Stuff Dave News Today

Join us after that last show. first of all, tom, your review of daves final show? >> very entertaining, which is what he would want it to be. and as you said not emotional, particularly. there wasnt -- im not sure both the eyes in my house were dry. i got a little emotional. because, you know he impacted the culture, to use that dull academic language. he really -- that show even though it wasnt number one and contrary to all that stuff, the top ten lists and the expressions, and the whole attit...

Over the years. theres something about him that is just -- hes your older brother, hes your mentor. hes a protection against the network. hes a smart and funny guy. and you feel like youre on the same team with him and you feel like you really respect this guy that youre working for, which is not always the case. >> yeah. and tom shales, remember, youre hearing that from writers who, as you know, with any writer necessary copy, most of the stuff theyve offered dave hes rejected and they still ar...

Mcdonald last week. >> i know that mr. letterman is not for the mockish and he has -- he has no truck for the sentimental, but if something is true it is not sentimental and i say, i love you. >> oh, wow. oh my god. >> the subject of last nights star-studded top ten list was things ive always wanted to say to dave. >> your expensive plastic surgery was a necessity. and a mistake. >> im just glad your show is being given to another white guy. >> thanks for finally proving men can be funny. >> dav...

Well take care of it. vo: we put members first... join the nation. thank you. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ people say to me dave when did you know it was time to retire? i said well, there were signs. there was always signs along the way. i think one of the signs was todd the cue card kid came up to me and said for the love of god, dave i cant write the words any bigger. remember that? all right, fine. all right.

Another "star wars" or "jaws" or movies as popular as that. i may be wrong and maybe im overstating the case. but i felt very sad as i was watching the final david letterman show the past couple of weeks. its very sad about what we were losing. >> well, yeah. what is statistically true is that a hit on television today requires many many fewers viewers than a hit on television just ten years ago required. were going to go to a break, but before we do i just want to show something from last night...

And the ad-libs were always from somewhere where you wouldnt have ever thought of them yourself. maybe some of the great letterman writers would have. but i mean, most people, most comedians, i dont think, would come up with the brilliantly funny things he said. and there was a lot of satire inway did, as well. kind of instant satire. and and they talk about sound comedy, you know? but you have to know where to look for it. you know to know where to find it, too p you cant just find this by warn...

Stuff about all these people are more talented than i am and i just do a job, i think that is false modesty. i think dave probably thinks pretty highly of himself, but he doesnt like to say those things out loud. i think its a midwestern trait, i think. so he keeps talking himself down self-deprecating remarks and so on. but he was one of the great entertainers, i think, in the history of the medium. >> kevin, talk about how dave feels about it because my impression from you writers who ive know...

Of the mcdone als or wherever they were you know they may -- i dont know, maybe they had to shoot for three hours to get two minutes of that. i dont know. but the stuff dave came up with i dont think, was written in advance. he had a great mind. well, he still does as far as we know. but he was so fast and so sharp. and the ad-libs were always from somewhere where you wouldnt have ever thought of them yourself. maybe some of the great letterman writers would have. but i mean most people most com...

Yous beforehanding the show over to the music of the foo fighters and the high speed montage of decades of dave. here are david lettermans last words to his audience. >> throughout the years of this show and the show at nbc, i have been blessed and lucky to work with men and women who are smarter than i am and funnier than i am. the people who watch this show theres nothing i can do to ever repay you. thank you for everything. youve given me everything. and thank you again. >> all right. thats p...

Television. television, you know, splittered up into a million channels and instead of three networks which we had 50 years ago when dave was growing up and i was, you know now we have a woodworking channel and a trout fishing channel and all of that. and i dont think were going to have the kind of unity we had. and this is really a truism by this point, that we had with dave. and, you know it was even greater with johnny carson when johnny said good night i think there were like 50 million view...