Conan O'Brien Pays Tribute to David Letterman's Career in Touching Letter
TV

O'Brien highlights the impact that Letterman has brought on comedy, jokingly saying, 'Everything was wrong,' but '... the world since has been a better place.'

AceShowbiz - Conan O'Brien pens a touching tribute to David Letterman ahead of the latter's "Late Night" exit. In an essay published on Entertainment Weekly, the "CONAN" host describes Letterman as "a comedic revolution."

He recalls the first time he saw Letterman on TV in 1980, "I looked at the screen and immediately everything was wrong." He jokingly says of Letterman on his NBC morning show, "The guy didn't look right. His hair resembled an ill-fitting vintage leather motorcycle helmet. His front teeth had a massive gap that looked almost painted-on as a joke."

Noting that Letterman's "subversive, untamed morning show" didn't last long, O'Brien says that Letterman then moved on with the late-night talk show and he "completely re-invented the format." He adds, "By 1985, when I graduated from college and was ready to try my hand as a comedy writer, 'Late Night with David Letterman' had been the Holy Grail for several miraculous years."

O'Brien writes, "He amused himself, skewered clueless celebrity guests, and did strange, ironic comedic bits that no one had seen on television before. Everything about that show was surreal and off-kilter. Where late night television had once provided comfort, this man reveled in awkwardness."

He then concludes, "So let's keep it simple: Not one single writer/performer in the last 35 years has had Dave's seismic impact on comedy. Every day, I read that a new comic has 'changed the game,' and admittedly there is an absurd abundance of talent and creativity out there right now. But in today's' world of 30 late night programs, it's tempting now to take Dave for granted. Do not. Dave was a true revolution-and I believe his innovations are up there with the light bulb and the Twix bar. Like all revolutions, it was such a seismic shift that it was disorienting and a bit messy at first, and it has taken us time to realize the sheer magnitude of the shift."

"And so, as Dave departs, I can't help but remember that strange vision on my television way back in 1980. Immediately, everything was wrong, wrong in every way-and because it was so wrong the world since has been a better place. So before the man leaves, I'd like to say, from all of us: Thank you, David Waldingfield Letterman."

Letterman will take a final bow on "Late Show" on May 20. Prior to that, CBS will air a primetime special called "David Letterman: A Life On Television" on May 4 at 9:30 P.M. with Ray Romano as the host. A promo for the 90-minute special has now landed online.

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