Stupid Writer Tricks on David Letterman Show & LN, 1980, 1982
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- Only two installments of Stupid Writer Tricks were prepared on Dave's talk shows: the first occurred on the final morning show at the end of Week 18 of its run on October 24, 1980. The second was on the 90-minute Late Night special, "Dave," on June 4, 1982 (taped the day before), which was also at the end of Late Night's own Week 18.
Folks associated with both shows either can't remember or aren't convinced that the second installment was a conscious and deliberate homage to the morning show, but there's no doubt that at least one person on the Late Night staff was aware of the Week 18 milestone: In the show's log is a note by Barbara Gaines (which is shown at the end of the video):
"WEEK NUMBER EIGHTEEN
"**NOTE: Morning show we were on the air 18 weeks and completed 90 shows. Five shows a week. Monday June 23, 1980 - Friday October 24, 1980/"
Of special note is that Merrill Markoe performed the same Stupid Writer Trick on both shows.
And Harve Mann was on board for both, singing newly-composed lyrics to each respective show's main music theme (though not seen in the morning show segment here).
Writers on the morning show's Stupid Writer Tricks in 1980 were Gerard Mulligan, Paul Raley, Ron Richards, Rich Hall, and Merrill Markoe.
Writers on Late Night's Stupid Writer Tricks in 1982 were Gerard Mulligan, Stephen Winer and Karl Tiedermann, Andy Breckman (with Chris Elliott), George Meyer, the comedy team of Tom Gammill and Max Pross (actual actors' names not remembered), and Merrill Markoe.
It's hard to convey how amazing this kind of stuff was to a younger crowd. At the time, this was amazing. So human and real. Such a relief. What punk did for music, Dave did for TV.
Ms Markoe was the soul of that brilliant show
And the intellectual foundation, the brains.
She was kinda hot too.
The last sketch looks like prom night for Merrill & Dave
The story from the Zinoman book of Rich Hall telling Letterman to get back with Markoe during the interregnum between shows- was the highlight of the book for me
I believe she called him "Don."
Seeing all these earlier Letterman bits only reinforces my long held opinion that Dave's CBS shows were never anywhere near the imaginative and edgy quality or original humor of the NBC incarnation. The CBS shows seemed immensely dumbed down, especially after the loss (or ouster?) of producer Robert Morton.
In 1984 I began recording every night of Letterman on NBC and would the next day edit down choice bits. Shortly after the CBS shows began broadcasting I ceased saving much of the shows' content. I eventually ceased bothering to record at all, unless I was not going to watch in real time and wanted to watch the following day.
I am so happy I have 20 archive boxes of VHS tapes containing edited priceless comedic (and not so comedic) material. Just wish I had the electronic devices to transfer and upload to TH-cam what I wanted to share...
If you're interested, you could loan me the tapes, and I can then burn them to DVDs for you. I have all the shows, but I'm always keen on redundancy so I can then pick the best quality source to choose to upload. This wouldn't be a quick turnaround, though, as you can imagine the time it'll take to play everything back in real time.
Everything is better when it's newer. Nothing is great forever (or long). Next they'll say the Simpsons isn't as good now as it once was. No, really?
The CBS show is the show that Dave was poking fun at on the NBC show. I think that's more true after the bypass surgery but still true in the first few years.
You should definitely upload more Merrill Markoe
There's no need for that kind of talk.
She's pretty.
th-cam.com/video/f93jDokPUKU/w-d-xo.html
The huddled masses one was very funny.
Rich Hall was so great - I never understood why he didn’t blow up - apparently - big in England
one of the elder men portraying Gammill and Pross was Willie Day, propmaster for SNL 1975-1984, someone I've pointed out in one of your previous videos.
Love seeing these. Thanks neverending!! Would love to see more from the early '82-'84(?) 90-minute versions. I recall one of my first LNwDL viewings was Fish Cleaning night with Mariel Hemingway that had Jane Curtin as guest...
Excellent. Thanks for id'ing one of the men. And yeah, I'll prepare the 90-minute specials. This one ("Dave") isn't in top-notch video quality, though, and I have only one source for it.
Thanks for all these uploads, Mr. Giller. I know this is very time consuming so sincerely thanks for your hard work. And LivLaRaj, great call. I guess he would have been working in the building at that time. And even though it didn't get many laughs, the Gammill/Pross was my favorite. I guess you would have to know Gammill and Pross were in their mid 20s at this time. Also, Don, if you happen to see this, do you know if Tom Gammill and Max Pross wrote on any season besides 82'? That's all that was listed in their IMDB credits, but I thought they were there a couple years.
Would love to see the entire final episode of the daytime Letterman show. Every time they went away to a commercial break, they would put a different staff member's resume up on screen.
I uploaded it around a hour after I put this video up. It's here: th-cam.com/video/Ova_eOpm62s/w-d-xo.html
letterman should have used this more often. writers need more exposure.
Wow. , He successfully imitated David Letterman before people knew him as a late nite person. That is a Top level attempt.
Gerard M first in both, The Divine Ms M(arkoe) last in both. Nice. Thanks for including the note at the end.
Of course Teri Garr is coming up after the break
No one has mentioned, so I gotta ask: Was "Chuck the Clown" (8:56) in fact Chris Elliott?
It was.
Hi Don. Again, thanks for these. Any chance you have access to Dave and Merrill's HBO special, LOOKING FOR FUN? I believe it ran between the morning and late night shows.
I'm still awaiting approval.
Never seen a this young Rich Hall
"Apply for a bald spot"? That was cringe-worthy.
I kinda like that "Diff'rent Strokes" joke, though.
Gerard Mulligan! He's been on the show forever, if I recall correctly.
He’s worked with Dave during DL’s Tonight Show Guest-Host years, 1979-81.
@@dongiller And stayed forever I think.
I think that's Chris Elliott as Chuck the Clown before he became an official writer on the show.
Nope.
Hey Don I hate to ask but... I've been trying to track down the Tom Selleck stupid human trick. He does an impression of a submarine. You see it briefly in the 4th anniversary special. IMDB only has two dates for Tom in 1985 (23 May & 26 Dec) and I don't think it's either. Tom was always a great guest. Thanks. (On topic, when Markoe calls him Don it was great. Was that long running gag of getting names wrong her idea or Dave's I wonder?)
The Tom Selleck bit was May 23, 1985. I think the origin of the "Don" reference (not the only time Merrill called him that) is explained here: th-cam.com/video/9SrPDWbzCUk/w-d-xo.html
Tom Selleck is now up -- th-cam.com/video/G2dAVRbtMTw/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant.
Does anyone know (maybe someone who worked at NBC or knows someone who did): was the same studio used for both of Dave's shows ("David Letterman Show" and "Late Night")? If so, was it 6A?
Yes and yes. Both the morning show and Late Night were in 6A.
@@dongiller Thank you. I thought so. Watched the 1980 show religiously until the 1980-81 school year started.
Amazing
Lucky for Dave no one else wanted that time slot.
Does anyone have video of Dave talking to Pete Fatovich in the control room and he asks "What did your wife have for dinner?" Pete replies, "Some dinner, cold shoulder and hot tongue."
it's weird how they pronunce the "day" part of weekdays: like sundee, mondee
Timeless.
He was the best name in pants and entertainment, and pants.
Someone remembers the A&E syndication. :)
Fans may be interested in reading Merrill's book of essay's called Cool, Calm & Contentious, within which she dates a fellow called "Bobby." Hmm. Who could this Bobby really be??
Of course it was the second most famous person associated w/the Great State of Indiana: Bobby Knight!
holy f**k, i never knew rich hall worked for letterman...
On Dave’s AM show, Hall once did this news recreation about an earthquake in Paraguay (or some other far away country) by putting toy soldier army men in his speaker cone and then playing music so they would vibrate. That was such a conceptual piece of brilliance
Wonder how many injuries occurred on the show... I did learn from Dave always wear safety glasses. :D
Who was the band on the David Letterman Show?
i always thought Paul was the guy from the get go, and I can't find any info about who those guys were on wikipedia.
Dave called it “The NBC Orchestra.” It consisted of Frank Owens (piano and music director), Bob Rose (guitar), Jay Leonhart (bass), and Frank Derrick (drums).
@@dongiller Thanks a lot Don! Glad to give those guys a bit of respect for their hard work!
Paul was actually approached for the job, but it was right after SNL had ended for the original cast, and he needed a break. Also the early hours wouldn’t work for him.
@@dongiller Ha....yeah, would be rough getting up for a 9am (or whatever time) show (not to mention needing to be there 2hrs before air) after having spent the previous day doing sessions followed by playing a gig that didn't get out til 4am.
thanks again for the info.....man, your channel has really rekindled my interest in the whole Letterman saga. Especially loving the LNWDL clips, but seeing the original show is cool too....I was in elementary school when that show was on the air, so I barely knew of its existence til a few months ago.
Thanks!
That was funny. I think I know why she was head writer.
Because she was Dave’s girlfriend
That lady with crashing table has a joke thats timeless....unfortunately
You need to know the name: Merrill Markoe. Look her up.
Rich Hall, nice 👍
This made me soooooooo FN Happy!!!!! Seriously, sometimes a joke or bit is not meant for the masses but those R the ones I sometimes love the most. Have eggplant jokes replaced dick jokes??
“leave that clown alone” was a vat of weak sauce. they can’t all be gems
Looked a bit like Chris Elliot.
Huh, I wonder if Seth Meyers and his writers either consciously, or unconsciously, got the idea for Jokes Seth Can't Tell, or the Writers' Surprise Inspection, from this!
Merrill is cute but she's dangerous...
Any gal that carries around her own copies of Playboy is a pal of mine!
Wonder where she would fall on the "Hot/Crazy Matrix" ?
It's like watching an alternate universe Late Night. There's even a fake Paul Schaffer. Hey, there's Rich Hall! I forgot all about him.
Shaffer; Paul Shaffer.
Teri Garr was on next! I'd rather see that!!
There’s a 5-part compilation of all of her appearances on Dave. Seek and find.
@@dongiller I always hope there are more I haven't seen yet. Thank you so much for what you've done. I've watched them all dozens of times!
She was cute and brilliant.