought the doctors and nurses who participated in his surgery and recovery on stage when he returned to the show.
2001: LFCG Donations
From 2001 through 2011, the Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming (LFCG) donated over $9.2 million to various foundations and organizations.
2001: DL Foundation Renamed
Since at least 2001, the DL Foundation, founded in 1993, was known as the American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming.
March 2002: ABC Offers Letterman Nightline Time Slot
In March 2002, as David Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time slot for the news program Nightline with Ted Koppel, but Letterman declined and resigned with CBS.
February 2003: Guest Hosts Fill In for Letterman During Shingles Diagnosis
In February 2003, David Letterman handed the reins of the Late Show to several guest hosts including Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg after being diagnosed with a severe case of shingles.
December 1, 2005: Oprah Winfrey's First Appearance After Feud
On December 1, 2005, Oprah Winfrey made her first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman following the ending of her feud with Letterman, earning the show its highest demo numbers since.
December 2, 2005: Oprah and Letterman End Feud
On December 2, 2005, Oprah Winfrey appeared on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman, ending their 16-year feud in what Letterman jokingly called "the Super Bowl of Love".
2005: Carson Sends Jokes to Letterman
In 2005, it was revealed that Johnny Carson occasionally sent jokes to David Letterman for his monologue, which Letterman used and then did a Carson golf swing.
December 4, 2006: Letterman Signs New Contract with CBS
On December 4, 2006, CBS announced that David Letterman signed a new contract to host the Late Show with David Letterman through the fall of 2010.
February 2007: Letterman and Winfrey in Super Bowl Promo
In February 2007, David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey appeared together in a Late Show promo during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLI, with Letterman wearing a Peyton Manning jersey and Winfrey a Brian Urlacher jersey.
March 2007: Adam Sandler Guest Hosts Late Show
In March 2007, Adam Sandler, who had been scheduled to be the lead guest, served as a guest host on the Late Show while David Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.
September 7, 2007: Letterman Visits Ball State for Building Dedication
On September 7, 2007, David Letterman visited Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for the dedication of the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, a $21 million facility named in his honor. He gave an emotional speech about his college struggles and his late father.
September 10, 2007: Letterman Appears on Oprah's Show
On September 10, 2007, David Letterman made his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
December 2007: Worldwide Pants' Contract Negotiation with WGA
In December 2007, Worldwide Pants independently negotiated its own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work during the union strike.
2007: Letterman's Earnings
In 2007, Forbes magazine reported that David Letterman earned $40 million a year.
2007: Late Show Off Air Due to Writers Guild Strike
In 2007, Late Show went off air for eight weeks because of the Writers Guild of America strike.
January 2, 2008: Letterman Returns to Late Show with Beard
On January 2, 2008, David Letterman returned to the Late Show after the Writers Guild strike, sporting a newly grown beard in solidarity with the strike.
January 7, 2008: Letterman Shaves Beard on Late Show
On January 7, 2008, David Letterman shaved off his beard on the Late Show, which he had grown in solidarity with the Writers Guild strike.
2008: Sarah Palin Jokes
In 2008, David Letterman made jokes about Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, whose pregnancy as an unmarried teenager had caused some controversy during the United States presidential election of 2008.
2008: Questions Arise Over Letterman's Workplace Environment
In 2008, following the announcement of David Letterman's affairs, prominent women such as Kathie Lee Gifford and Ann Curry questioned whether Letterman's relationships with subordinates created an unfair working environment at CBS. It was revealed that Worldwide Pants' sexual harassment policy did not prohibit such relationships, although CBS's business conduct policies required supervisors to disclose such relationships to HR.
June 2009: Letterman's Contract Extension
In June 2009, David Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached an agreement to continue the Late Show until at least August 2012.
October 5, 2009: Letterman Apologizes to Wife and Staff
On October 5, 2009, David Letterman publicly apologized to his wife and staff on his show following reports of an affair.
2009: Letterman Makes Jokes About Sarah Palin's Daughter
On June 8 and 9, 2009, David Letterman made sexually themed jokes about Sarah Palin's daughter on his TV show, implying she had been "knocked up" by MLB player Alex Rodriguez.
2010: End of CBS Contract
In 2010, David Letterman's contract with CBS was set to expire.
2010: Release of 'Dying to do Letterman' documentary
In 2010, the documentary 'Dying to do Letterman,' directed by Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina, was released. The film follows Steve Mazan, a standup comic with cancer who dreams of appearing on Letterman's show.
February 3, 2011: Letterman Discusses Future on Late Show
On February 3, 2011, David Letterman stated on the Late Show with Howard Stern that he would continue hosting for "maybe two years."
2011: LFCG Donations
From 2001 through 2011, the Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming (LFCG) donated over $9.2 million to various foundations and organizations.
2011: Letterman Receives Johnny Carson Award
In 2011, David Letterman became the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at The Comedy Awards.
2011: American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming Renamed
In 2011, the American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming assumed its current name, the Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming (LFCG).
April 2012: CBS Extends Letterman's Contract
In April 2012, CBS announced that it had extended its contract with David Letterman through 2014.
May 29, 2012: Guest Appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight
On May 29, 2012, David Letterman appeared as a guest on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, interviewed by Regis Philbin.
August 2012: End of Extended Contract
In August 2012, David Letterman's extended contract with CBS was set to expire.
January 2013: Winfrey Interviews Letterman on 'Oprah's Next Chapter'
In January 2013, Oprah Winfrey interviewed David Letterman on Oprah's Next Chapter, discussing their feud and Letterman apologizing for a past incident.
June 2013: Appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
In June 2013, David Letterman appeared in the second episode of season two of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
November 5, 2013: Publication of 'This Land Was Made for You and Me (But Mostly Me)'
On November 5, 2013, David Letterman and Bruce McCall published a fiction satire book, This Land Was Made for You and Me (But Mostly Me).
2013: Letterman Appears on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
In 2013, David Letterman appeared on Jerry Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'. Part of their conversation was filmed in Letterman's 1995 Volvo 960 station wagon, which was powered by a 380-horsepower racing engine and built for him by Paul Newman.
April 3, 2014: Letterman Announces Retirement
During the taping of his show on April 3, 2014, David Letterman announced to the audience that he would retire from hosting Late Show by May 20, 2015.
October 2014: Foo Fighters' Week-Long Stint on The Late Show
In October 2014, the rock band Foo Fighters appeared for a week-long stint on David Letterman's Late Show.
2014: Contract extended
In 2014, CBS extended David Letterman's contract.
January 27, 2015: Guest Hosting on The Late Late Show
On January 27, 2015, Regis Philbin interviewed David Letterman and Paul Shaffer while guest-hosting CBS's The Late Late Show.
2015: Contract extended
In 2015, CBS extended David Letterman's contract.
2016: Letterman Joins 'Years of Living Dangerously'
In 2016, David Letterman joined the climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously as a celebrity correspondent, traveling to India to investigate the country's energy issues and interview Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
April 7, 2017: Letterman Inducts Pearl Jam into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
On April 7, 2017, David Letterman gave the induction speech for the band Pearl Jam into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame at a ceremony held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City.
January 12, 2018: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction Premiere
On January 12, 2018, David Letterman's new Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, premiered with Barack Obama as the first guest.
May 31, 2019: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction Season 2 Premiere
On May 31, 2019, the second season of David Letterman's Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, premiered.
October 21, 2020: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction Season 3 Premiere
On October 21, 2020, Season 3 of David Letterman's show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, premiered with guests including Kim Kardashian West, Robert Downey Jr., Dave Chappelle and Lizzo.
2021: Manningcast Appearance
In 2021, during Week 13 of the NFL season, David Letterman joined Peyton and Eli Manning on their Manningcast feed of the Monday Night Football game between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.
February 1, 2022: Guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers
On February 1, 2022, David Letterman was a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers, marking the 40th anniversary of the franchise's debut.
May 20, 2022: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction Season 4 Premiere
On May 20, 2022, Season 4 of David Letterman's show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, premiered with Billie Eilish as the first guest.
October 2022: Letterman Interviews Zelenskyy in Kyiv
In October 2022, David Letterman traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to film a special standalone episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, interviewing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
November 20, 2023: Return to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
On November 20, 2023, David Letterman returned to the Ed Sullivan theater on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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