THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMANI caught an episode of Late Show on ITV 4 last night and it just struck me how continually awful David Letterman is. The fact he's just a revered and worshipped legend of American television just baffles me on most levels. His show is a stinker. If it wasn't for the A-list guests (usually, we'll forget the US politicians and musicans that pepper the show -- the audience even seem to) there really is no tangible reason I can think of to watch it.
Back in 1996 I saw Late Show for the first time - on Sky One, back then. It's amazing to think it's been on US TV since '93, and in a previous Late Night incarnation since '82!! But anyway, what annoyed me last night was how a 2006 episode (with Harry Connick Jnr as the main guest) was nearly identical to a 1996 episode I saw (with Harry Connick Jnr, plugging Independence Day)!
Not identical in the strictest sense of the word, that would be silly, but it's a source of endless confusion for me that the Late Show never, ever, ever changes it format. Yes, I know it's a chat show and there's only so much you can do to make it different from competitors, but... God almighty... David Letterman is the purest example of an overly paid entertainer who's totally complacent with his show and gets away with it!
Before any fans of Dave e-mail me, yes I understand that when Late Night/Show first aired it was a revolution and some of the stunts/pranks/skits Letterman did were pioneering stuff that has influenced many people... but that was in the past. The vast majority of "classic Letterman" examples fans ever tell me about happened in the late-80's/early-90's!
The chat show genre has a lot to thank Letterman for, I know. His format has been plagiarised the world over... but at least the copycats give their own shows continual twists to keep them fresh or (here's an idea, Dave) just end the bloody show when it becomes clear they're repeating themselves!
Don't any Americans find Letterman's schtick irriating? A rambling, unfunny monologue? Check. Numerous tie-straightenings? Check. Pointless gurning and pen twiddling? Check. Card throwing at the model New York? Check. Paul Schaeffer being unfunny? Check. A "Top 10" list with about 2 funny jokes? Check. Crap competition with the audience? Check. The band giving musical accompaniment to Letterman's every move, while the audience hoot like they're on drugs? Check.Sigh. This turgid mess is on for what seems like 365 days a year! Talk about overkill! What's worse is that all his native competitors (Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, et al) just blindly follow his lead and daren't try and shake-up their own shows with anything resembling originality either!
Now, the UK certainly offers no gold-plated alternative, but Jonathan Ross' interviews on his Friday Night show are undoubtedly more risque and hilarious than Letterman's (particularly when US stars are blindsided by his swearing and robust humour). It's of particular delight to me when a big-name American star clearly expect a Letterman style love-in sprinkled with plugs for their latest movie... but instead gets a bizarre grilling and have to go on the defence. For a great "rabbit caught in the headlights" moment try and find Sarah Michelle Gellar interview on Ross' show!
Oh well. Letterman will undoubtedly be stuck in the Ed Sullivan theatre twiddling his pen and twitching away to riotous applause until the day he dies... only to be replaced "Johnny Carson-style" with another so-called comedian who won't risk upsetting the apple cart and simply give the Yanks more of the same...
I'll tune in to the Late Show again in 2016, maybe. I wonder if Harry Connick Jnr will still have something to plug? Probably the Independence Day 20th Anniversary re-release...