Dave Sends His Audience To Conan O'Brien's Show | Letterman

[@GalenBomster]

It reminds me when, on the night of Dave's last show, Conan said to the TV audience, "Tonight is David Letterman's last show. 35 minutes into this show, I'm going to tell you to turn off our show and go watch Dave's last show when it starts." Sure enough, he did it. It was a nice show of respect.

[@kowalski5599]

"Alright, record us! Turn to Dave! Switch to Dave!... okay, they're gone. All 7 of my viewers are gone. Now we can do whatever we want." - Conan & Patton Oswalt.

[@KyleWuzHere17TV]

I was 16 watching Conan that night and I’ll never forget. I watched Dave’s show for the first time and died laughing at all the old clips they showed and it got me hooked. Conan is a class act for putting younger people on to Dave’s work. My favorite song is Everlong because of how great it was cut with a montage at the end of the final show

[@dougherendeen3241]

I know someone who was working as a page on Conan's show in the early days. They'd be sent down to the street in front of 30 Rock to beg people to take tickets for the show. Dave was a class act doing this. He helped him more than NBC ever did in those days

[@genghiscan2918]

Doesn't take much though, NBC was only renewing Late Night with Conan for 2 weeks at a time.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Definitely. And him guesting on Conan’s show was a class act move that gave Conan legitimacy

[@FredLord-sp4ym]

I know, right? Dave promoted Conan's NBC show which competed against "The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder" on CBS .

[@paulferranti8536]

Dave knew real talent and comedy….he had met Conan and like him….

[@RFToob]

My wife and I were visiting Times Square once, and we got two free tickets to Letterman. It was the one with Ben Stiller and Elvis Costello. We are sitting upfront - right in front of Paul and the band! Dave came out before the show while still getting ready and made everyone feel welcome and laugh etc. . He was his own warm-up act. He and his staff were so gracious and I’ll never forget how terrifically lucky we felt to be there in the Ed Sullivan room. It was a magical night. Thank you Dave!

[@dustinprewitt]

it really does show how generous Letterman is and how much he wanted Conan to succeed

[@1MeanBean]

Conan got more support and love from Letterman than Conan ever got from that backstabber Jay Leno. That’s probably why Dave and Conan were more friendly with each other since they both got screwed over by Jay Leno for the Tonight Show.

[@davegofstein801]

I loved Paul and the band playing Conan's theme!

[@1jamyc]

And at 2:00 the played "Stand" - lol

[@terrellcarey6178]

Dave and Conan in the same day for me would have been the best day ever.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

THIS is the stuff we love. So fun to see them all screwing around. We would love to talk to anyone in that audience.

[@Warzau]

Two greatest Late Night host after Carson. Won’t ever see anything like this again. Glad I was able to see them both nightly.

[@Lostmymind1]

The sad part is, there are people who will see you write "Carson", and think you mean "Carson Daly". As generations pass, even the greats are lost to time. We must realize that we're only here for the moment. In 100 years, nobody will know who we were.

[@FanboyFilms]

Very interesting to hear the CBS Orchestra doing a version of Conan's NBC Late Night theme.

[@keefriff99]

Haha, Dave’s genuine disgruntlement with what he considers a botched comedy segment ends up saving the whole thing and making it great in the end.

[@brushwoodthicket]

They’re lousy lobby-dwellers! 😄

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

This is the real Dave he knows they're a bunch of ingrates and lets em have it lol

[@grapesofwraith1066]

The last visual gag with Conan also having the flying rat is great!

[@garypaquin9571]

That was a dangerous comedy bit. It could have gone sour multiple times. Dave never got the credit he deserved for his improvisation skills. It all went quite well.

[@hankkingsley9300]

Dave always took a risk and more often than not succeeded

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Dave's improv skills saved the day on any number of bits over the years. It could sometimes go unnoticed because it often took the form of him pretending he didn't like the bit either, or that the bit was always meant to be a parody of itself, if the audience wasn't going for it. But that was the instinct of an exceptional improviser on display, reading the audience and breaking in a different direction without missing a beat.

[@Mrcandles312]

This was absolutely Dave at his best. I laughed every time he said Gunthar with such disdain

[@michelchartrand3719]

Considering his name was "Mike" I think it's so much funnier.

[@FredLord-sp4ym]

This was hysterical! Dave really helped Conan by promoting his NBC show on CBS! Dave was a peach. LOL. Thanks for sharing.

[@bigjilms]

letterman showed so much grace and kindness to conan. it's very sweet of him

[@bmla88]

Dave was so kind to Conan

[@DissertatingMedieval]

I suspect he saw it as his reponsibility to pay forward all the mentorship Carson gave him.

[@bmla88]

@@DissertatingMedieval i agree 100%

[@Navportxl]

Lmao. 2:05 Chris Eliot cuts off the disabled lady. What a great look 😳

[@TomJrJackson]

There ia nothing more I enjoy than to see classic Letterman segments or even those new little videos Dave does once in a while.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

The effort Dave put into supporting Conan in the early days (and then also at the end of Conan's eventual NBC debacle) really was pure class. I was too young to enjoy Dave on NBC in its own time, but I was definitely part of the legion of kids who aged into late night TV in the '90s and would watch Dave on CBS and then Conan on NBC. I was that kid who memorized jokes from my many comedy heroes and tried to fit them into school situations wherever possible because I was A Student of Comedy.™ Figuring out the ways Dave and Conan were cut from similar cloth with the joy they took in filling your screen with absolute mayhem, yet also put their own personal spin on absurdist comedy-Conan always so earnestly committed to the bit while only allowing himself the occasional aside to acknowledge the madness, Dave always ready to jump out of the bit as if it were on fire and join you in mocking it at a moment's notice-made me think I was pretty astute when I was in middle school. It was only later that I fully understood and appreciated how much Dave had done to make sure Conan was still there for me to enjoy a few years later.

[@JohnPasator]

I made it as the last available seat at a Letterman show at CBS. WAS A GREAT TIME,

[@ylette]

Chris Elliott was great in this sketch.

[@chrismofer]

Loved his work in cabin boy

[@ALIAN18]

Hey you wanna buy a monkey?

[@rhuephus]

yeah ... the makeup artist did a great job making him look like a hot black chick

[@dimitreze]

they weren't pleased at all with the decision to watch Conan hahahahaha

[@TRJ2241987]

Conan was very close to cancellation around this time

[@markjackson6431]

@@TRJ2241987this was mid 1995 by this time, Conan was no longer in danger of being cancelled. oooo how misinformation starts.

[@cianfurlong6336]

Ah amazing crossover. I hope Conan can post their side of it.

[@wmhfanatic]

I don't think Conan used that take in his episode

[@tamerahedman2279]

He did!

[@jnuval]

I hope Conan's team can upload the version from his show of this same night.

[@johndavis3921]

Dave and Conan ought to come together and merge these two episodes on their respective channels.

[@rockhills]

I could be mistaken but I don't think Conan owns any of his NBC content. The characters and things they created there they couldn't take to TBS.

[@johnsjohnson448]

@@rockhills I thought he got control of the old footage because he ran highlights on his TBS show.

[@ragnarokangaroo]

He owns the Late Night era stuff, just not the Tonight Show stuff.

[@outsidethewaxbox]

@@ragnarokangaroo I didn’t realize he didn’t own any footage from the “Tonight” era. That’s too bad, but perhaps he isn’t at all interested in that era anyway.

[@0Aberration]

@@outsidethewaxbox The Tonight Show stuff really wasn't Conan's strongest work. The only stuff I'd really be interested in rewatching would be the first week, and everything after the point where Conan goes scorched earth because Jay's return is a foregone conclusion.

[@JayRock21122]

Love Dave, Love Conan, Love You.

[@troylowe814]

Dave is a class act. This was beautiful.

[@petercook360]

Conan had been hosting Late Night for less than two years at this point and was virtually unknown prior to that. Even though he had replaced Letterman on Late Night, I wouldn't be surprised if some of Letterman's audience didn't even know who he was at this time.

[@markgodwin8945]

wow

[@TheLadsBandLive]

Love that old Conan Late Night theme song.

[@hamsandwichson]

Hearing Paul and the band play the Conan theme is pretty darn cool.

[@thomascunningham2919]

It really was a wonderful showing of respect.

[@nomnom112]

They played it wrong though

[@louisrios5546]

I got to see Dave's NBC show via standby in 1984. My friend and I sat in a line near the gift shop inside 30 Rock from about 7 am until 5 pm. Still a great memory.

[@rishoutfield2043]

Who were the guests, Louis?

[@louisrios5546]

@@rishoutfield2043 May 1984, Willie Nelson was the main guest, plus a science experiment guy.

[@JackF99]

Wow! I had no idea took that kind of dedication to get into the audience!

[@pattitironi2716]

"Chris, I enjoyed you in Cabin Boy." Genius

[@3rdDimensionV4U]

2:32 "Chris I enjoyed you in Cabin Boy." Andy Richter was also in Cabin Boy.

[@RayChiTown]

So was David Letterman!

[@3rdDimensionV4U]

@@RayChiTown "Hey, would you like to buy a monkey?" (That's one of Dave's lines in Cabin Boy.)

[@grasmereguy5116]

@@RayChiTown He was the crusty old salt. I actually went to see "Cabin Boy" in the theater -- TWICE! (I was the one.) But I haven't seen it ever again since then.

[@dlxmarks]

"Would you like to buy a monkey?"

[@markjones952]

I watched every episode on CBS for the first 4 years. I don't remember this at all. I'm getting old.

[@dwaynesisto5185]

Me and you both

[@HOTD108_]

You and I both.

[@mhmrules]

First thing I thought when I saw the one guy not letting go of Dave's hand: UNGRATEFUL!

[@andreaskohaus9909]

I wonder if Günther has been seeing this clip on KZbin. Back in the days the Late Show was Letterman’s first regular appearance on German TV thanks to RTL2. It was an absolute blast every night! Best regards from Germany!

[@i_stole_jimins_jamzzz6534]

“they dont deserve conan obrien” THEY REALLY DONT😭😭

[@yashaleo7]

“We want to stay here”!! WTH is with these people!! Enjoy the bit! 😂🤣😂

[@tamerahedman2279]

We didn't know anything about what was going on. But let me tell you it was the best time!

[@thefunshow2024]

Chris Elliott gives a great handshake!

[@johnsjohnson448]

Dave always supported Conan and CBS never seemed to be uptight about these things like NBC typically would. At leaset in Public. LOL. Dave was always Classy and brililant which made him one of the true greats in Late Night.

[@SpottedSharks]

Like Johnny, Dave was a class act.

[@robberyexpert]

best part about this is that Dave doesn't realize its the end of the show. Hes like "oh its the end of the show?? oh ok, goodnight everyone!"

[@AntonioThunderbottom]

Dave was salty that night 🤣 hahaha

[@022171]

"Mike" becomes "Gunthar" for the rest of the show. Miss you, Dave.

[@kstepko]

It would be great if Conan will share the corresponding clip on his channel!

[@Lostmymind1]

He may not have the rights to it. I don't know. It's part of his time at NBC, and I know he has some stuff put on his channel from that time period, but my understanding is that NBC owns it. So he would have to get permission from NBC, which may or may not be possible. I don't know why some stuff from NBC days is ok, and some of it isn't.

[@tompetroff]

Dave was the true king of late night

[@KaneRobot]

Nope

[@d.e.7467]

Johnny Carson is. I prefer Dave. Dave learned a lot from Carson.

[@VillemarMxO]

"Chris I enjoyed you in Cabin Boy" 🤣🤣

[@davidluchsinger7377]

Just neat to see this kind of history.

[@Nitephall]

Dave was a spaz in this episode 😆

[@andyborehol]

Now I want to see Tom Snyder’s interview with Norm Crosby.

[@keppela1]

Ha, just a random slice of silliness.

[@teeveeparty]

Highlight is seeing a young Jeff Ross!

[@23kc]

2:03 dude went from playing cool and unimpressed to overtaking others in the line in a matter of 10 seconds 💀

[@johnh3]

Dave at his best. Only he could make something out of that

[@jkhoover]

To be fair, he did it by mocking the people.

[@johnh3]

@@jkhoover Most comedians do unfortunately.

[@pittgrad99]

everyone in the late show audience, "where's our drinks?"

[@michaelavolio]

2:32 "Chris, I enjoyed you in Cabin Boy." I think Letterman's cameo in Cabin Boy is the only time he was in a movie where he didn't play himself. Haha

[@PsychoGallagher]

After the taping of Conan's show the stand-by audience went to the streets of NY to perform a legendary breakdance choreography for Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" music video.

[@jjryan1352]

Perfection. 👌👍

[@thefantasyreview8709]

hah hah! Torrence dance troupe multiverse.

[@guitaristssuck8979]

I think that was 3 years after

[@jeffreyoldham55]

That there's some quality TV...yesiree, boy howdy!

[@SkageXL5]

I think this was the first episode of Letterman I ever saw, or an early one at least. We didn't get Conan in the UK, which is so insane as it was VERY clearly made only for *me*, so I didn't really understand what Dave was doing here!

[@hankkingsley9300]

You're just a youth if you don't remember Dave's daytime show

[@bodyslamhimjeff]

The quiet guitar playing while the standby audience came up to see Dave? Sly & the Family Stone, “Stand”. Paul and the band always had the best appropriate music gags. Just another cherry on top of Dave’s 20-layer cake.

[@nick3221]

No one asked.

[@ineedausernamenow999]

Well I’m happy to know. I love the CBSO

[@TrumbullComic]

I had no idea they did this. Very cool bit.

[@tamerahedman2279]

It was me 😁 and my sister and friend and Mike from Germany

[@GregCurtin45]

I'm just here for the flying rat.

[@stonewallperformance]

I wonder, did Conan do a follow up segment on his show from his perspective?

[@kingofmadprops]

The part about the people invited to two parties is TRUE!! I’ve seen that happen.

[@AshokBhalla]

So great!

[@jk12955]

Tom Snyder and Norm Crosby. Can't go wrong there.

[@andrewblumhagen9263]

Anybody have a link to the Conan taping of this?

[@strudelninja]

Now I want to see the corresponding Conan bit

[@mikeandstony]

Those German tourists had the time of their freakin lives

[@tallskeleton]

Literally

[@MichaelKaufman0]

Dave did an uncredited cameo in the movie Cabin Boy

[@ianobrien3248]

Saw him 2x. With tickets and never had to stand in the rain.

[@blankey5886]

START THE MUSIC AGAIN PAUL!

[@sivabliss]

Is there a version available from the point of view of the Conan O'Brien show?

[@MaineOffGrid.]

I miss the 90’s

[@snowdog03]

That was Waldo. 😎

[@iHeartsNostalgiaPit]

god I hope Conan recorded this part

[@roscoejones4515]

Haha, the black dude wasn't buying it! Dave had to give him a shove.🤣

[@benjaminherendeen]

That’s not Chris Elliott. It’s Jim Gaffigan.

[@caseyinmi1315]

nice one . . . that’s their love child

[@sstaners1234]

They should have done one where the standby audience go with Matt Damon to the Jimmy Kimmel show.

[@rad4924]

Conan was the true heir to Dave, in the same way that Dave was the true heir to Johnny Carson.

[@rockerseven]

That Chris Elliott look-alike totally cut in front of that woman lol

[@tamerahedman2279]

Hi y'all that was me by mike😊

[@MichaelKaufman0]

I want to see the clip from the Conan show

[@dwaynesisto5185]

I'm sure Leno was going WTF?

[@EtoCobra]

Conan did some sketches with Leno in the 90s, one of them was Abe Vigoda assaulting Leno with pepper spray

[@svartiske3283]

The original Twitch Raid

[@justincoleman3805]

They got to meet Andy Richter! And smell La Bamba!

[@NewYork-tk5ry]

saw dave at NBC and CBS. 30 rock is so cool. The procedure at the CBS show was pretty bad. They line you up like cattle in a dank garage-like area b4 finally getting into the theatre.

[@cdeschrevel5341]

How convenient that a German was appointed to arrange this, they are the best people to pull that one off

[@jimschleich8753]

I miss Tom Snyder and his chuckle. We'll be right back after this. And one day right back never comes.

[@thomasfoley1699]

Is there a Late Night with Conan version of this? Lol

[@HumblyArtsy]

I’m interested in the monologue and jokes for this episode, could you upload this full episode? If you could

[@derrickrouse8565]

Hi Andy

[@jayrudin6441]

Jay Rudin 1 second ago Im sure I’m just confused about the timeline so set me straight. Was Dave at CBS at the Ed Sullivan theater at this time? And Conan was at NBC? Was Tom Snyder ever on CBS? Why did Dave tease the Tom’s show at the end there. Like I say, I’m sure I’m just confused. Maybe Tom WAS on CBS?

[@JustForSneaksEnt]

Tom Snyder hosted the first incarnation of The Late Late Show on CBS at 12:30 AM, before James Cordin, Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn hosted it afterwards. The Late Show with David Letterman has always been taped and broadcasted from the Ed Sullivan Theater. Also, Letterman was telling his viewers to stay tuned for The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder when his show ended for the night and even Jay Leno has done the same thing by telling his viewers to stay tuned for Late Night with Conan O'Brien when the episode of The Tonight Show ended for the night.

[@jackeppington6488]

Tom Synder was part of another Dave standby audience before doing his own show. Apparently, Dave wanted the original standby audience to go to Snyder's show to keep the bit going. But Tom refused, screaming "I hate live audiences! I hate Rona Barrett! I hate ranch dressing!" Or words to that effect. I'm not sure.

[@ntdscherer]

Eh, Mike, Guntar, close enough.

[@rhuephus]

the makeup artist did a great job making Chris Elliot look like a hot black chick

[@MerkinMuffly]

Lol, they're so upset, wtf is Conan, lol

[@Jamiechanrunsfar]

Tourists are so awkward 🤣

[@plaws0]

Back when Dave was still doing the old show but at CBS ... Not sure when that ended? The bypass surgery? Before that?

[@the406seadonkey6]

I believe his bypass surgery was well before this bit, so I don't think that's it.

[@MrEvans1973]

This is long before the heart surgery.

[@the406seadonkey6]

@@MrEvans1973 Yep I was definitely wrong. The memory is an odd thing. Thanks for clarifying.

[@murrynathan]

Such a shame we lost Dave. Wonder what his commentary would be on the state of things today?

[@MattTee1975]

What?

[@mdogzino]

I mean you still get to see him on Netflix

[@DaRealCheeseboy]

Hey. Do you think Dave is dead?

[@kurtispopp]

He was my favorite member of the Monkees. He will be missed. Wait that was Mike Nesmith. Dave is still alive I think.

[@murrynathan]

@@DaRealCheeseboy I ain’t sure who that pinheaded in the beard is, but that ain’t Dave!