Parents' Night on Letterman, February 25, 1986

Among the best of Late Night. From A&E's syndicated broadcast on November 29, 1991.

[@redshiftexperiment]

The somewhat acoustic/ stripped down version of the theme is pretty much worth it on it's own!! Loved that!!

[@fortedrummer3026]

This show is a treasure.

[@wizards001]

Thanks Tom, the late at night show

[@JohnRoland]

Now one of my all time favorite Letterman shows!!! Thanks for posting it

[@prmaninla]

Parents are glorious! Parents in the 80s were so much better. "Are you proud of her?" "Um, I think we are..."

[@leventahmed82]

Loved Late Night ! Miss it tremendously

[@joecole5643]

I remember when this show aired. Never forgot it.

[@_PrimetimePranks]

Lol "thanks Tom."

[@floofytown]

This is just ... I mean, I don't even know how to take this. It's beautiful. It's bizarrely heartfelt in spots, and sometimes just bizarre. It feels like a no-budget free-for-all. So weird without the audience laughing. You can't even once point to something that reveals the huge tongue in the cheek. There's so many layers...but Dave plays it as if it's all straight, almost. It's like you can convince yourself he's actually genuinely interested in meeting all these parents, and not just putting on a proto-anti-comedy Dada happening. Flavors of Tim and Eric here. Ahead of its time by about 25 years. With this episode especially, I can see why some people just firmly did not get his comedy...and the people who did felt like they were in on the biggest joke ever. I'm just glad I'm in the latter group.

[@adamkorekach9936]

Very astute observations. And growing up watching Letterman with my parents back in the 80’s, this clip brings back a flood of sweet memories from happier times. Cheers.

[@culwin]

What really makes it work is the small, plain offices of the New York building. If it was LA they would be spacious and modern (for the time).

[@Yobbie72]

@@culwin horrible hovel of a place.

[@chuckthurmond]

Great video. I believe this is only time I've heard Prince's "DMSR" on television (when Dave enters Chris Elliott's office).

[@alexestevez-bm8ml]

Wow, Paul sounds so much like his dad!

[@omeolife1]

This is so beautiful thank you Don

[@gayliengirl]

thanks for uploading man - its good stuff

[@Veronique487]

wow! am I getting old? why am I enjoying these shows so much?

[@allendracabal0819]

I enjoy them now just as much as I enjoyed them when they first aired.

[@randall-king]

Terrific episode!

[@Heres_Johnny.]

Just plain fun. Great episode.

[@itstherevolution]

Wow what a sweet show!

[@scottrogers2599]

This is fantastic!! I loved these episodes!! You just never knew what was going to happen!

[@sdne1959]

. I remember the NBC years fondly (especially during Merrill Markoe's run) when Dave was young, frisky, and the show was ENDLESSLY inventive and fun........ A real shame we have to grow old..... .

[@JoseAGamez-ci9rt]

I wrote in another video that had just the section of Dave's mom that this is what Talk Shows are all about. Nothing about the "squeaking clean laugh track" it's become recently. I was sadly born way too late from this generation but I just love this show.

[@gregfujita2582]

thank u thank u thank u...of all of dave's 1,800 + shows on nbc, this is in the top 5....I was checking a map recently and they gave the trophy for "who flew the farthest" for the show..not the furtons ,it should've gone to rita mulligan from oakland, ca...oakland is a bit farther than guadalajara....

[@dongiller]

Thanks; I agree.

[@billfletcher7602]

The best. Wonderfully awkward.

[@moaningpheromones]

It started when David threw caution to the wind in the last three weeks of the morning show (nothing to lose with impending cancellation). He gained a following there and he never looked back.

[@NevadaBoss]

Took me 3o years, but am finally going to get to see Bernie Shaffer's son..and the World's Most Dangerous Band..at Caesar's tonight. You finally made it, Paul! Sammy would be so proud!

[@dongiller]

Fantastic. Let us know how it is. He's put together the "Shaf-Shifters" band; I'm curious who's in it, as it may not be the same personnel as his WMDB.

[@NevadaBoss]

Will do. He's playing in this bizarre, fairly small lounge called Cleopatra's Barge, which is an actual boat on which the stage is set inside Caesar's. Too perfect by half as a venue for Paul to play...will let u know how it goes...

[@NevadaBoss]

Just to close the loop...Paul was in fine form, dressed in a bright orange suit "which I guess you could call Christmasy!" Showed clips from his days on SNL, Letterman & his scenes in Spinal Tap..His wife & daughter were in the audience (missed Marty Short who was there for opening night..damn!) but the Shaf-Shifters were great..all local Vegas musicians, many who play regularly at the Cleopatra's Barge lounge where the show took place..A mighty fine musician--and as his friend Mr Short likes to say, "he looks great, and I think it was brave to keep the eyebrows!" (; A brief sampling of his tribute to James Brown.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqHbhnyBnt-ef80

[@dongiller]

Great report, thanks! And thanks for the video. That yours? How large an ensemble? What was the audience like? Was the room at capacity?

[@NevadaBoss]

Yup, video is mine (I was at the side of the stage, ergo the side view)IT's a really small venue so likely not much more than 100+ people & close to being a full house, but then I noticed it wasn't as packed in the casino as usual either..gonna be very different next wk when New Year's approaches.The audience was mostly over 50, but funny thing is, if you were sitting at the (free) bar next to the venue, u could likely hear the show too..he's back the next 2 weekends

[@ztoxtube]

"The room is just filled up with parents." -- Dave

[@colleenyoung6993]

That was great

[@gnelms24]

Cathy Vasapoli married Paul Shaffer in 1990 and became Mrs. Cathy Shaffer.

[@thegrimyeaper]

8:54 That is some seriously funky music.

[@dhpbear2]

00:20 - "The 'Late at Night Show'" :) he-he I guess NBC didn't QUITE clean house! :)

[@littlewing6231]

How about near the end when Paul Schaffer’s dad starts talking to David and people are playing grab ass and talking loudly. Paul gets rightfully pissed off and snaps “ my dad is talking right now “. And within 5 seconds you could hear a pin drop in there except for his dad and Letterman. Way to go Paul. You could of stood and said nothing but you showed class and respect for your pops. !!!!!!!!!!

[@UpstateMediaNY]

COSELL CAMEO!!!!!!!!

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Poor Sid. 12:47 What happened?

[@dontrockwobble]

43:24 I love how this ends with a shot of Howard alone with his books. My guess is he probably signed 10 of them, only 5 were ever taken home by the parents, and 0 actually read.

[@allendracabal0819]

That was classic Hal Gurnee. He was a brilliant director and meshed well with Dave's style.

[@davanmani556]

I get this feeling that Dave wished his father was still alive and at this meet the parents

[@Yobbie72]

I don't.

[@culwin]

So incredibly awkward. I can't believe they were allowed to do this. Awesome, though.

[@trentrock3210]

Yeah, the NFL sure has declined Howard.

[@catherinerosa-baker2937]

I don't know any of them

[@milart12]

6:28 Larry David's future and now ex-wife

[@MrSteelermania]

Wealthy lady

[@AUTOPSY666]

$300M!

[@michaeldivincenzo2532]

WATCHED 3/5/21

[@Yobbie72]

cool story bro

[@andyb811]

Looks like the offices were much better when he moved to CBS. NBC offices seemed kindof dumpy.

[@randall-king]

Keep in mind it was a decade earlier and styles of decorating and such were different. A brand new couch purchased in 1975 transported to 1995 might look dumpy, but it’s just different in style.

[@andyb811]

@Randall King - I think he occupied whatever they had for him and at CBS it was renovated just for him. CBS was all in on finally having a late night show, imho.

[@randall-king]

@@andyb811 I agree with that, as well.