Barbara Walters Interviews David Letterman, January 29, 1992

Barbara Walters interviews Dave. Originally aired on the alphabet channel January 29, 1992, this is the extended cut that a cable network broadcast on February 16, 1995. This version edited out all Late Night footage that was included in the original air.
The original version can be found elsewhere on YT.

[@dongiller]

So that more folks aren’t confused: The interview was conducted for air on January 29, 1992. It was later expanded, with added commentary and images for air on February 16, 1995, a year and a half after Dave had moved to CBS. The interview itself is from 1992.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Makes sense. They found a reason to repackage it and air it twice. A pre dvr world. We assume the ratings were strong both times.

[@robertabitbol6454]

This is one of the smartest men I have ever watched on TV and this is in no way a mean person, a mean interviewer. What is his secret? He is just like Elvis. Elvis LOVED being on stage and Dave loved being on television. He loves people.

[@Ax89]

Almost 31 years old but this is a classic. Had to come watch this as BW died today, 93. RIP Barbara Walters.

[@Gr8Layks]

She helped ruin television. Good riddance.

[@Cerph]

Aww, so sad to hear- may she rest in peace.

[@sandraandrews9907]

Such a fascinating interview. Hearing David Letterman talking about marriage & family is predicting what happens to him later on in life. RIP Barbara Walters 🙏💔

[@patriciamooney928]

I ABSOUTELY LOVE the way Barbara summed up David Letterman: Letterman can do a dumb joke and look very smart doing it. He has a wonderful sense of the ridiculous filtered through the complex mind of a comic virtuoso.

[@Mark_Brooks]

You're great, Don. Thanks for everything.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Two titans of broadcasting. The trust Dave had to do this shows how respected Barbara was.

[@patriciamooney928]

It also shows their mutual respect when hecwould not answer. She made it clear he was not answering but knew when to let it go.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@patriciamooney928 total agreement. We were working to have her on our show, it would have been a fascinating conversation.

[@ElizabethW62]

Thank you for posting this, Don. RIP Barbara Walters. 💔

[@Chronograph71]

Wow! That was a great interview!!!

[@purplefuku]

What a nice bonus over here! I’m really glad the official channel is going so well, too. Thanks for everything you do, Don!

[@roberts1572]

Only took an icon to die to post this. RIP

[@KokoTheGorilla69]

@@roberts1572 Dave is still alive

[@kenlieck7756]

@@KokoTheGorilla69 Barbara Walters was the icon. Dave is an *acorn.* With luck by watching this I'll learn what kind of tree he wants to be...

[@dansoto1332]

I have been thinking for a long time that this channel could continue to release long form archival releases. The complete Jay Leno, Sandra Bernhard, Andy Kaufman, SCTV, etc. are examples. And the official channel could focus on original content - the new interviews with writers or celebrities remembering their favorite moments - and shorter clips with single appearances or "shorts" for those who just want to dip a toe in. The fact that the complete Viewer Mail went unreleased still haunts me. Either way, thank you Don for all the hours of inspiration that do remain available.

[@dongiller]

Thanks so much, Dan. Not my call, obviously.

[@mrbannon0]

Outstanding, Don!

[@NevadaBoss]

Thanks for posting this Don. Was just remembering how BW was among the final Top 10 presenters on the last Late Show. She was one of those rare media stars who Dave seemed to actually respect. rip.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

She was always extended family to Dave & Company in many respects.

[@tropicten]

This was interesting timing by Dave since it was four months before Johnny’s retirement. A shot across the bow at NBC telling them that he wasn’t happy with his current situation. And a message to competitors that he was interested in talking.

[@corinneripenburg7574]

Love you Barbara ❣️ RIP so happy to see this piece of time with you. ❤️🌞

[@actownsend7288]

The Greatest Talk Show Host!!! Love you David Letterman!!!

[@deew7014]

Had a major crush on him for ever .

[@murraysampson2501]

First time seeing this… what a great interview. Thanks Don.

[@antlerking69]

Thank you Don

[@gecafe]

So happy to see a new old upload from you. Thanks, Don ❤

[@worldmikel]

There certainly was professional courtesy on display. No tears. Great you kept all this stuff! They should give you a wing in the Smithsonian and the Radio/TV Museum.

[@andyinoregon]

Thanks for this memorial of sorts to Barbara Walters and her interviewing skills. I must admit it's now hard for me to listen to her without immediately thinking of Cheri Oteri's brilliant vocal impression on SNL. The one aspect of Dave's "Late Night" show that I wished they would have discussed was how it showcased new musical talent months and even years earlier than the competition.

[@MichaelLasotaTW]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Cerph]

Great interview- they were both at their best.

[@JCO2002]

Many thanks, Don.

[@KokoTheGorilla69]

Happy New Year Don! Thanks for all the great videos over the years

[@singlesideman]

What a remarkable moment. A comparative puff piece for Baba Wawa, yet it was clear that she was deeply honored to have been welcomed into Dave's fold, and the same was true for Dave, who had to admit that when it came to interviewing people at least, he was no Barbara Walters. Farewell to Barbara. Such a brilliant trailblazer who became so successful that she was mercilessly parodied by so many, especially Gilda Radner, and at a time when hard boiled news women were still quite rare. Then again, there's Dorothy Kilgallen, but that an entirely different story...

[@kenlieck7756]

Are you suggesting that Walters' passing was a CIA assassination? (Not serious!)

[@singlesideman]

@@kenlieck7756 I certainly hope not!

[@deputay]

Go get em, Don!

[@calebnhouston]

Ty man, keep it up please

[@dongiller]

Likely a one-off.

[@jonnyc1103]

Great pull !!!

[@catherinegigliotti1368]

Nice to take trips down memory lane with Barbara

[@patriciamooney928]

This is the Barbara Walters I remember. Not that round table nonsense she did.

[@MrEvans1973]

What kind words for Merrill.

[@imtheman4805]

“The Tonight Show” ceased to exist when Carson retired. Sure the name was still there but very few people considered the content level comparable to the “Carson” show. Nowadays it’s just considered another late night talk show. I say this to say I believe Letterman was far better off to have kept his show and moved to CBS.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

We have talked extensively about this point on our show. Total agreement with you. Dave walked into a continuation of ‘The Carson Deal’ when he went to CBS; he would not have had that at NBC…ownership is one of the things that made both Carson and Letterman the mavericks they were in many respects.

[@dongiller]

He should have taken the offer from Current TV.

[@tropicten]

Bill Carter talks about this point a lot in his two books. Lettermen eventually and painfully accepted this fact, gave up his dream to host the Tonight Show, and left NBC. Conan wasn’t able to see it as anything other than Johnny’s show. So he took a bad deal with NBC in 2004 and that ended poorly for him six years later.

[@Bill_Woo]

And Don once again hits it out of the park. BTW I always felt Dave was 20 or 30 points higher in IQ than Leno but this clearly shows that I undershot.

[@photomanwilliams4147]

Fun seeing this interview of No I'm not mad with Jay, No, I'm not angry with NBC for not giving me the Tonight Show job, Fast forward a few years to later conversations. LOL one of his all time funny quips after the "Late Night Wars" Dave said no I wasn't tempted to set fire to NBC......You all know how I hate standing in line!

[@dongiller]

He said something quite similar to that to Johnny the year before, in 1991, after NBC announced that Jay would taking over the Tonight Show afterJohnny’s final show.

[@photomanwilliams4147]

@@dongiller It's a funny line, and Dave is really good at delivering a pre-planned line, making seem off the cuff remark.

[@tbarton00]

Hey Don! Curious if we can get a super cut of the different post-credits Worldwide Pants logo tags, either here or on the official channel. Thanks for all the entertainment!

[@dongiller]

I’m certainly unable to do that anymore, so it’d be in their hands. Honestly, I doubt they’d be interested; that’s a “Don” thing, not a “Pants.”

[@PerryCuda]

4:48 I like how Dave is so comfortable in being much taller, that Barbara's considerable effort to appear higher doesn't put him off. Hollywood actors and divas wouldn't be so kind to this arrangement.

[@Van-..-z._-_z.-._-._.-z.]

i love your vidoes

[@craigfazekas3923]

"Baba Wawa"- thank you Gilda ❣❣❣❣ 🚬😎

[@dirkdiggler2052]

@18:55 David is clearly negotiating his next move with the statements.

[@sadler76]

Hi. Is there any possibility that you posted a clip of Twiggy appearing on Letterman's show back in 1983?

[@dongiller]

I had planned to, but no longer possible.

[@rustyrobinson8027]

Barbara Walters died today RIP 😥

[@victorbrown1316]

R.I.P Barbara Walters 👑👑👑👑.

[@LB-sx3lj]

what’s next for babs? you guessed it - frank stallone

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Letterman obviously lies about not asking guests about drinking problems and so on and so forth. Letterman is right about people not being able to take a joke on their behalf though, about their ties or socks or something on their person. However, I do like the philosophy that Rickles had more. If a heckle is done without the intention to hurt somebody, then it can be done and come across with warmth.

[@BearbearbearbearbearbearRarrrr]

Saint Don.

[@rocketRobScott]

Michael Shannon should play Dave in the bio-pic.

[@michaelbirke6050]

Interesting.

[@johnhenninger1980]

she didnt get the goldie hahn reference

[@chickenringNYC]

We miss you Don. I for one think the new way is unfair.

[@beam-kitty8425]

What changed?

[@beam-kitty8425]

What new way? I missed something I guess.

[@alwaysthelasttoknow8107]

@@beam-kitty8425 I think what's being referred to is the new Letterman Channel that has since overshadowed Don's. www.youtube.com/@Letterman I'm pretty sure Don is heavily involved with that effort.

[@beam-kitty8425]

@@alwaysthelasttoknow8107 Oh, OK, thanks. I didn’t realize Don was losing ground, I watch both of them now.

[@jashdown1234]

Didn’t Barbara Walters agree to appearances on Dave’s show with the condition that they were not to be rerun? I found that an odd stipulation.

[@dongiller]

That’s true, at least as it applied to Late Night. It evidently didn’t to Late Show. Her very first two guest appearances on LS were repeated. I stopped researching from there.

[@cortneyperfume_madness480]

Isn't this 1994 or 95?

[@dongiller]

Nobody reads my descriptions.

[@beam-kitty8425]

@@dongiller 🤣🤣🤣

[@keefriff99]

I assumed it was later than 1992 because they showed a still of the infamous Madonna interview, which was several years later.

[@dongiller]

@@keefriff99 I assumed folks read the description.

[@cortneyperfume_madness480]

@@dongiller sorry. No I never read directions in school either. A little ADHD.

[@dtonesmith766]

At 2:50 they show Dave's stalker... Its sad that she killed herself a couple of years later. I never understood why she had such a crazy obsession on him.😔 I mean.. if she had stalked Tom Snyder i would have understood 😁. Thanks Don

[@edub9930]

It finally dawned on me why Dave was so great, he wasn't a kiss a**. Today's hosts are unbearable to watch & have their lips puckered up before the guests even walk in the building.

[@chickenhappy3607]

He could easily have been a nobody if Carson hadn't given him the Late Night

[@katstevens8266]

TY