Jay Leno Collection on Letterman, Part 1 of 3: 1982-1984

Jay Leno appeared on Late Night forty-one times, forty as a guest and one in a taped cameo. Here are all of his appearances, plus other related videos scattered within.
A few clips were edited together from different sources. For one video (January 6, 1983), I chose the E! broadcast, as it's the only source in my collection that didn't mute "Hostess Twinkies."
The collection is in three parts:
Part 1: Clips #1 to 14 -- here
Part 2: Clips #15 to 28 -- • Jay Leno Collection on...
Part 3: Clips #29 to 50 -- • Jay Leno Collection on...
Part 3 begins with Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host in 1986. It foreshadowed shifting tectonic plates between Jay, Dave, Dave's then-current network, and CBS.
Before all that, though, there's a reason Jay appeared so often on Late Night, especially up that first guest-host milestone: he was damn funny, and Dave's laughter was genuine. There's much here to analyze their evolving relationship.
Part 1:
1. April 15, 1982: Jay guest appearance #1 (stand-up #1 and home base chat)
2. June 4, 1982: Jay #2
3. June 30, 1982: Jay #3 (introduced by Harve Mann)
4. October 11, 1982: Jay #4
5. November 10, 1982: Jay #5
6. January 6, 1983: Jay #6
7. February 2, 1983: Jay #7
8. April 5, 1983: Jay #8
9. July 7, 1983: Jay #9
10. September 6, 1983: Jay #10
11. October 4, 1983: Jay #11
12. January 12, 1984: Jay #12
13. March 13, 1984: Jay #13
14. May 14, 1984: Jay #14
Part 2:
15. August 16, 1984: Jay #15
16. September 26, 1984: Jay #16
17. January 9, 1985: Jay #17
18. March 21, 1985: Jay #18
19. April 24, 1985: Jay #19
20. August 21, 1985: #20
21. October 10, 1985: Jay #21
22. November 19, 1985: Jay #22
23. January 9, 1986: Jay #23
24. January 30, 1986: Jay #24
25. March 25, 1986: Jay #25 (w/Seth Green, then 12 years old)
26. May 28, 1986: Jay #26
27. June 18, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #1
28. August 19, 1986: Jay #27
Part 3:
29. September 9, 1986: Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host, monologue
30. October 2, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #2
31. October 14, 1986: Jay #28 (w/Chris Elliott)
32. November 1, 1986: Dave cameos on Jay's television special
32. December 16, 1986: Jay #29
33. February 7, 1987: Jay #30 (stand-up #2 for 5th anniversary)
34. May 13, 1987 (taped April 13): Jay #31
35. September 29, 1987: Jay #32
36. November 24, 1987: Jay #33 (with 3 kids: Jocelyn Argento, Kristin Symons, and Brian Wilde)
37. February 11, 1988: same Condom Week joke setup with different punchlines, Jay guest-hosting The Tonight Show, followed by Dave an hour later
38. March 4, 1988: Jay #34
39. July 7, 1988: Jay #35
40. May 4, 1989: Jay #36 (in Chicago)
41. August 16, 1989: Jay #37
42. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Donahue, excerpts
43. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Live at Five
44. October 11, 1990: Jay #38
45. November 2, 1990: Jay's taped Viewer Mail cameo, taped October 11, 1990
46. June 6, 1991: Dave congratulates Jay for succeeding Johnny Carson as Tonight Show host
47. December 12, 1991: Jay #39
48. May 7, 1992: Jay #40 (Jay becomes Tonight Show host in two weeks)
49. January 14, 1993: Jay, now Tonight Show host, remarks on Dave's decision to leave Dave's then-current network for CBS
50. June 25, 1993: Jay wishes Dave well before the upcoming final Late Night

[@alexiscordovacanta5036]

Thank you sir for this . Wish the world was still like this.

[@johna7965]

It was bound to happen: It took 3.8 million views to get a complaint. I don't know what he was listening to, but the audio sounds perfect to me. Great upload!

[@JM-dv1zq]

Thanks Don for putting this together ! When Jay gets rolling, he is like a freight train of stand-up .

[@mrj509]

Yeah thanks don your the best

[@lukethedrifter1]

@@mrj509 Reply to this post and ran ru and a few other readers to the next level and the second second round of years re the rest of us to

[@lukethedrifter1]

I am not a fan of this is the best way to do it again

[@andrewmiller4885]

Never seen a young Jay leno . Only ever known him from his show on TV as talk show host. I never liked him much . However if this is how he started, it isn't hard to see why he become so successful . He really was hilariously funny, very confident and highly energised .

[@randycunningham7318]

Not sure what clips you watched. He is lame

[@michaelmccay123]

@@randycunningham7318 he's funny at times, not so much at other times. but even Dave thought he was funny early on

[@laidbackcpa]

I taped the Letterman show on Beta for years and watched the next day. Jay was always a hit. Saw him in Raleigh, NC in 1985 while he was still doing the small clubs. Thank you so much for posting these. Such great memories.

[@ozmond]

Lol you had Beta

[@dhpbear2]

Jay's humor got 'safer' when he started guest-hosting the Tonight Show.

[@JosephChecke]

Jay is so high energy in these videos, relentlessly settling the pace for Dave who indulges him with only occasional gentle wisecracks.

[@wadearnold7863]

Never noticed how easily Jay cracks Dave up. Dave is really tickled.

[@indianumberonecountry]

Me too. Always used to hear Norm talk about how funny Leno was but I never thought he was too funny until seeing this. He had a direct line to daves funny bone. Thats something special

[@shawnpa]

Looks like Dave has to restrain himself. I didn't know Leno was ever on his show. Interesting.

[@mikebradshaw6484]

It was genuine too. They both really liked each other. Dave admired Jay's humor and Jay got a kick out of making Dave laugh. Jay was on Letterman a lot back then and it made for some great TV.

[@Nickzz30]

Dave has to laugh to make the audience happy, did you hear anything that would make you laugh?

[@enerilove1]

Thank you for these videos. I love watching the growth of both Jay and David and the studio and the change of times. It was very informative, entertaining and enjoyable to have gotten a little history of the two.

[@wolfgangrittner6637]

Wow what a great job adding this all up! Leno was truly funny and very genuine. Fantastic watch!

[@richardl.metafora4477]

Magnificent compilation. Must have taken hours to get this organized and edited, a great piece of work. A genuine contribution to the comedy archives. Really, really generous thing to do.

[@d.b2664]

Richard L. Metafora it really is. A lot of people bust on Jay Leno, but have never seen "early Jay Leno", Funny as hell. His mannerisms are priceless.

[@anne9358]

Richard, What a lovely comment. So thoughtful and kind. 💕

[@richardl.metafora4477]

@@anne9358 Nice of you to say so. I'm amazed some folks work in obscurity, for free, often doing very thorough and laborious work just to give the world these terrific gifts.

[@johngossett7642]

Two of the best to ever do it, love this so well done.

[@jimhanold9026]

Exactly!

[@squinkque]

I remember when Jay and Dave were best pals and Jay was one of his most frequent guests. I remember once Dave had a joke trophy made up for most appearances on the show and he had Teri Garr, Richard Lewis and Jay Leno as past winners or something like that. They were the top 3 and whenever I heard one of them was going to be on the show I looked forward to it. It's weird how things turn out.

[@mrj509]

It is

[@sammysam7600]

What happened between them?

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

@@sammysam7600 Johnny Carson handed "The Tonight Show", to Richard Lewis' Ex-Wife, Teri Garr-Lewis and then she Married Leno, thus, Teri Garr-Lewis-Leno and Dave has a "Hot Chicks, with Hyphenated Names", Beef.

[@howdydoody9800]

@@sammysam7600 For the whole story you should look it up, but the short of it is...For years Letterman was on after the Tonight Show. The network had promised Letterman that when Johnny Carson retired Letterman would get the "Tonight Show" , but then they gave it to Leno. What the network did was really nasty. Letterman then changed networks. Carson was so upset about what they did to Letterman, that even after retirement he would feed Letterman jokes. It is also why so many comedians, like Jimmy Kimmel, don't like Leno.

[@luxurreview]

David Letterman tried to be like Carson so he got really bitter.

[@MrJohnisthename]

Comedy clubs back in the 80's were great. Live comedy is exponentially funnier than watching on TV or video. There's something about the crowd, the atmosphere, the drinks and just being live. I've seen Jay Leno, Dice Clay, Chris Rock, George Carlin, Bernie Mac to name a few. I only wish I could have seen Sam Kinesin , Rodney Dangerfield and Richard Pryor. Among countless others. Now long since passed. These days comedy clubs are too few and far between.

[@sidv192]

I agree, for some reason comics are twice as funny in person

[@ParaRipperShaw]

PC has also ruined the sport. Comics were free to say more back then.

[@simplenough]

@@ParaRipperShawcomics need to work harder then

[@ParaRipperShaw]

that's true!@@simplenough

[@ChrisParcellin]

Even Jay says his appearances on "Late Night" were the best stuff he ever did. Thanks for posting!

[@chipgriffiths3655]

Jay could be tamed and David wouldn't fit in the NBC box. In the end, I'm glad it ended up like it did. I always liked Jay in the beginning, not what he ended up being.

[@gallery7596]

@@chipgriffiths3655 Yes, I don't feel badly for Dave not being *NBC's* first pick to replace Carson. Choosing ultimately to go to CBS was the best decision Dave could've made for the health and longevity of his career.

[@robertdevens9572]

Breaad storage

[@robinmarshall5704]

@@gallery7596 I feel the exact same way about Conan, too. I know Conan's dream was to be on The Tonight Show. But I really don't think Conan truly understood himself lol--there's just no way Conan could TRULY be "Conan" with a Tonight Show. (Leave The Tonight Shows to tamer, less funny hosts like Jimmy Fallon)

[@Zetsuke4]

@@robinmarshall5704 He did say that, many times. Listen to his podcasts

[@dreamcatcher5502]

Wow, what a great blast from the past !! This was my prime teenage years. I graduated in 1984. So cool to see these !! What was so awkward watching it now was the lack of music as a guest comes out. The later shows you have you see Jay getting the band to play as he comes out. I think Letterman learned from Jay. You can see that Jay was so commanding of a room that he was bound to have his own show. Jay is so talented he was destined for the Tonight Show. I love you too Dave !! I watched both of you. You each have your own style and that's what made these shows so iconic. The 2 Jimmys will never be as good as Dave and Jay. They are organic and natural. Legends 😘❤❤👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@shane864]

Kimmel is growing into it well but Fallon is such an empty suit shill

[@kaithongsavanh3649]

Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. Seem like they really enjoy each other’s company here. If I were a betting man, I’d say these two will be best friends for life!

[@danielrice7234]

Nothing could ever come between these two best friends!

[@David_F579]

Brilliant Job - thank you for putting this together and sharing with everyone. Much appreciated.

[@williammcpherson9953]

What? This video is shitty. Can't even hear a word.

[@hurley911]

Thanks so much Don Giller!! This is tremendous!!

[@hiroehayes593]

Lenos' prepared comedy was top notched, but his quick wit,on the spot responces were great when I saw his back and forth with people in the auduence when I saw him in person at Harrahs in Lake Tahoe, 1988. ...Frank Taormina, fan since 1982.

[@martiwest2594]

Your opinion is just as good as mine Worthless inthe grand scheme of things! lol it thank you for your Input However I will always say that Iay Leno is the funniest dude ever,and that I adore him😅

[@CP633Gold]

The David Letterman show was the reason I bought my first VHS recorder.

[@bobhills7628]

Michael Brand cool buddy thanks for letting us know

[@steveconn]

My dad's was American Werewolf In London.

[@WTSTF378]

YES! Bartender who would have 3 AM Letterman parties and FF through the commercials...$1600 remote on a wire, top loader

[@quad5186]

@@WTSTF378 damn that’s on !!!

[@vrvaughn]

It really is amazing how much fun these guys had in those early years before it all went sour. Also Jay was very funny in those days.

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

Vincent Agistino why wouldn't they be having fun ?

[@magnusgranskau7487]

@@michaelsalisbury1477 i guess bc how Leno handed over the show to conan

[@brendancanavan2210]

Are you serious? He's the worst comedian I've ever heard speak in my life.

[@PittsburghMarky]

@@brendancanavan2210 Letterman didn’t think so. That’s why he had him on his show dozens of times to the point Chris Elliott even parodied him, lobbied for Leno as guest host of The Tonight Show, even had Leno do his stand up routine on Late Night’s 7th Anniversary special. I know there are critics of Laeno that say when he began hosting the tonight show that his act tamed down, But to be brutally honest with you I think that’s the nature of that time slot, NBC, and The Tonight Show. I think David Letterman and Jay Leno are just extraordinary comedy talents and we were blessed That we could watch either one of them at 11:30 for so many years.

[@vrvaughn]

@@endofdaysanarchy The man has some great cars….

[@killerjoe5628]

Leno had the gift of making all of his jokes sound so conversational. It's like Letterman is talking to a funny friend instead of listening to a comedian tell his jokes.

[@4timesnow318]

Uhhh... just like most guests, especially comedians, Jay would provide a list of questions he wanted to be asked, in order to introduce his jokes. You didn't think most of that was ad-libbed do you?

[@killerjoe5628]

@@4timesnow318 Of course his jokes were rehearsed and a part of Leno's routine. But most comedians who appeared on Letterman just came out and did their standup routine, whereas Leno actually took a seat beside Letterman like a regular guest. That's why I said his jokes SOUNDED LIKE.... a guy having a conversation with his funny friend. Understand?

[@jeffreymadden2745]

They seemed like rickles and Carson two funny friends just talking to each other.

[@simplenough]

@@4timesnow318”sound”

[@pchecksinthemail3371]

Jay was great in his prime, unfortunately people will remember him from the tonight show. Forty times on Letterman and very little repeat material, unlike many comedians.

[@tuxedo9824]

You don't repeat what don't work ...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@The570Experience]

No repeats?...every time they went to a break...he says "well that's a bit unorthodox " yea..a real wordsmith

[@stanco4ever]

@@The570Experience to be fair, that was a running gag, not repeating a joke. Not saying it or Jay is funny, but still :)

[@JasonFlorida]

The Tonight show was great when Leno was on

[@natevm7888]

@@JasonFlorida come on everybody knows it's Fallons the best tonight Show host ever...lol... And to think NBC signed with him till 2026 and their regretting it deeply because of the low ratings.. I'm not saying I can't give him credit for his skits and lip-syncing and dance stuff he does with guests but as far as monologue and interviewing it's severely lacking. That's why Leno was so phenomenal at the monologue because of his extensive stand-up career which roped the ratings in at 11:30 that noone else could touch. But not sure Jimmy cares he's still making 16 million a year. While the rest of us bust our ass everyday..lol

[@IMWATCHING501]

Gotta take my hat out for Jay, dude with that head making in it show biz, that's impressive.

[@philm.6113]

Jorge Mouta Why take your hat out?

[@The-Cat]

@@philm.6113 It's like tipping your hat or raising your hat. In the olden days thats how somebody would greet or show respect to somebody ( watch old movies)

[@The-Cat]

@@johnsmith22334 He has a big head and a huuuuuge chin ( like a cartoon figure weird head shape)

[@The-Cat]

​@M T Jay Z **cringe**

[@crieverytim]

he looks like a cartoon - perfect for tv.

[@DTR89]

Letterman fans like to take sides and pretend Jay was never funny, but this proves he was (and Letterman thought so too). They had great chemistry together

[@captainkev10]

Letterman was never funny. Maybe at 12:30, but not at 11:30. Dude ran all his bits in the ground, and phoned it in for two decades.

[@mxplk]

@@captainkev10 You got Letterman exactly right. He's been a poseur for 90% of his adult life, sitting behind that desk and cashing those fat checks.

[@davidweston9115]

@@mxplk He never claimed he was any good. He said repeatedly he didn't know why they hired him. when real talent came in he respected them as if he was nothing.

[@davidweston9115]

Leno was very funny in the 70s and 80s. Later on he may not have done the work required to rehearse bits 1000 times to get the timing right and discard the bad bits. When he took over Carson, I think the jokes were written by others and untested, use once and thrown away. A very different situation. How good could they be. He was no Johnny Carson. With Johnny, you laughed even when he didn't speak. Carson's sketches were hilarious. His rapport with the guests made those segments funny too. Nobody else has done this since Carson.

[@mxplk]

@@davidweston9115 I think your assessment of Leno (and Carson) is correct. I was actually shocked to see how edgy and funny Leno used to be, before he turned corporate. But then again, Letterman also was funnier when he was younger, ossifying into a meanspirited and politicized talk show host as he aged. Only Carson improved with age, like a fine wine.

[@cyberprompt]

well. you can see why Jay become host of the Tonight Show. His stand up is just an opening monologue.

[@nuncapasaran9374]

I came from one year in the future to tell you this is an underrated comment

[@samsungtelevision695]

@@nuncapasaran9374 I came from 1 day in the future. Not a lot of news to relay

[@DopeIsotope]

But then he actually got the show and the staff started writing shitty monologues and horrible bits.

[@IO279K4RMN]

Nah

[@johnarnold893]

@@DopeIsotope Sure they did, that's why the show ran for 17 years with Leno.

[@MarkAhrens-HeritageFilms]

I’m really surprised by how funny Jay was back then. It’s amazing how much effort he put into each appearance.

[@gallery7596]

When Jay was gonna be on, people made a point of watching. Robert Morton said that even when nothing else that night was working, Jay made it a good show. He was a good talk show host, but Jay was an even better guest.

[@miakid4159]

Yeah it was a job interview for him everytime. ;)

[@feather031]

Just as amazing it was every six weeks he came on with all new material and he totally killed!

[@johnnyblack3676]

I guess if you guys find this type of hacky generic bullshit funny...None of his material made me even crack a fn smile, but yanno, whatever.

[@johnvalentine3456]

@@johnnyblack3676 I'm with you, never found him funny. His is put-down humor. He's too literal. He never would have made it on a show like SCTV.

[@Colhogan06]

One thing many people are not aware of. On his fourth or 5th appearance here, he mentioned he had been married for 2 years. My goodness how time flies. He has now been married to the same lady for 42 years! That is awesome! You just don't see that very often in Hollywood. More power to him. I think that is great when you consider Jay still does his stand up job. One thing he has done to make it work so well is that Mavis his wife goes along with him quite often, if he is going to be traveling for a while.

[@MrSoulauctioneer]

He never spent the Tonight Show money. Imagine that, he lived off of part time stand up while he had the number 1 late night show.

[@furnitureconsortium]

@@MrSoulauctioneer technically, he did spend some of that Tonight Show money.....how do you think he amassed so many cars!!

[@videogajima]

This is the closest we have to a Leno album/special

[@postxtito]

man i grew up watching Johnny & Dave back in the day, and his early stuff was so "campy". Now looking back i forgot how fun it was to watch when i was a kid, after Carson. OMG - Lenno was so freaken funny. These guys were actually friends .... like good buddies.

[@mikebradshaw6484]

Until Jay backstabbed Dave.

[@johnarnold893]

@@mikebradshaw6484 You don't know that!

[@julierood1228]

Thanks again, Don. You are the best

[@ggavin9934]

Dave and Jay. Friends until media gets involved. Dave is laughing his head off at Jays jokes. Glad to hear they still are keeping in touch with each other.

[@Jimmy_G412]

Thanks for posting these. I've always like Jay and didn't know he was on Late night so many times. Doesn't help that I wasn't born yet either.

[@geebonzo]

He was brilliant in the 80's but by the 90's he lost something. The split between Jay and Dave was sad, but Jay was mega ambitious. Jay doesn't show Dave tons of respect, even here. Jay was the funniest guy around and the material wears pretty well. Being a host of a show wasn't really what he needed to be, but I guess there was money and prestige. The 80's were a lot more casual. This is a fantastic collection.

[@LTJR.]

Sounds like Jay was collecting bikes early on, maybe cars too, and on the road constantly. Being home in garage, being able to enjoy them instead of movie by himself, sure sounds good. I mean Suuurrreee Soouuuunnnds GGGGooOOOoodddd!!!!! ha! or ah!

[@iggypopisgod9]

People forget: Leno was a world class talent in the 80s

[@terrymanees1140]

Oo

[@patrickshea6666]

I see no evidence of that in this video...

[@JP-jd5vz]

This compilation makes Letterman look like a hater to be honest. And I couldn't give two shits about either of them.

[@iggypopisgod9]

@@patrickshea6666 one mans limited approval

[@iggypopisgod9]

@@JP-jd5vz stop it; jay was a regular

[@thedreadedmarco]

My god these two love each other. For someone who grew up with the rivalry this is actually quite shocking to see.

[@MonoverSusstereo]

Ive heard Dave say Jay was the funniest guy he ever saw and you can really tell that's true here. Jay is constantly making Dave crack up with ease. Shame how it all worked out in the end.

[@cpcattin]

Not so much a shame…….. Both Dave and Jay have had fabulous careers, both have made plenty of money and are famous.

[@Xeno_Solarus]

@@cpcattin I think it's more what they personally became like

[@NY51663]

Yea, it's a shame they're both famous millionaires.

[@MisssKayy]

Those jokes were racist.

[@michaelenglish839]

I'm pretty sure in the end Norm Macdonald was the funniest person in Dave's opinion.

[@viviandarkbloom100]

1982. I was finishing Elementary School. My Dad acquiesced and bought me a small color TV for my bedroom. From that moment on for nearly the next 30 years I fell asleep with Dave.

[@ObscuredByTime]

Same. Born in '70.

[@byronwelichko8577]

viviandarkbloom100 I would stay up late to watch him too at that age.

[@ObscuredByTime]

Yeah, I was 12 and in the same space, vivian ) Good times.

[@LaoSoftware]

Born 1974. I'm old. Very old. It sucks getting old

[@mirrenfan2]

I so miss falling asleep with Dave on. Sometimes I play reruns at night to help me sleep. He wasn't boring by any means. Its just that something about his show is relaxing. Very different from Colbert.

[@fifoffjfufs]

'i'm fine until i get to that windmill'. i love how he almost cracks up when he says that.

[@redwingsfan3621]

No time stamp??

[@GeorgeRellas]

I used to LOVE watching Jay's standup routines, since the late 1970's! He used to cause stomach cramps from coast to coast! Salute to JAY LENO!!!

[@mitchellwojcik7294]

George Rellas Ok Boomer

[@dcolb121]

Watching Dave cracking up is so much fun.

[@michaeldunbar6942]

Lot of work to put these together...thank you!

[@ucntcit]

“You’ve divided this audience. Something ugly could transpire here.”

[@LarryTaint-qn8pd]

@Don Giller I appreciate the great editing Don. Good work. Very smooth transitioning.

[@dongiller]

Thanks!!

[@terryc.3390]

And, 10 years later from 1982, he got the most coveted position of late night TV...Johnny Carson's replacement on The Tonight Show. Some people resented him because they felt Letterman deserved the Tonight Show over him. For the record, I like both Leno AND Letterman.

[@mrbrianmccarthy]

I wonder if Dave had any idea that one day Jay would be competing against him ? They seem so chummy here. Fascinating to watch the 2 big talk show hosts of the 90's-00's, conversing in the 80's, seeing their different styles.

[@kendigjl]

Thanks for putting this together.

[@Zetsuke4]

Very nice compilation, thank you!!

[@jimhanold9026]

My mother and I had the pleasure of seeing Jay Leno live in concert in the outdoor pavilion in Concord, California. He put on a great show!

[@yankee1112]

Boy I tell ya, that Jay Leno might just get his own show one day.

[@stanleyshady9465]

by screwing over other people and stealing it back from them as well..

[@wolfchrt]

@@stanleyshady9465 David had no chance in getting the Tonight Show. I dont know why people cant get off that. Jay Leno was permanent guesg host and everyone thought he was getting the show

[@pavelkolechko9224]

Just look on how many appearances he made on Letherman’s show. He is honest and funnies comedian.

[@punkdumbass9048]

I fell asleep watching John Mulany skits and I woke up this morning to me having listened to one hour and 35 minutes of this compilation in my sleep. But before I woke up to this, I apparently watched like 50 videos of other comedians and their skits hah

[@ejpoole31]

Sydney Davila really sad to hear that Leno ruined your streak of listening to COMEDIANS. That guy is the worst.

[@myroncope5]

Every time i put on an old late night to fall asleep to, i wake up 2 hours later and this goddamn thing is on

[@mcs7625]

Hey so maybe turn off autoplay! 👍

[@FaceFacie]

This is so cool, i allways wondered what leno was like before his show.

[@cisium1184]

I remember watching these as a kid. Leno would come out and I would just start laughing.

[@SethMcFartlane]

How does he not have CTE from the amount of head shaking?

[@leonardstilwell1894]

When all the stuff with Conan, Jay and NBC was going on Dave, in one of his monologues, said Jay was a "bit of a brat" at this point in their careers. Now I understand why ...

[@Zetsuke4]

A bit of a brat

[@doddsino]

@@Zetsuke4 A bit of a brat

[@clairemadeinheaven]

@@doddsino A bit of a brat

[@orgasmapop4028]

@@clairemadeinheaven A bit of a brat

[@zaz4667]

I never seen most of these. Its kind of sad their relationship was damaged for so long.

[@QS-si3cq]

Well, Jay turned out to be a douche bag, on top of not being funny.

[@Tre404]

@@QS-si3cq ... Which, of course, is why you're watching it.... Sean Douche...

[@clemdane]

This was back when I was a kid and I used to sneak and watch Letterman late late at night. His show was totally unpredictable back then, nothing like it was later when he got all corporate. These clips make Jay seem like he was the unpredictable, inventive one, but it really was both of them. I've always liked both Leno and Letterman and never wanted to takes sides in any conflict. I felt terrible for Conan when he was replaced by Leno, but I don't think it was Leno's fault.

[@vhscopyofseinfeld]

Clemdane Leno became a victim of his own creation. I was born in ‘82 but absolutely love watching these old Letterman clips, they are so different than the Letterman I grew up with; these old vids are unbelievable. No doubt I would’ve stayed up late every night in the ‘80s to watch like the rest of the country.

[@007Spadge]

Whatever you do Clemdane, don't blame Conan

[@clemdane]

@@007Spadge I don't

[@AbstrACTioNation]

@@007Spadge 🤣

[@Colhogan06]

When I was an MP in the Army, when I worked the swing shift I used to try and get home as quickly as possible in order to watch Letterman. I used to get a kick out of the fact he used the small town we lived in at the time, for his Top 10 home office bit. It changed regularly but they used it back in I think it was '83 or '84 when I started watching, and then again in later years. I remember the 84 time frame. It was a great show in the early years. IMO, unfortunately when he got closer to retirement, the humor got too political for me.

[@LollieVox]

I love these collections, you can see how Dave relates to each person uniquely, he seems to genuinely love Jay.

[@maynardferguson9599]

He did enjoy Jay, until Jay got The Tonight Show.

[@Thelavendel]

he's scared of him

[@smcfall3]

I never watched Jay Leno or David Letterman when they had late night shows. But I always watched Craig Ferguson. Jay's jokes here were great for passing the time while I did some sewing. Never did that with Craig. He kept my full attention. So glad I can watch his earliest monologues here on KZbin. Especially the group of his early monologues. ("Old School Craig Ferguson monologues") Still laugh every time. By the way - I never realized what beautiful eyes Jay has. And another by the way - I was thinking to myself just now, while watching "No wonder Letterman was so good as a host. He was a terrific actor, laughing his head off at mediocre jokes".

[@ianvincibl3]

Two of the greats 🏆

[@jimreily7538]

Leno was an incredibly hardworking and practiced comedian, but you can see here, why he wasn't the best choice for a quality, well rounded late show host. Everything he says, or nearly everything, was rehearsed, memorised and tested. Notice the numerous parts where Letterman tries to get Leno to just converse, rather than segue straight into prepared/memorised the series of jokes that he has. Leno has trouble engaging. Many moments he'll be silent, or won't have anything even off the cuff. (After disposing of the cigarette for example). Or the next episode ("Yeah. Yeah, it'll be a great time). Or the Speedweek discussion. He's incredibly good with the prepared material, it's almost seamless. But as Peter Lasally said, he wasn't able to engage in normal conversation. He was a "joke machine". Lasally also said Leno had trouble expressing emotions. Bill Carter recounts an anecdote in The Late Shift, where, as Tonight Show host, Leno would setup the interviews, so he'd be reading the questions in guest interviews, from cue cards. He wouldn't be looking at the guests, but over their shoulders, at these cue cards. Letterman was a better host, but his unwillingness to rub elbows with executives, affiliates and agents - and Leno's absolute willingness to do those things - were fundamental in the choice for Leno as Carson's successor.

[@helgedell]

Thanks, very interesting. Had some of the same thoughts, Letterman even seemed to underline it the times he said things like "Is it my turn to talk now?". :) Seemed like he had to set up Leno all the time, and that it kind of bothered him.

[@Shawn-ne6ld]

Jim Reily so true. Dave gave him his break at a time when there was no social media, internet or cell phones. The only way to make it was tv. Jay wasn’t very thankful after he made it big. They both turned out to be sell out liberal duschbags bringing politics into their shows.

[@qs4177]

@@Shawn-ne6ld nothing wrong with being liberal....but yeah they both turned out to be douchebags

[@RubenRyb66]

Yeah jay just follows provin formulas. Doesnt matter if they are stolen either

[@jcaliberty8288]

@@Shawn-ne6ld Jay was big before Letterman's show

[@CH-fk5tk]

People don’t realize how much Dave played a part in growing Jays career ... just to have NBC give Jay the Tonight Show over Dave

[@gallery7596]

That's on *NBC,* but Dave saying yes to CBS turned out to be the best decision he ever made because he had a much better career as host of "Late Show" than he would've if he'd elected to take "The Tonight Show" from Jay. It really worked out best for everybody.

[@Rudydog65]

And vice-versa,a fact Dave acknowledges.

[@CH-fk5tk]

@@Rudydog65 When talking about performance, yes. But Dave is the one who gave Jay a platform. Letterman was the one who really introduced Jay to NBC and gave him the platform to eventually become the permanent guest host for the tonight show, and later the host. Because it’s no secret that Carson preferred Letterman over Leno. Carson and Leno didn’t have a relationship, and if they did it wasn’t a good one. Carson and Letterman we’re friends. Which is why Carson made his only appearances post retirement on Dave’s show.

[@briansounalath]

Letterman was such a great host. And Jay Leno was super funny and edgy back then. They had great chemistry.

[@wesstarmedia]

I was born in 80' and live in England. It looks like a great time to have been alive in the USA 🇺🇸 in the 80s. It seems like the world has gone backwards since then. Oh, and Jay really is a good commedian/Entertainer. We did get to watch Letterman over here in the early 90s on satellite TV.

[@ColoradoJoeM]

As a kid in the 70s I'd watch Johnny Carson benny hill the honey mooners but my sophomore year in highschool in 1981 I'd watch David Letterman and I would be falling a sleep in class .pretty much after graduation didn't watch top much of DavrLetterman .until 2022 I had lots of catching up to do but in the early years chris Elliott was the best

[@jackiejtheg]

He went from having 8 bikes. To having 800 bikes

[@Mustis91]

i bet he want from having 1 bike to 800

[@sickstrings]

It was a great set. Doubtful he could do the set today. great piece of history here

[@MisssKayy]

Why not?

[@sickstrings]

@@MisssKayy in today's culture, some of these jokes would be considered problematic and offensive

[@dhpbear2]

Thanks, Don for these! I have seen most of them but there are others that I never saw. I love the 'porn film' that Dave was in! :)

[@ultrakool]

carlin had the best nyc subway spitting joke: " the sign in the ny subway says "no spitting - $500 fine", but puking is free"😂

[@rohanbasu9789]

Damn Leno was funny as fuck back in his day

[@DJRitty]

When he has a killer joke he's good but otherwise I find him annoying. BUT when he's ON he's perfectly decent but he's not naturally funny imo. He NEEDS material - even here Daves just letting him go. This isn't an interview it's just dave setting him up. Dave wouldn't have done that if he didn't like the guy. He does make Dave laugh though...he just loves leno. Personally I don't get it. Seems like his act was a crowd pleaser though.

[@richardhamblen5526]

TO ME, HE WAS WAY FUNNIER THAN DAVE..BTW, I WAS 33 IN 1992..I GREW UP WITH JOHNNY CARSON, LOL..

[@johnnyblack3676]

@@richardhamblen5526 Funnier than Dave? Are you kidding me?

[@Xeno_Solarus]

@@johnnyblack3676 Bruh, it's his opinion. Get off your high horse.

[@johnnyblack3676]

​@@Xeno_Solarus Well, BRUH, it's my opinion his opinion is fkn garbage, and his sense of humor is of the low brow/lowest common denominator variety. NOW I'm on my high horse. Simply asking someone if they truly believe what they're saying, does not equate to being on a high horse, so I thought I'd show you the difference. Not that you'd understand anyway. Why don't you go watch some more anime, and retweet another hashtag, you knuckle dragging dolt

[@sinicalypse]

that giant painting of Dave's face on the side of the network special set is kinda whoa

[@debbieramsey-hanks3757]

Always a great stand. up, than you for the reminder.

[@cynthiahusband106]

Adore david when Jay makes him laugh love both of them❤️

[@toscodav]

If ever there was must see TV it was when Leno was on Letterman. It was like an event. Nobody could pack as much entertainment and comedy in a short time like Leno.

[@gallery7596]

It's been said before that the greatest talk show of all time would be one hosted by Dave Letterman with Jay Leno as his only guest.

[@UberDurable]

He certainly was a favorite guest on Letterman in the 80s.

[@bowmanbrent419]

Wow the video starts out on the day I was born. About to be 41.

[@tedfroats6296]

David Letterman: Please welcome Jay Leno. TV Executives: Well, okay, if you insist.

[@fredmac8247]

Damn hard work eventually pays off. From being the guest to becoming the interviewer of the Tonight show. Humble beginnings.

[@warilban]

I mean, Letterman never denied that Jay was talented, the criticism was on his ethics.

[@martitinkovich4489]

W/ half the chin and twice the brain, Leno could almost be human.

[@RollingOrmond]

Jay was kind of better in this period as the edgy road comic than in the '84-86 period when the "What's My Beef" and TV Guide bit calcified into routine. Hundreds and hundreds of one-nighters...can't blame NBC for handing the Tonight Show to an obsessed professional like that.

[@maryhalverson5713]

Letterman would've been the natural heir to the Tonight show. He was Johnny's choice, after all.

[@GHotSauceAnd1]

Nobody made David laugh like Jay. Such a shame they had a falling out. They were literally best friends.

[@brendancanavan2210]

Nobody? Not true. Norm did, and Jay Leno couldn't lace his shoes

[@kkampy4052]

Like Jay or hate him, his material was different every time he was on. He was a funny guy.

[@flibgonrtsheglis242]

Jay Leno sucks

[@thetreblerebel]

He did his time. Plus ..he is genuine. a good dood

[@kurnel2222]

Was (Not Was)

[@jta6443]

"On airlines now, they search you weapons... That's so stupid..." Well that joke aged like milk... 😆👌

[@P4TCH5S]

This is awesome!!

[@skysoldier6647]

I can see why Jay got the Tonight Show. What a funny dude.

[@KtotheL]

terrible beyond terrible... he KILLED late night TV. i didnt watch it again till recently BUT the covid19 fucked that up dude. ( james corden,samantha bee,seth meyers,stephen cobert,mahers,hasan minaj,jimmy kimmel,jimmy fallon,david spade,and last but not least john oliver ? ) pwned Jay Leno has a garage and thank fuck for that its all he was ever any good for other then dick jokes. his monologue was on point ( rest of the show sucked hardcore ) some nights but not always. good riddens. but hello to the garage.

[@iwanaGoFast2010]

He’s about as funny as a school bus fire.

[@marcusroele]

For Dave's next Netflix show... Current Dave and Conan watching and reacting to these videos.

[@LTJR.]

now that's funny. maybe just a guitar player on a stool for a band. and Fred de Cordova's ghost mixing drinks in the kitchen with an apron over his Bespoke...

[@inaliFTW]

Dave, Conan and Jay all on a Twitch stream Podcast with 4Head react content and banter to this would be meta lol.

[@Abeleko]

Jay was on fire but damn he interrupts a lot.

[@shibuigardenbungalows0420]

Thank you

[@hiplobonoxa]

rule #1 of job security: never train your replacement.

[@SuperJMichael]

Rule # 0: Don’t be more of an ass than the guy who will usurp your egotistical,y believed future position in late night TV. Jay is a penis but, Dave is a dick.

[@waynestani7384]

Am I imagining things or is there a little tension developing between Jay and Dave over the years?

[@d.b2664]

wayne stani no your not imagining anything, I see it too. It's extremely underhanded and backhanded but low key. You could miss it if you weren't paying attention.

[@joshuapittman4663]

They were competing for the tonight show and in 91 Leno got it and Dave was fired from NBC. You can probably guess why there might be animosity between the two.

[@joshuapittman4663]

Michael Alexander well, I guess I’m wrong...

[@DAJANEM99]

Thank you for posting this. Big fan of both Leno and the other guy.

[@michaelhall6340]

great stuff-thanks

[@ligener]

54:42 never heard this gambling bit anywhere else. I was crying for laughter

[@johnarnold893]

@Jack deWinter OK Boomer.

[@sinicalypse]

Damn jay was on Late night every two months circa 82-83

[@Michael-or2cn]

leno was really ahead of his time and very funny everytime.

[@user-wz2uv6rt3g]

this is great!

[@FullHouseFanatic]

looking at this, I legitimately think letterman loved Leno. like actual love. maybe that's why he felt so betrayed. Leno is hilarious here.

[@jpetes9046]

He definitely considered Leno an actual true friend from their old days coming up in the trenches.

[@godgunsandgoldens]

Letterman was not betrayed. NBC thought Jay Leno was a better fit for the show and sought him out offering a deal of all deals. End of story. They make the decisions not Letterman or Leno. Leno is supposed to turn down the opportunity of a lifetime for a friend who already had a successful show? They competed and Jay won. You can’t in good conscience blame Leno.

[@FullHouseFanatic]

@@godgunsandgoldens I didn’t blame Leno nor did I say letterman was betrayed. I said looking at their friendship here, I can imagine why he felt betrayed. Even though he shouldn’t have.

[@DJRitty]

@@FullHouseFanatic I still say Johnny had final say and chose the turkey over the golden goose... Johnny never LOST his crown. Even though Dave is god to another generation he didn't take the crown...but came closer than anyone else. If dave had taken over Carson wouldn't be carson - he'd be steve allen or jack paar - a trivia fact.

[@killerjoe5628]

@@DJRitty Really?...End the Carson couldn't save his own job as the Tonight Show host. He was forced out himself. How was he going to decide who was going to replace him as host? I'm sure he was not consulted.

[@wleach51]

I was around to see this stuff in real time. Dave and Jay were as great a comedy talk show duo as has ever been.

[@natescharenbrock3176]

The closest modern host comedian duo that compares is Conan and Bill Burr imo.

[@craigfazekas3923]

My God. I taped appearance # 2 back when it was broadcast. I had SNL from the same period on that tape, too.....Murphy, Kazurinski, Louis-Dreyfus, Gross, Hall, Piscopo. Great troupe. I was lucky to be at that age, 13 or 14 at the time.... What happened to good late night comedy ? Paul's near continual laughter in the backround does my heart good, too..... 🚬😎

[@magnusgranskau7487]

Political correct comedy happened

[@craigfazekas3923]

@@magnusgranskau7487 Political cronyism. They all now do it- pander to the current administration & the Dems across the board. And Jay ? As brilliant as he was here with Dave ? Just that bad as a host, IMO. I didn't even enjoy Dave THAT much after he parted with NBC, either. I see Dave's first 8-10 years as edgy & brilliant. Larry "Bud" Melman ? Chris Elliot ? Meg "Across the Street" Parsont ? James Brown taking over the whole show by his presence/command ? The World's Most Dangerous Band ? The convienence store owner (who's name escapes me ?) C'mon.... That will stand the test of time & not be repeated/duplicated. And with Fallon, Colbert & the rest of the current crop ? Chevy Chase's show, by comparison, was better..... I feel bad for the teens & 20s crowd today. They don't know what good or great even is. I was 13 when Dave came on late nights. How's that for timing & luck !?! 🚬😎

[@dr2926]

Dave & Jay were really a double-act for the 80s, but instead of standing on stage like vaudeville - they set it on a talk show. They have a unique chemistry.

[@snavisTM]

Nice sound quality.