David Letterman was the host of his own talk shows for a total of 33 years. After stints as a guest host for Johnny Carson, he and Jay Leno became rivals (one of the “late night wars” that roiled TV) for the role of successor to Carson, whose own “Tonight Show” was — and still is — the industry standard.
Leno eventually won the gig, but Letterman landed on his feet. His tenure began in 1982 with “Late Night with David Letterman” and ended in 2015 with the “Late Show with David Letterman.”
He hosted over 6,000 episodes throughout his career, making him the longest-serving television host in history. His one-on-one interviews, as well as his various off-kilter segments, are still classics.
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