Week 14: September 22-26

Monday September 22, 1980

The Crew: Paul Raley, Wil Shriner, Rich Hall 

Announcer: Bill Wendell

Set: #3

And Now: "...a man who stays awake at the wheel by driving in reverse"

Bad Phone Call: Mary Garland selected to call Tina to tell her she can't play tennis today.  Mary, as winner, receives a year's supply of Winky's Cow Paste. 

Dave: You know, we have a real princess on the show today.

Tina: Who, Mary?

Diane von Furstenberg interview (2 segments)

 

 

Coffee Cup Theater segment - 11th

New International Signs segment

Jon Alpert interview (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest

Later that day, Dave appears on The Tomorrow Show

Tuesday September 23, 1980 

Small Town News segment.  Call to Mrs. Don Saville in Carthage, IN, to discuss clothing made with pig skin.   

Merv Griffin interview (3 segments)

Items from the back of magazines

Arthur Ashe interview

Rich Hall - how a home viewer could be a guest on the show

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest 

Wednesday September 24, 1980  

And Now: "...a regular pied piper of Hamelin"

As Dave walks out, he leads Biff Henderson out first.

New wake-up devices (alarm clocks)

Dr. Wayne Dyer interview (2 segments)

Video - tour of 11th floor Rooftop Garden

Wil Shriner panel

Judy Blume interview (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest 

Thursday September 25, 1980

And Now: "...a veritable one-man fun fest"

Guests who won't be on the show segment.  Includes one person listed as "Emil Melman"

Chevy Chase interview (2 segments)

Musical Guest: Chevy Chase performs "Waltz for Debby"

Items that didn't make it

Dave in audience, asking someone to make a Bad Phone Call for him to get out of speeding ticket he received in Mooresville, IN.  Selects Phil Vinson, who calls Judge Knight in Mooresville to say Dave "needs to go to Norway for surgery" and will miss court date.

Phil: He needs to have his gall bladder removed, and I don't believe we can postpone it because he keeps having these attacks.

Judge: You know, one thing about it, we've got television in Mooresville, too.

Yousuf Karsh interview (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update  

Friday September 26, 1980

Cold Open: Dave gets off elevator on 14th Floor to give tour of show's offices.  Includes Kim Carney, Wil Shriner, Rich Hall, staff production assistants, Merrill Markoe, and Barry Sand.

And Now: "...a man who will have just about anything sanforized"

Note: parts of this episode, and multiple episodes in the future are detailed in a profile on Dave from Esquire magazine by Peter W. Kaplan.

Louise Lasser interview (2 segments)

Stupid Pet Tricks - Louise Lasser's dog is the 1st participant. Louise stays out during the entire segment.  

Viewer Mail Segment

Douglas Casey interview (2 segments)

Jane Pauley NBC News Update

(After this episode, NBC cancels The David Letterman Show, with its final episode scheduled on October 24th.)

Week 13: September 15-19

Monday September 15, 1980

The Crew: Edie McClurg, Paul Raley, Wil Shriner, Rich Hall 

Announcer: Bill Wendell

Set: #3

And Now: "...a man who would rather not get involved"

Dave announces beginning of "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest.  (Date range is originally weekend of November 8th or 15th).  100 words or less, photo of home.  Winner also receives RCA TV and VCR.

Bad Phone Call: Barry Micknick chosen to call mother to apologize for not watering flowers.  Difficult to hear mother Barbara on the phone.

Barbara: (unintelligible)

Barry: Sounded perfectly to me.

Dr. Carlton Fredericks interview (3 segments)

Lettermanland segment.  Dave calls out Bob Pook and Kathleen Ankers for their efforts in the segment

Vance Muse interview

Wil Shriner panel and video

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Tuesday September 16, 1980

And Now: "...a man who thinks things have gone too far already"  

Small Town News segment.  Attempted call to William Reilly in Stem, NC yields silence.

Ann & Art Buchwald interview (3 segments) 

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest

Items from the back of magazines

Dr. Carol Lindemann interview

Rich Hall review of Dressed to Kill

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Wednesday September 17, 1980

And Now: "...a man who knows how to spell NBC"

Unknown Art Masterpieces segment

James Gallant interview.  (2 segments.  In 2nd segment, Dave is taught how to blow glass)

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest  

Coffee Cup Theater segment - 10th

NBC Commissary Etiquette segment.  Merrill Maroke in video.

Tracy Austin interview

Dave in audience - selects Lillian Mitchell from audience to play Jean Dixon (who apparently didn't arrive).  Returns to the audience to give psychic predictions to audience members.

Edwin Newman NBC News Update  

Thursday September 18, 1980

And Now: "...a man who prefers the window seat"

Guests who won't be on the show segment

Jack LaLanne interview (2 segments)

Musical Guest: Jack LaLanne performs "I Gotta Be Me"

Items from the back of magazines  

My New York Video - Wall St.  Hal Gurnee featured in the video

Charles Panati interview (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Dave: We're right in the throws of this contest where by we have the show originate in a viewer's home.  Can we count on you to go with us?

Edwin: Absolutely, David.  Implicitly.

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest

Friday September 19, 1980

Cold Open: side of RCA Building, with Dave appearing to climbing the building with guest George Willig until a dog walks by in the shot.

And Now: "...a man who went to school with Barbie and Ken"  

Viewer Mail segment

Julius Fast interview (2 segments)  

Food items that didn't make it

George Willig interview

Edie McClurg panel and video (McClurg's last on-camera appearance)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Dave announces "Why the David Letterman Show should come to my home" Contest 

Week 12: September 8-12

Monday September 8, 1980

The Crew: Edie McClurg, Paul Raley, Wil Shriner, Rich Hall  (Note: Valri Bromfield still credited as writer)

Announcer: Bill Wendell

Set: #3

Guests include Mary Ellen Pinkham and Edie McClurg as Mrs. Marv Mendenhall

Segments include a call to Henny Youngman

Tuesday September 9, 1980

And Now: "...a man who still is celebrating the Bicentennial"

Dave walks out with the shot framed by a wreath.  Announces that Christmas special will be recorded today before viewers get tired of them, and so that the staff can have the day off. 

New Christmas gifts segment.  Includes Mr. Mashed Potato Head.

Susan Powell interview

Dave: "Thank you for having the courage for being on the show."

Susan: "You know, I was just thinking that..."

Musical Guest: Susan Powell performs "White Christmas"

On the Street video - Christmas Shoppers

Rich Hall Skiing video

Small Town News segment.  Includes update on Men and their Vegetables Hall of Fame.  Call to John Ritz of Canton, OH, who grew a 337 lb. squash.

Tom Feltenstein interview

Visit from Santa (Willard Scott)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update

Closing of show includes all the kids from the audience

Wednesday September 10, 1980

And Now: "...a man who's much smarter than he looks"

Dave announces beginning of contest to host program in your own home  

Dr. William Stein interview and rebuttal to Dave's comment that "elevator music" makes him sick to his stomach.  As he speaks, "elevator music" begins to drown him out.  (This is talent coordinator Willie Stein)

Gary Null interview (3 segments).  In 2nd segment, comparison shown of name-brand products and their generic counterparts.  (One item on display, but not referenced, is generic cow paste and Winky's Cow Paste)  In 3rd segment, Olga Fettuccine from audience selected to do a comparison taste test.

Dave in audience, selecting Dorothy to receive a "Barbara Walters"-style interview

Robert Petro interview (2 segments).  In 2nd segment, speaks with the audience giving psychic discussions.

Edwin Newman NBC News Update  (Dave introduces with voice over, and show goes to commercial at end of update)

Dorothy's "Barbara Walters"-style interview

Thursday September 11, 1980

And Now: "...a man who believes in preventive maintenance"

Guests who won't be on the show segment

Dr. Benjamin Spock interview (2 segments).  In the 2nd segment, Dr. Spock takes questions from the audience.

Coffee Cup Theater segment - 9th

Behind the scenes tour - Chyron machine

Eliot Janeway interview (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update  

Friday September 12, 1980

And Now: "...a man who'd rather do it himself"

(In a reversal of fortune, people are now sitting in the aisles)

Viewer Mail segment (includes a letter about the fire on August 27) 

Edwin Newman interview (2 segments)

Video - Tour of NYC street vendors

Directions to Willard Scott's House segment

Margorie & Morton Shaevitz interview

Margorie: Mothers stayed home, and they took care of the kinds of things like washing, cleaning, ironing, kids, the grocery man who didn't show up, or the linoleum man who did, but now...
(audience holding back laughter)
Dave: I think you rang a bell with linoleum there.
(audience free to laugh now)
Margorie: I wonder what the significance of that is?
Dave: I don't know, I think there's an old, cheap, ugly joke involved.

Edwin Newman NBC News Update  

Paul Raley panel

Musical Guest: Harve Mann performs "The David Letterman Show"

Week 11: September 1-5

Monday September 1, 1980

The Crew: Edie McClurg, Paul Raley, Wil Shriner, Rich Hall  (Note: Valri Bromfield still credited as writer)

Announcer: Bill Wendell

Set: #3

Episode pre-taped as today is Labor Day

And Now: "...a man who counts bridges on car trips"

Dave: "You folks look so familiar to me..."

Bad Phone Call: John Hillsamer from Marion, IN chosen to call parents that he failed to register to the draft.

Dave: John didn't seem to get around to register for the draft, Mr. Hillsamer.

Dad: (laughs)

Mel Fisher interview (2 segments)

Items from the back of magazines

Wil Shriner panel and film

Al DiMeola interview

Musical Guest: Al DiMeola performs "Fantasia Suite"

Larry Cisewski performance and interview


Tuesday September 2, 1980

And Now: "...just one speck in the universe"

Small Town News segment.  Includes column from Lola Boswell on Floyd Stiles' vacation.  Call to Floyd.  He plays Dave a Mitch Miller album (not having a Rusty Draper album handy).

Musical Guest: Mickey Gilley performs "True Love Ways"

Mickey Gilley interview (2 segments)  In 2nd segment, Dave rides mechanical bull.  Gator Conley teaches Dave on how to ride the bull.

 

Travelogue of Hawaii segment

Maggie Scarf interview

Coffee Cup Theater segment - 6th

Rich Hall as Darth Vader segment

Edwin Newman NBC News Update


Wednesday September 3, 1980

And Now: "...a man who went through his Senior year with a milk ring around his mouth"

In opening shots, empty rows of seats are shown.   In opening segment, Art Cooper shows off "Laugh Machine", and in 2nd segment, audience members do radio show with sound effects from the Machine.

Harold Stassen interview (2 segments)

My New York video

As Dave introduces Bob Fellows, a shepherd comes into the studio

Dave: "Ladies and Gentlemen, what you're witnessing here is a good idea gone awry."

Bob Fellows interview and magic tricks (2 segments)

Edwin Newman NBC News Update


Thursday September 4, 1980

Guests include James Clavelle, Roger Kahn, Back to School tips, and Coffee Cup Theater segment - 7th


Friday September 5, 1980

And Now: "...a man who won't sit on leather in the Summer"

Dave states that the band is really cooking.  Frank is then shown wearing a chef's hat, grilling a chicken.  (This also occurred the day before, with Frank cooking hamburgers)

Viewer Mail segment

Judith Viorst interview (2 segments)

Coffee Cup Theater segment - 8th

New International Signs segment

Dr. Daniel Tortora interview

Rich Hall - Pitkinville, MT segment

Nadine Stewart NBC News Update