Third Anniversary Special on Letterman, January 26, 1985

David Letterman's third anniversary show, taped January 24, 1985, and aired two nights later in SNL's time slot. With Vince McMahon and Bob Costas in two Manhattan hospitals waiting for the first baby born during the show's taping.
The expectant mother, Mary Feury, emailed a friend in 2004 about her experience when her son Sean was born:
We were at NY Hospital on Jan. 24, 1985 and I was in labor when [my husband] John said they were doing "something" on new parents. I told him he could do whatever he wanted, but nobody better come in the labor room. I had been in "false" labor for days.
As it turned out, it was David Letterman's 3rd anniversary show. The first baby to be born at NYH or Lenox Hill Hospital would be the "Late Night Baby." Sean then became the "Late Night Baby" when as they said, "Mrs. Feury is in overdrive and it looks like she will deliver the next baby," John was interviewed by Vince McMahon and a woman came into the delivery room and took a polaroid of Sean and me that was shown at the end of the show.
It was aired two days later during the Saturday Night Live time slot at 11:30 on Saturday. We got calls from people all over the country who saw the show. … Sean won a bunch of gifts, etc.
We were contacted a few months later to see if they could do a show at our house and have Dave babysit Sean, but we said no.* Later, we were told that the show was "international" as it had been sold to British TV. Thus, as Andy Warhol once said, "Everyone has their own 15 minutes of fame." (Or something like that!) I think that was it for John and me. Who knows what will happen with Sean. He surprises us all the time
[end quote]
*The reason they turned down the invite for Dave to babysit a few months later was because their house was in the middle of renovation, with "plastic sheeting, dust, etc. everywhere."
Today Sean is 35.

[@kenimiller3896]

I watched this the night it aired and Bob Costas' line 'meanwhile, the plaintive cries of desperately ill men and women go unheeded' is something I have never forgotten, and to this day, at least a couple of times a year, I find a reason to repeat it!

[@deborahhansen7516]

Yes! I recorded this when it first aired, and that line (and Dave’s delighted reaction) is an all-time favorite!

[@CinemaDemocratica]

I do the same thing with "Ray Charles!" which is from the episode where Cybill Shepherd came out wearing nothing but a bath towel and frye boots. To this day my favourite episode -- it's also the one where they had the 85-year-old Scandanavian woman sing Take a Walk on the Wild Side, but she forgot the words so she just started saying "zabbedy-do, zabbedy-do, zabbedy-do, zabbedy-do" over and over.

[@randall-king]

Too funny!

[@LeeKav]

Ray Charles!

[@prmaninla]

Absolutely agree... That line still makes me laugh... as does when Vince McMahon says to the father whose baby was born 35 minutes too early "have you always been a little early with everything you do..."

[@waynechapman9823]

The Late Night Baby would be 35 now. If you're out there, Mr. Feury, I congratulate you on your awesome timing!

[@jaro9467]

I wonder if they ever appeared on the Late Show.

[@franktheo2055]

I watched this show on NBC when I came home from night school. I haven't seen these clips as far as I can remember. Chris Elliott & Larry Bud Melman where absolutely Hysterical !!!

[@user-tw2fk6sd2s]

I was 15 yo back then and couldn't stay up late to watch it. Still the most fun show to watch. Nothing is more entertaining than Dave's show even with so many shows these days.

[@rubbersoul3723]

From Rhode Island-Thank you Don! MORE-PROOF, that 80s Dave was the best!

[@LeeKav]

"Have you ever seen the world's largest humidor?" "No, I haven't." "Any interest in that?" "None whatsoever." I love this line and the way its delivered. It tickles me every time I see it.

[@siggylloyd3566]

In a time of great need, I thank you for this!

[@joshuazerubbabel5951]

I went back in time in my head for a brief moment. Thanks!

[@illiamdeebe7579]

My god I can’t tell you how happy my heart was while watching this. Such a great time capsule. Brought me right back. The show barely holding together, the live remotes. Oh man. I’ve always been a huge fan. Just bulbs/shades made me feel like a kid watching in awe again. Thank you.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

I think the dog poem is the time-capsule moment: We were *so* innocent back then, Jeebus.

[@kjkiefcakes1847]

Dave saying "where did we get this guy?" About Vince McMahon is fucking priceless.

[@deputay]

Thanks Don, one of my favorites! Bob and Vince knocked it out of the park

[@bigtalkwithbrucedickey8603]

I wondered if this show would ever resurface. I thought it was one of the funniest I ever saw, and I watched pretty much the whole NBC run, including the morning show. Thanks so much for finding it and throwing it on.

[@dongiller]

Thanks! But others have uploaded it before me. Just not of this quality. Plus there are a few little things in this version that didn’t make air.

[@RageTVHTX]

@@dongiller I’m amazed at how you’re able to get a hold of these little extras that didn’t air

[@scottmoore1614]

Man, I do so miss Dave’s old NBC show. It just wasn’t the same after he went to CBS.

[@fromtherubble6890]

I have great memories of these specials... thanks for posting

[@josephmagil1149]

The world hasn't been the same since we lost Calvert DeForest.

[@ClassicJunk88]

Dave roasting Vince was great.

[@user-mi9cz2zs1f]

I only have three words for Bro Theodore....O.M.G. p.s. loved him in The Burbs!!

[@thomascunningham1619]

Thanks Don. Congrats on the 85million views!

[@dongiller]

Thanks! Let’s hope we make it to 100.

[@dongiller]

@@graxjpg There’s always doubt; I’ve no control over the channel’s survival.

[@dongiller]

@@graxjpg I’m counting on you. Your wife will understand! :)

[@dongiller]

@@graxjpg I accept PayPal. :)

[@markjones952]

This is the Vince McMahon/Bob Costas episode! I remember watching this live.

[@markjones952]

MOE 4:50

[@PittsburghMarky]

As do I!

[@DoktorStrangelove]

This might be the best of the anniversary shows. The 4th is brilliant, but this one is utterly insane.

[@PittsburghMarky]

It is. It was Letterman at his peak.

[@katiezee2]

oooh a fresh upload ! Thank you

[@WEPDRabbitEarsTV]

Thanks a ton don, again.

[@timmcleaners1987]

Buddy is truly 'man's best friend'.

[@harlhequim]

THE MUSIC INTRO, THE CAMERA MOVING THROUGH THE BUULDING with the innovative angle of a new kind of comedy made this TV show truly a landmark. A wonderful.postcard from the 80's not only for nostalgic eyes but pragmatically good then and now.

[@MrSteelermania]

Bob smoking a stoggie in the hospital is something you will never see again folks

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Brother Theodore! The best guest ever!

[@joemuggs100]

"All hail...the Late Night baby!"

[@moncorp1]

I miss the 80s. Back when the world was sane.

[@bobdecarlo7778]

Reagan as President, JP2 as Archbishop of Rome, Dave on NBC... we didn't realize how good we had it. May like leadership & entertainment rise up again.

[@donaldsmith7077]

Vince McMahon either by accident on purpose or both - very funny.

[@WEPDRabbitEarsTV]

The cooky wooky thing was great...

[@user-mi9cz2zs1f]

Come on baby Fuery , if you're out there....do you still have the pepper grinder????

[@MichelleUS66]

Definitely my favorite of the anniversary shows! (IMO, the anniversary shows lost a little something after they started being done in huge auditoriums. I preferred the more-intimate regular studio.)

[@allendracabal0819]

Or on an airplane.

[@katoffeevhs9798]

you can't sell that dog beer! he's under 21

[@claudecat]

It's weird, but Vince McMahon is hilarious in his role as remote host at one of the hospitals! At first it seemed to not please Dave, but when he asked Larry "Bud" if that was his tux... huge laugh from Dave, and me and everyone else. It's hard to believe there was a time when McMahon was not what he's since become, and that pro wrasslin' was largely comedy back then, though not always intentionally.

[@nsdiehl]

Don, have you uploaded the full 'life-detector' segment before? Love the channel. Thanks

[@dongiller]

Don’t think I have. And thanks!

[@denpolderart]

Love to Chris Elliot!!!! He was a big reason for the early crazy!

[@merlinsclaw]

Any updates on the Late Night Baby?

[@dougherendeen3241]

Beat me to it... (Thanks, Don!)

[@romansroad2007]

The Baby boy is doing 30 years hard time. Lol

[@PookaBazooka]

At the 52:30 mark, is... is that a time-traveling Sean Penn?

[@wilnerolivier7971]

Dave identifying McMahon as the voice of the then WWF!! But not once mentioned that he was the owner of the WWF.

[@a_plus]

Kayfabe was alive and well.

[@wannabe4668]

Trial and error on that one

[@jgarofalo8813]

Who was the woman after the Steve Martin clip?

[@dongiller]

Iris Chacón

[@itstherevolution]

29:40 🖤. Kind of a cruel trick though lol.

[@LivLaRaj]

Okay, weird... I remember seeing this first broadcast and very much recall the announcement for next week's SNL said Alex Karras/Tina Turner (which was the live show the next week Feb 2 1985).

[@dongiller]

I was wondering when someone noticed this. The SNL preemption lead-in here is from the 3rd anniversary rebroadcast that aired on June 8, 1985.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

The funniest bits are the stupid pet tricks dogs (who were not stupid), Bob Costas and The Curious Guy.

[@allendracabal0819]

In the name "stupid pet tricks" it is the tricks which are stupid, not the pets.

[@jaro9467]

Does the Late Night Baby ever appear on the Late Show as an adult or could they not reference them on a rival network?

[@dongiller]

It likely wouldn’t be a problem, since Dave did refer to Colleen Boyle in 2015.

[@wiedep]

Should have had Tom Carvel cater the festivities

[@gregsh8240]

what song are they playing at the 1 hour mark?

[@dongiller]

“What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” - Junior Walker. Here’s the original: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYuuZJqiodyCl5o

[@gregsh8240]

@@dongiller thanks! do you know the song Paul plays when the bubble machine comes on?

[@dongiller]

@@gregsh8240 Can you give me a time marker? Paul usually played the Lawrence Welk theme.

[@saywhatmachine]

Absolutely cookin’ version of What Does It Take!

[@realemetic1]

I wonder if the baby took the internship in 2003!

[@lrg3834]

For me, Late Night is better than Late Show.

[@wecontrolthevideo]

I wonder, did baby Sean Michael ever get his internship?

[@katiezee2]

Can anyone tell me who is the angry guy at 20:08 ?

[@dongiller]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZuYl4mkfbyIopY

[@katiezee2]

@@dongiller Thanks ! I'd heard of the guy but had never seen him before this

[@FlockOfHawks]

One more reason why 👁 💖 🇺🇸 !!!

[@FlockOfHawks]

( and this great channel of course )

[@jamesmurray3889]

35 minutes in and already eight commercials. Unsubscribe.

[@dongiller]

You’re blaming this channel for KZbin ads. Go figure.