After 33 years and 6028 broadcasts, David Letterman filmed his final Late Show yesterday. Photo / AP
After 33 years and 6028 broadcasts, David Letterman filmed his final Late Show yesterday. Photo / AP
Audience in tears as retiring late-night host feted by four presidents who declare ‘an end to our nightmare’.
David Letterman was ushered into retirement yesterday by four presidents declaring "our long national nightmare is over" and a succession of stars delivering a final Top Ten list of things they always wanted to say to the late-night host.
The taped intro of President Barack Obama and former Presidents George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush referenced President Gerald Ford's declaration to the country when he took office following the 1974 resignation of Richard Nixon. Letterman sidled up to Obama to say, "you're just kidding, right?"
Ten stars from Steve Martin to Tina Fey delivered the final Top Ten list of "things I've always wanted to say to Dave".
Letterman said goodbye after 33 years and 6028 broadcasts of his late-night shows on CBS and NBC. The final Late Show broadcast ran long, some 17 minutes over its usual hour, and CBS planned to let the show air without cutting it.
Letterman joked in his monologue that he's been on the air for so long that the hot show when he started was Keeping Up with the Gabors.
He said Stephen Hawking figured out that the 6028 broadcasts included "about eight minutes of laughter".
"You want to know what I'm going to do now that I'm retired?" he said. "By God, I hope to become the new face of Scientology."
Letterman, whose wife Regina and son Harry were in the audience, was serenaded at the end by the Foo Fighters. They sang Everlong, the same song they played when he returned following heart surgery in February 2000.
