David Letterman
Who David Letterman is
Television host, comedian, writer and producer who hosted major-network late-night television for 33 years: Late Night with David Letterman on NBC from 1982 and Late Show with David Letterman on CBS through 2015. He later returned to long-form interviewing with Netflix's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
At a glance
- Born
- 1947
- Came up through
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Comedy Store
- On screen
- Late Night with David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and 1 more
- WTF with Marc Maron
- Episode 1023
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Late Night with David Letterman
- Late Show with David Letterman
- My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson first appearance, 1978; later a guest host
Where they got their start
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson his break; later a guest host, from 1978
- The Comedy Store began performing there; one of the 1970s generation Mitzi Shore picked, 1970s
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Comedy Store:
Comedians like David Letterman
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Andy Kaufman also in Late Night with David Letterman
- Paula Poundstone also in Late Night with David Letterman
- Byron Allen also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Elayne Boosler also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Jay Leno also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Jimmie Walker also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Louie Anderson also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Robin Williams also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Questions about David Letterman
Where is David Letterman performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Late Night with David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Where did they get their start?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (his break; later a guest host) and The Comedy Store (began performing there; one of the 1970s generation Mitzi Shore picked).
When were they born?
In 1947.
Have they been on WTF with Marc Maron?
Yes — episode 1023.
Who are some comedians like them?
Andy Kaufman (also in Late Night with David Letterman), Paula Poundstone (also in Late Night with David Letterman), Byron Allen (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), Elayne Boosler (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson) and Jay Leno (also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Television Academy — David Letterman ↗ 33-year late-night career and Emmy history
- Netflix Media Center — My Next Guest Needs No Introduction ↗ current interview series
- Ball State University — About David Letterman ↗ early career and broadcasting history
- Johnny Carson (official YouTube channel) — David Letterman's First Appearance ↗ His first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, original airdate 24 November 1978 (read 28 September 2026)
- Wikipedia — David Letterman ↗ year of birth
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 25 September 2026