Summary
- Letterman was stunned by the changes at The Late Show, calling the backstage area a "mall" and praising the new atmosphere.
- Fans loved Letterman's return, noting his humor and interactions with Colbert. He felt grateful and respected by all.
- Letterman revealed he felt "orphaned" in the talk show world, with no one to rely on during tough moments in his career.
Five months ago, David Letterman made his anticipated return to The Late Show. It was an emotional moment for both Stephen Colbert and David Letterman. At the start of his interview, Letterman was stunned by all the changes made behind the scenes. We're going to reveal what he had to say, and why he was shocked by the treatment and new atmosphere behind the scenes.
In addition, we're going to take a closer look at what the two discussed during the interview, and how the fans felt about Letterman's return to the Ed Sullivan Theater after eight years away.
Let's take a closer look.
David Letterman Called The Backstage Area A Mall, And Was Given A Menu In His Dressing Room
It was a monumental moment as David Letterman finally returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater for the first time since hosting the last Late Show episode in 2015. As expected, David Letterman was completely shocked by some of the changes that had taken place since his last appearance on the show. In particular, Letterman raved about the changes Stephen Colbert and company made backstage.
Letterman tells Colbert, "It is a delight to be back and let me just share with a couple of observations I've had since I've been in this facility. It is like a mall. It is unbelievable. It is like Rodeo Drive. Ladies and gentlemen, this is television of the future."
He continues, "The dressing room is better than any hotel I've ever stayed at in my life. I'll be here through Christmas. They have snacks in the dressing room and a menu."
The two continued their conversation with Colbert revealing the one regret David Letterman had, which was not trying to switch the desk onto the other end of the room. Colbert did, but it seemed like Letterman was hilariously over it, saying, "who give a damn."
The interview is definitely worth a look back on.
With over 1 million fans watching the interview back, there were lots of comments related to Letterman's Late Show return.
Fans Had A Blast With David Letterman's Interview Alongside Stephen Colbert
It shouldn't be too surprising, but David Letterman received a lot of support for his return alongside Stephen Colbert back in late 2023. Fans noted that Letterman hadn't missed a step during his conversation with Colbert.
Fans wrote, "So lucky to live in the time of David Letterman. His candid humor and shy gratitude is so human and comforting."
Another fan noted, "You can see Dave's muscle memory kick in as he walks out. His interactions with the band and the audience made me think he was about to start in with a monologue. Such an icon!"
Other fans appreciated how respected Letterman was by both the fans and Colbert during the interview.
"I absolutely love how, no matter what, nearly all talk show hosts and a great deal of audiences always make sure Dave is not only welcome wherever he may roam, but also gets the respect and affection he's earned over 33 years being a nightly companion to viewers all around the world."
It was clear that Letterman appreciated his return, and was clearly stunned by the developments made behind the scenes since his last appearance almost a decade ago in 2015.
Stephen Colbert Asked David Letterman If He Spoke To Other Late Show Guests During Tough Moments
Colbert and Letterman had other interesting conversation points during their interview. Among them, was Colbert asking Letterman if he ever relied on someone during the hard times. Colbert admitted that Jon Stewart was always available during difficult points in his career.
“I’m lucky enough to have my friend John Stewart to talk about this weird job with and my friends in Strike Force Five… Was there anybody for you, when you were in the chair, that you were you could do that with? Somebody you could call and just talk about it. Could you call Johnny [Carson]?”
Sadly, the audience felt for Letterman as he didn't have that type of connection with anyone else (especially Jay).
Letterman revealed he was “orphaned in the talk show world.” Whatever Letterman did back then, it clearly worked, as to do this very day, fans are still appreciative of his contributions to the late night scene.
