Have an extra 45 minutes before David Letterman’s final Late Show tonight? Then you need to sit down and watch Letterman’s debut episode on NBC’s Late Night because it is simply crazy - or exactly how you expect an episode of a Letterman show to go.
The episode has actually been on YouTube for awhile, but Decider and a few other sites have dug it up to check out Letterman’s beginnings. Amazingly, the episode shows that Letterman burst onto the scene with a fully-formed idea of how he wanted to deconstruct and rebuild the late show format.
Aired on Feb. 1, 1982, the episode begins with an Alfred Hitchcock lookalike warning us about what’s to come. And then, before Letterman’s monologue, women dressed like peacocks - because this is on NBC, remember - come out to dance. Even during that first monologue though, he’s making fun of NBC and continue to do so throughout his “tour” of the studio.
Bill Murray is the first guest and spends an odd time talking about a fluffy panda. Then Mr. Wizard - who starred on educational programs - is “tricked” into doing dirty jokes.
The episode shows off how remarkably consistent Letterman has been over three decades. Even Paul Shaffer is there as his sidekick and band leader. There’s also several skits throughout.
Letterman’s last episode airs tonight, with his favorite band, The Foo Fighters, as musical guests.
screenshot from Zschim YouTube video