Viewer Mail on Letterman, July 17, 1987

[@moweiss2]

A friend just passed this clip on to me. I am the writer of letter number 3 (about Biff Henderson!). Over 30 years later, still one of my proudest moments.

[@dongiller]

That's great! Congratulations!

[@crs290]

Still waiting on the green light from the GE brass.

[@sk8terboi10003]

You mean the mail bag is fake:(

[@jjryan1352]

I was hoping they would make a murder mystery show about Biff going after Crispin Glover.

[@danielhurley2894]

It was Letter #4, Michael. P.S. I'm from Minneapolis.

[@Soxruleyanksdrool]

The confetti machine, the fountains, the thrill cam....I remember these. When Letterman was on NBC it was the best show ever.

[@DinoHF79]

Don't forget the swimming pool!

[@kjkiefcakes1847]

A giant bunny and a conquistador spray painting broccoli silver.

[@Scott__C]

The Giant Doorknob: It's just plain big.

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Don, I want to personally thank you. Due to my severe PTSD, on the recommendation of my wife I stopped watching news and politically based programs and instead watched comedy programs especially from my childhood and teenage years to begin to relearn and integrate my mental and emotional response. I did, and your videos have been one of the richest sources of material I could hope to find. I have for the first time in years, learned to laugh again and it has humanized me in ways I cannot even begin to express. THANK YOU.

[@dongiller]

"Appreciative" doesn't adequately express how kind you are to post this. Thank you so much.

[@jjryan1352]

Good call. The current late night shows integrate loyal seal mental responses.

[@charold3]

Interesting, finnebert, and best of luck. I'm afraid a lot of people (left, right, whatever) get into a vicious cycle of political gaming that is destructive personally and socially. Not that we should ignore politics--the viability of our democracy demands that we pay attention. But it can bend a person out of shape, make him/her less human. I understand how old Dave clips can be what the dr ordered!

[@tna_handyandy5173]

Way to go Don! Great to hear that you've made a solid adjustment for your well being, finnibert. Hang tough.

[@ChrisAthanas]

Same here

[@newfunsandwich6634]

Thanks so much, Don. My favorite bits from the 80s are when the jokes really bomb, the audience dead silent, or something goes awry, and how Dave reacts to that. That's when you catch him at his sharpest and most self-deprecating.

[@rachelcarson7019]

New Fun Sandwich that’s why he’s the King! Next to Johnny of course 😁

[@alevine1951]

This was an excellent segment - sort of a microcosm of why we loved and miss Late Night w Dave, and what sets it apart from anything before or since. Lots of moments and playfulness, with Garr and Zevon waiting in the green room!

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Sadly, we didn't get to see those 2 of Dave's all-time favorite guests!

[@Rwrtnbf]

If pretty much any other show experienced all the problems and flubs we saw in this video and many other segments, I’d be thinking, “What kind of amateur hour crap is this?” Somehow, on the Letterman show, it worked.

[@antoineemory6772]

that guy in tha control rm looks like he has monkey pox an that lady sittin across from dave why is she dressed like 1 of tha supremes

[@johncornell3665]

Excellent, excellent. So glad you put these on. Thanks Dave!

[@mubd1234]

Oh man this is HILARIOUS!!! Dave's increasing agony at all the technical screw ups, culminating with his pleas for help in the background at around 13:20 is just too funny. You can also hear him exploding at the staff when the tape freezes if you listen closely.

[@jdime562]

I was 18 years old when this was on. I watched every episode and viewer mail was my favorite. 18 years old!!!!! Got damn time fuking flies. Makes me sad. Those were the days. 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TS-qq7vr]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/noOtd6mqq7l6e80

[@krisscanlon4051]

Those first 5 years of DL were so good and rarefied

[@NecroticCadaver]

I love when things "fall apart." This is comedic gold!

[@jamessmithe5490]

Loved Dave saying, "you didn't hear anything about the writers going out too did you?"

[@56postoffice]

UK viewer here. I read about these strikes, most notably the 2007-08 strikes, and it's weird because in 1987 our former national breakfast show *TV-AM* staff went on strke. Instead of the regular show, which was ran by inexperienced office staff (it showed!) ran reruns of Adam West's *Batman,* which ended up being more popular than the original show!!

[@mikeharpist]

My sides hurt from laughing. When the goin’ gets tough, Dave gets silly! I’m remembering why Dave always blew my mind.

[@redshiftexperiment]

"We are going to be watchin some grainy video tape of the new monster trucks" .. Wow genius!

[@spngwrt]

Thanks, Cousin Daaave!

[@redshiftexperiment]

@@spngwrt ahh that lady can turn a trailer into paradise!

[@billbillings913]

13:13 That Glare from Dave :) Thanks Don for posting this gem!

[@HeyMySock]

It's so nice to see the occasional rehearsal.

[@MrFg1980]

God I wish TV was like this still.

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Daves moaning in the background is so authentic lol

[@Msaprilconquest]

Sid, Anton, & Will: the World's Most Dangerous band! Lucky enough to meet them once in a hotel bar in Mansfield, MA. Got autographs, too!

[@dongiller]

Do you remember when and why they were there?

[@Msaprilconquest]

@@dongiller It was the late 80's or early 90's probably. We have a venue in Mansfield called "Great Woods" (now the Xfinity Center), & it's possible they were there. My friend took a pic of Paul, so he was at the hotel I guess but not in the bar. Will was wearing a shirt with little bananas on it. I had quite the crush on him!

[@JamieTheBangles11Fan]

Letterman was the best at turning a "$hi! Storm into a good laugh.

[@_PrimetimePranks]

“Come by the house , we’ll watch Arena Football.”

[@npxmnpxm]

At 10:12, Dave must be referring to this (NYT August 9, 1987, Section 1, Page 20): "The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday revoked the certificate of a Delta Air Lines captain who mistakenly shut off both engines of his jet airliner shortly after takeoff, causing the plane to plunge to within 500 feet of the Pacific Ocean."

[@povertyspec9651]

Yes, that was what he was referring to.

[@NPRMc]

It’s a train wreck of pure gold!

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

Train Wreck of Pure Gold. I could repeat that.

[@johnpelletier7641]

"Thanks, Cousin Dave."

[@i.p.knightly149]

Is that one of the B-52s girls?

[@mock61921]

Rudy Giuliani approved this joke.

[@untexan]

There were so many technical flubs during that strike, and knowing how much Dave loved to have fun with the process of making TV, I always wondered if at least some of these glitches were planned.

[@dongiller]

From Dave’s reactions and disgust, none.

[@bobstroud9118]

Hello Don from N.E.Ohio Bob. This vid was recomended for me on the you tube, and I got a kick out of seeing your name at the end. 1987 was a Very Good year for me. H ad a real good time watching Dave at his best. Hope you are well, and I'll be watching! I do have one you tube thing that I made about my two handled snow shovel called "Rod's Driveway". Give it a view for a laugh! bob

[@dongiller]

Bob!! Great to hear from you. Get yourself onto facebook and join our afl, which is alive and well over there. What's the link to your clip?

[@larryfine88]

no email back then, real mail.

[@DavidBerlinguette]

Thanks cousin Dave

[@kdpflush]

The cue card guy mentioned at the beginning, Kevin Kay, went on to become a network executive.

[@gastonave]

Late Night with David Letterman was the first TV show that ever actually made me laugh.

[@ibidesign]

The strike made for some damn funny television though.

[@LivLaRaj]

The night it aired, was on the floor by the time Sid kept scratching his head....

[@crashburn3292]

1987 Back when people wrote letters.

[@1SqueakyWheel]

Oh no!! The video ended right before Terri Garr. She was always the best part! 😁 I do miss this era of Dave. Enjoying these strolls down memory lane!

[@dongiller]

There’s a 5-part compilation of every Teri Garr appearance on Dave elsewhere on this YT channel.

[@storky1]

brilliant top ten

[@josephfalco3141]

"thanks cousin Dave"

[@CW-le8wc]

I wrote a letter to Dave back in '88 or '89 that was really thinly a veiled "Letter to Casey". Low and behold some 6 months later I saw a a viewer mail segment that was almost identical to my letter, but from "someone else". Hell, Casey Kasem even came on the show and responded. I assume they needed to rework it a bit to be funnier. Hey Don, do you remember (or better yet have) that segment?

[@realemetic1]

LOL My God that was a train wreck! Which is usually when Dave was most hilarious!

[@kevinronske9894]

The best years were with Chris Elliott.Went to work drowsy at the grocery store,but it was worth it during the 80s

[@thealaskan1635]

thanks cousin Dave -proof NBC are pinheads picking Leno

[@TANTRUMGASM]

Thanks cousin Don

[@Memo2Self]

I think one of those "GE Executives" is played by Steve Young, who became head writer on the show, and is also the focus of the wonderful new documentary "Bathtubs Over Broadway." Even if it's not him, GO SEE HIS MOVIE!

[@dongiller]

That was Steve O’Donnell, who was the show’s head writer. Steve Young hadn’t joined the writing staff until 1990, and he was never Head Writer. Not so coincidentally, Steve O. appears briefly at the end of BOB, walking down steps with others during the final musical number. And I couldn’t agree more: BOB is an outstanding piece of work and deserves all the praise it’s so far received.

[@dongiller]

More trivia: When Steve Young was hired in 1990, Steve O'Donnell asked him to take over the task of finding material for "Dave's Record Collection," which had been Jeff Martin's responsibility until he left months earlier. It was when Steve Young began this new task when he first came upon the Industrial Musical LPs, and a new obsession was thereby born. It all came about from this chain of events. (info from both Steve O. and Steve Y.)

[@Memo2Self]

@@dongiller Thanks, Don - I met Steve Young at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham this past August and got to spent nearly a half hour with him talking about the film and his book. I'm happy to be corrected!

[@dongiller]

Glad you got to spend so much time with him. He's a great guy.

[@tjkinsella1111]

@@dongiller Love me some Steve O'Donnell! And I thought that was him playing one of the NBC execs. He can be seen behind the camera occasionally on Norm MacDonald Live episodes. Thank you again Sir Don for sharing your unparralleled archive of Letterman. This comedy/Letterman nerd truly appreciates it. Question, when (and if time permits why) did you first realize you had to start videotaping the show? The NBC Morning Show, Day 1? Was it Beta? One more thing, this tape is the perfect example of why Letterman rules. It truly encapsulates why Late Night was revolutionary. I hadn't seen it until now. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

The Tim Brown that wrote the letter from the Wood County Republicans is the first openly gay republican elected to the Ohio State legislature.

[@tonysnark1530]

I wanna hear Zevon.

[@dongiller]

That’s here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3KbmnuIg71lm8k

[@plaws0]

Hot town, summer in the city. Boy I miss this kind of shenanigans ... I mean, assuming it was *actual* shenanigans an not *strike-related* shenanigans.

[@edbennett4467]

I wish Dave never stop the show it was a great show and funny

[@otisdriftwood1697]

THAT PAUSE actually enhanced the joke !! Perfectly !!!

[@otisdriftwood1697]

1,000 times more funnier when everything goes ssoouutthh

[@TheMikedngb]

"Thanks cousin Dave!"

[@SigHawk04]

I had no idea that was the same Kevin Kay who became an executive for Viacom.

[@KowankoMusic]

The more loose-bolted this show was, the funnier it got. Nobody turned technical snafus into comedy like Dave.

[@realemetic1]

Don, did you ever get a letter read on Viewer Mail like me and Michael?

[@dongiller]

Never submitted one.

[@Scott__C]

This is great, thanks for posting these. Question if you know: Is that Merrill Markoe or maybe Barbara Gaines with the beehive wig in the segment?

[@dongiller]

Nobody reads my descriptions.

[@Scott__C]

@@dongiller Sorry, in my defense, it was late and I glanced but didn't see the show more.

[@agitatedmongoose]

It doesn't look like either really. But if it has to be one or the other I'd have to say Barbara. And even though Merrill was still with Letterman in 87 from my memory I don't believe she was still head writer or even on the show at that point. I forget.

[@dongiller]

@@agitatedmongoose You didn’t bother to read the description, either.

[@agitatedmongoose]

@@dongiller oh she is bridget Jackson then. Oh okay. Yeah no one really reads any of the descriptions too much. I'll glance at them like I did this. But that's it. Didn't know you were listing every worker. Cool.

[@eddieloius4592]

haha, i love it

[@Shshshshshhshhs]

Is that Steve O’Donnell as one of the executives?

[@dongiller]

Nobody reads my descriptions.

[@Shshshshshhshhs]

@@dongillera simple yes would’ve sufficed but thanks

[@dongiller]

Teach a person to fish and all that.

[@Shshshshshhshhs]

@@dongillerthey say teach a person to fish they’ll eat for life but that’s not healthy living on a purely pescatarian diet Teach a person to microwave chicken nuggets then you've got something

[@AutisticPersona]

This killed me!

[@carriesee8547]

Woozed out?

[@cygnustsp]

Where is harold today?

[@mjproebstle]

9:27 HOLY CRAP!!! IT’S CONAN!!

[@dongiller]

Steve O’Donnell, the show’s head writer.

[@mjproebstle]

@@dongiller ah! thanks for clarifying - kinda looks like a young conan tho? idk

[@dongiller]

mjproebstle Here are both of them in early 1991 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWOoYatsq7l7h5Y

[@chuckyufarley2999]

Lots of people will rave about the music from the 80s. I don't miss it one bit. Most of it was garbage. On the other hand, Dave in the 80s was absolute genius.

[@michaelhaniotes5104]

Well come to palmdale

[@7beers]

Very lukewarm audience reaction to the top 10.

[@trollahole3610]

the waters thing was genius

[@theoldanarchist]

"Off the rails" is right! Damn, they derailed before they even got out of the yard!

[@cygnustsp]

Paul was 37 here

[@ProfessionalDad]

Who was on strike in 1987?

[@dongiller]

In the description.

[@redwinmedia]

Can't remember ever hearing Sid say much of anything really!

[@TS-qq7vr]

What is the thumbnail image?

[@dongiller]

Extracted from this video. Patently obvious if you watched it.

[@Mediaright]

Oh my god. xD

[@johnnyfelcher8156]

Stallone and Nielsen split? When did this happen? They were such a match made in heaven. Who the fuck is Brigitte Nielsen btw?

[@joeymorvant161]

Johnny Felcher She was in "Rocky IV", playing the wife of his opponent, Ivan Drago. She became Stallone's wife in real life.

[@Maya_Pinion]

"Red Sonja".... !

[@mrn13]

Patrick Bateman was taping this

[@helenchappell6502]

If Letterman hadn't retired, Trump would never be president, Dave would have mocked him mercilessly.

[@RicardoAGuitar]

If only the late night hosts would do that today. Oh well, we're stuck in this reality, where all the late night hosts just kiss Trump's butt all day long

[@muckrak3r]

Complete train wreck. Love it

[@BMassey1987]

To think, I would be born in a week.

[@DoritoWorldOrder]

Everyone who enjoyed this show should feel ashamed of themselves.

[@austntexan]

11:30 Ha, Tim Brown actually did end up going into politics. Served 2 terms in Ohio's house. Still part of the GOP too.

[@nitedreamer23]

NBC Dave>CBS Dave. I'm sure this isn't an opinion that's in the minority.

[@LRS905]

Mrs. Letterman is actually very hot, and that soft voice...yumm

[@dongiller]

Her complete compilation here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJyZm5Wcr8aGn5o

[@captainscentsible1811]

Young republicans of ohio, sincerely Alex p. Keaton

[@eidetecker]

"Thanks, Cousin Dave."