Late Night with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Special (1987) Full Show!

Letterman's 5th anniversary show from 1987 featuring Jay Leno, Chris Elliot, Carol Leifer, Wilson Pickett, Joe Cocker, and many others.
Copyright NBC.

[@wendywoo2180]

I actually remember taping this show in 1987 knowing that my kids (oldest was 7) would get a big kick out of it-and they did. We must have watched the video dozens of time, such happy memories! Now my oldest is 42 and I have eight grandkids. Time sure flies, doesn’t it? Glad to see this again.

[@WendellsCat]

That opening shot is so tough to watch, but I'm glad no one has edited it out of their tapes.

[@lionelraoul]

It reminded me of something a film professor said in passing, "every film is a cultural artifact whether it intends to be or not." Such a profound moment that no one thought was more than a cool special effect.

[@christinacascadilla4473]

Bos La Moss, thought the same thing.

[@warrenjimmy8383]

instaBlaster.

[@billvassar403]

latenight 10th anniversary special

[@FBRIANHUN1]

Late Night. 82-93 greatest show ever

[@lagosditanna2610]

yessssss agreed

[@chrisf8855]

Amen!!!

[@tnawcwvictoria]

David Letterman was voted by TV Guide's 40th Anniversary Issue as the Best Late Night Talk Show Host of the 80's God Bless Sir Dave

[@maiden2314]

It seems like yesterday I was sitting up late night watching Dave and Paul.

[@pamsawyer6615]

2021... im staying up late watching Dave and Paul! Best TV ever!

[@soledadcruz6478]

October 2021 and still watching... Missing the good old days

[@bobwalton4630]

It's great that the music breaks go on inerupted. Clarence Clemmons and Andy Sumner and so many other legends

[@dirkstarbuck6126]

This was when Dave was at his best. And no one- not even Jimmy Fallon- will ever be as good as Dave when he was at his best.

[@legasiguy551]

Dirk Starbuck Dave is better than Carson was! (Dave would be mad to hear me say that, but it's the truth!) No matter how badly my day went, he's always been there to end it with a laugh! He will be missed greatly!

[@collegeman1988]

Dirk Starbuck I agree. I like Jimmy Fallon. He's a lot better than Gonad O'Brien, but he certainly isn't anywhere near as good as David Letterman. I'll miss him so much.

[@collegeman1988]

legasiguy Dave was always his own worst critic. Shows and interviews and bits that people loved, he would never want people to see again because he always felt that he could have done better.

[@Fersomling]

collegeman1988 And there will never be another Larry "Bud" Melman.

[@mcrdl76]

Dirk Starbuck ''you know him, you love him, you can't live w/out him!!!''

[@christophernelson237]

And now, a man who, night after night, entertains hundreds -- David Letterman!

[@tnawcwvictoria]

NBC back in the 80's was AWESOME The TODAY Show was still on top of their game, Tom Brokaw was still KING of NBC Nightly News, the late Johnny Carson & David Letterman were still the Titans of Late Night TV, Daytime Game Shows from $ale of the Century, Daytime Wheel of Fortune, SCRABBLE, Super Password, Classic Concentration (The Peacock's #1 Game Show) Wordplay, Prime Time Television was still dominant thanks to Thursday Night Titans The Cosby Show, Family Ties and Cheers, Monday Night Favorite ALF, you still had Saturday Morning Cartoons in Smurfs, The Chipmunks and Adventures of the Gummi Bears, NBC Sports still had Sportsworld and many others and NBC still ruled the Saturday Night Roost thanks to The Facts of Life, 227, The Golden Girls, Amen and TV's Supercop HUNTER God Bless You Brandon Tartikoff for makin' all this happen, R.I.P. Wizard and God Bless You David Letterman and Thank You for all the years that you've entertained america on Late Night Television

[@catholicpriest1]

Looks like this was taped in Studio 8H (the Saturday Night Live studio).

[@MrAitraining]

I Taped this when it first aired. Watched it so many times. Thanks for this!

[@glennmarshall4693]

A pretty great show, that definitely looks like 8h SNL studio. I guess they use it for the special. I recognize the audience seating. I have sat there a few times. The balcony is on the 9th floor.

[@dalepeto9620]

Can I watch every episode again over the next 33 yrs? That would make me happy. Remember the great one liners DL had? " Well I'll let you get back to your little puppet show over there."

[@arrowguy173]

Man what a lineup Paul had.

[@Fersomling]

I swear, I laughed myself to tears during the episode that had a lady singing something, all the while Dave was recording it on tape, and then played it backwards, and it turned out to be Strangers in the Night, sung with a German accent. I would give a 100 bucks for a dvd of that show! 1227h(pdt) 6 April 2014

[@JayDeeIsMyName]

If you still search for it, maybe you can ask Don Giller/The Donz. He must know what you're talking about (he has archived every episode).

[@glennmarshall4693]

MAN, WHAT A BAND!!!!!!!!!!!, remember when music was good? Joe Cocker and Wilson Pickett as well.

[@glennmarshall4693]

I love Dave visiting that girl, I remember that too.

[@greg55666]

Man, that band was amazing. Shows how huge Dave was and how respected Paul. Freddy Hubbard?! Herbie Hancock, Andy Sommers, Peter Frampton. Those are the ones I knew.

[@richardspikman7116]

Peter Frampton, Clarence Clemmons, Andy Summers. In your back-up band.

[@collegeman1988]

I remember the viewer mail bit at 36:20 where the woman wrote in and complained about the tennis shoes he wore on the show. I taped this episode on my VCR and watched it the following day.

[@JustYerStandardUFO]

Man...the entire horn section is DEAD now. : | That's depressing. Can't believe it's been 32 YEARS since his first show. Late Nite was a really funny show with Larry "Bud" Melman, Chris Elliot and his many characters, Letterman on the street etc...Hilarious. ....The wrestling shoes!

[@jonrosenlof4805]

Youre a Fuckin asshole.

[@skooter6235]

Nobody has ever been better then Dave

[@glennmarshall4693]

that;s the studio for SNL

[@prairiegirlist]

I was delighted to see Coleen Boyle(shoe girl at Sears) in the audience for Dave's show recently. When Dave came out, he kicked off his shoes, and there was a shot of Coleen in the audience. He later pointed her out and said hello during the show and we saw a screen shot of the two of them at Sears. How cool was that?

[@jamesmarshall1905]

I live fairly close to that Sears and think of this every time I pass it. It so typified the early shows at NBC Ann why they literally spawned a generation of fans!

[@jd881]

Jay Leno, how ironic. I miss this show, his other show hardly came close to this one.

[@danieldougan269]

That very first part -- flying into the World Trade Center -- seems so creepy now.

[@chrisf8855]

not really

[@TheAdamfee]

It kind of does

[@TheAdamfee]

It it a type of magic?

[@williamdunphy352]

Studio 8H. Home of "Saturday Night Live".

[@chrisjohnston4445]

Hope somebody posts the 4th Anniversary Special, which was in-flight aboard a 747!

[@MrAitraining]

+Chris Johnston LOL I have/had that on VHS. Wore it out over the yrs.

[@lrg3834]

Enjoy... kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJnLaqlnm9ppqpI

[@jamesmarshall1905]

@@MrAitraining That’s what happened to the last 15 minute section of Dave’s final show, with the “Everlong” final medley of Dave’s highlights - played it so much it disappeared from the tape!!

[@NetCerpher]

It’s obvious before DAVE started the night show he studied Steve Allen’s tonight show tapes as well as Steve’s independent show.

[@JayDeeIsMyName]

He kinda had to. As Carson produced his late night show, he wasn't permitted to use any of Johnny's guest or quirks on his own show, so he had to borrow a lot of Steve Allen's shows.

[@chesterbubba8095]

seriously that band is unbelievable... herrbie hancock andy summers grover washington etc

[@plissken2156]

Knowing what a critical perfectionist Dave is known to be, I'll bet he blew a gasket at drummer Anton Figg afterwards for missing two punchline rimshots during his opening monologue.

[@chrisf8855]

Larry Bud Melman!!!!!

[@RickinBaltimore]

That Cosby groin muscle joke, oh my looking at that in retrospect.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

Weird watching Leno on Letterman.

[@robertwhitten265]

@14:12 How prophetic was Dave?

[@standing0]

I still want a dog-farm.

[@networx7991]

David Letterman... Howard Stern... The Greatest there is. After these guys leave the airwaves... everything else will be "head-up-its-ass" crap.

[@lagosditanna2610]

I'd leave stern off lol

[@ianraphaellopez9613]

with Jay Leno....

[@terrywright8731]

Yikes, Leno bombed.

[@user-hf1bk7jt2b]

Ooh. Jay had a skill which is stealing shows already that era.

[@kjkiefcakes1847]

He's genuinely so annoying.

[@greg55666]

Colleen sure was cute!

[@ravingircey]

Who was the 3 pointer old man?

[@skooter6235]

I was going to ask the same thing

[@chrisf8855]

Everything was better in the 80s!!

[@kjkiefcakes1847]

*in north america

[@gregorycochrane725]

Who's the guest at 17:50?

[@BrennerBay]

Brother Theodore...he was in the Tom Hanks movie "The Burbs". He made a number of appearances on the Letterman show. One of a few comedians back then who were more experimental. Something other than standard, stand up, joke telling variety.

[@davanmani556]

Carol Liefer? She actually looked better when she got older.

[@GibsonBuck]

Who is the russian guy?

[@Architectureguy]

I will never, ever understand how Jay Leno got The Tonight Show over Dave; nor will I ever understand how Jay lasted so long. I never watched because he was neither in Johnny or Dave's galaxy.

[@jonrosenlof4805]

Dave mentioned in an interview he never wanted the tonight show. He said he knew they'd never let him do the things he liked to do. Jay followed Carson's format .

[@chrisf8855]

Dave was by far better on NBC than on CBS. His show became lamer and lamer as time went on at CBS.

[@ram3621]

I missed his trips out of the studio

[@christinacascadilla4473]

He could not be as experimental at 11:30 as he was at 12:30. Forced to go standard.

[@bertrice999]

and the audience wasn't as cool with constant loud applause after every joke or comment

[@SniffyPoo]

I like it when he was wore tennis shoes and not the old man loafers he's been using for the past 20 years

[@yohei72]

I wish the whole show had been about the dog farm. I could look at that for an hour.

[@OrisLover]

What ever happened to Chris Elliot?

[@CharlesBartowskiHere]

OrisLover He's on a show called Schitts Creek on Audience channel.

[@RaginRonic]

+CharlesBartowskiHere Which is a CBC Television Production. ;)

[@seanaskew4842]

Im guessing that sweater and that collar are both an inside joke

[@duanefrancis9769]

Jay Leno sucked in 1987 too...

[@MissMetalMelissa]

+Duane Francis C'mon. he was pretty okay. He's no Steven Wright or Eddie Murphy. But on the club circuit, he was nails. Which is why Dave so admired him, so inexplicably.

[@lagosditanna2610]

yeah everything he was on here he was kinda zZZzzZ

[@dhpbear2]

That's when he started guest hosting for Johnny after that dust-up with Joan Rivers. Jay shifted into 'safe' mode :(

[@yohei72]

Yeah, that was the standup equivalent of staring at a beige wall.

[@Scalihoo]

Leno's early shows sucked so bad, it took YEARS for him to loosen up then the show went into a weird direction, Johnny hated him great car guy though.

[@oxvenomousxo]

Man....I see Leno was annoying as heck since he started.