25 Down with 5 To Go...
David Letterman celebrates his 25th anniversary of entertaining late night viewers tonight. To mark the occasion, guest #1, Bill Murray will be back to party with Dave. Murray was Letterman's guest when Dave debuted on NBC-TV February 1, 1982. While Letterman is signed by CBS-TV through the 2009-10 television season you can bet he'll get a new contract allowing him to tie Johnny Carson's 30 years as the king of late night comedy on February 1, 2012. Letterman turns 60 in April and is well paid making more than $31 million a year but they'll give him more to stay. While Jay Leno usually wins the ratings battle between the 2 shows, Dave has had a multitude of defining guests and moments, something Leno can't claim. How many defining moments can you recall on Jay's show? Yet there are a ton of memorable moments on Letterman's show through the years...
When Letterman moved over to CBS he brought his top 10 with him along with remote segments that mix elements of Gallagher and Steve Allen. He brought Paul Shaffer and his band and a steady stream of hilarious moments too. Here are the names of the guests who will trigger some of those memories: Drew Barrymore, Courtney Love (both of whom flashed Dave while standing on his desk), Madonna, Bill O'Reilly, Britney Spears, Cher (and the reuniting of Sonny & Cher), Oprah, Farrah Fawcett, the Christmas show (with Jay Thomas tossing a football at the Christmas tree and Darlene Love sounding better every year). Letterman has had his serious moments too as he talked about the horror of 911 and with the dying Warren Zevon. He's also become a good interviewer, something that was lacking when he started out...
25 years into his career, David Letterman has worn well. Here's to at least 5 more years and while you're at it Dave, what's one more year on top of that? Then it's hail to the king...
We have the close of Dave's last NBC show as today's video link from June 25, 1993: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqLgGfO_9mM
In my Commentary, USA Today's comments on today's FCC oversight hearing...
Timeline Memories...
Space Tragedy: 2003] The space shuttle Columbia explodes during re-entry killing all 7 astronauts aboard...
Roll Em: 1893] Thomas A. Edison completes work on the world's 1st motion picture studio in West Orange (NJ)...
Under the Umbrella: 1898] The Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford (CT) issues the 1st automobile insurance policy when Dr. Truman Martin of Buffalo (NY) gets $5,000 of liability insurance for $11.25...
Get the Picture?: 1900] Eastman Kodak introduces the $1 Brownie ("but for you, 50 cents because I know you're getting ready to leave New York")...
All Aboard: 1913] Grand Central Station opens in New York City. It's the largest train station in the world (and is still beautiful)...
What's a 12-letter word for a newspaper that gets your fingers black?: 1930] The New York Times publishes its 1st crossword puzzle...
Get him on the phone Susie: 1953] "Private Secretary" starring Ann Sothern debuts on CBS-TV for a 4-year run...
Frozen in time: 1968] South Vietnamese National Police Chief, Brigadier General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executes a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head, a scene captured on video and in stills and seen worldwide as a lasting image of the war...
You Are There: 1953] Walter Cronkite premieres as host of the CBS-TV show that recreates famous events. "You Are There" will run until the fall of 1957...
Recorded on this date: 1958] Just before joining basic training with the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley records "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck"...
Please release me: 1979] Patty Hearst is released from prison after serving 22 months, her sentence commuted by Jimmy Carter...
A new Commish: 1984] David Stern, former chief legal counsel of the NBA is named commissioner, replacing Larry O'Brien. Stern turns the league around at the gate, among advertisers and with the fans...
Trouble with a capital T: 1979] Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is welcomed in Tehran, Iran as he ends nearly 15 years in exile...
Car Wreck: 1988] Boston rock group The Cars break up...
Guilty as Charged: 1994] Jeff Gillooly pleads guilty for his role in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, striking a plea bargain as he implicates girlfriend Tonya Harding...
That woman, Miss Lewinsky: 1999] Monica Lewinsky spills the beans to senators weighing impeachment charges against Bill Clinton with a videotape deposition...
Eye witness: 2004] The only Super Bowl I've ever attended turns out to be a winner for my Patriots thanks to Adam Vinatieri who kicks a winning field goal. Final Score: Patriots 32 Carolina 29 as Janet Jackson bares a breast at halftime...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Speculation in USA Today about today's FCC oversight hearing in Washington has Clear Channel, CBS Radio, Entercom and Citadel getting what I thought - a slap on the wrist. According to Paul Davidson: "the four largest radio broadcasters would make payments valued at about $10 million under a proposed settlement of a year-long probe by the FCC into pay-for-play claims in the music industry". This is not written in stone though because the proceeding is pending. When we find out more, we'll have it for you in the MPR...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Pauly Shore (39), Lisa Marie Presley (39), Monaco's Princess Stephanie (42), Bill Mumy (53), Sherman ("The Jeffersons") Hemsley (69), Ray ("Dr. Hook") Sawyer (70), Garrett Morris (70), Don Everly (70) and Stuart Whitman (79)...
Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Super Bowl XLI, 14 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 48 days until Spring...
...
