Fans expect huge emotional void
At 12:37 a.m. on May 21, it will be the first time in more than three decades that David Letterman is not on television.
When the gap-toothed host signs off from the “Late Show” for the final time, it will create not only a gaping hole in viewing habits but also a huge emotional void for longtime fans. As the May 20 finale approaches, viewers will have to come to grips with the fact it’s the end of an era.
“I belong to a closed Facebook group called alt.fan.letterman, and many of the members almost seem in denial over the big event in late May,” Gerard Mulligan, a longtime Letterman writer who retired in 2004, said in an interview.
Letterman has presided over two late-night programs — first on NBC, then on CBS — since 1982. Over that span, many viewers have formed a bond with the man.
“I don’t know what causes viewers’ deep emotional link to Dave,” Mulligan said. “Partly, I guess because he shares a lot of details of his everyday life, little stories about a frustrating trip to the supermarket, or whatever, that people who are not TV stars can relate to.”
Sensing that connection between Letterman and viewers, a pair of fans in Canada launched Letterman Memories on Twitter and its companion account, Letterman Now, in October. Letterman Memories posts photos and YouTube clips of Letterman highlights over the years, while Letterman Now live-tweets “Late Show” episodes.
“It’s also given us reminders of our adolescence, which is when we first started watching Letterman and forming our comedy preferences,” said Jeff Zuk, one of the operators of the two Twitter accounts.
Steve Young, a current “Late Show” writer, says Letterman’s appeal can be attributed to the host’s genuine personality.
“The attraction of Dave’s show has always been that he’s a real guy, a guy who could eloquently express his genuine outrage, bewilderment, sorrow, and the whole range of other bumpy emotions in addition to providing comedy and showbiz fun,” Young said. “Dave’s fans are people who want the full range of human experience from a late-night talk show — a tall order, but Dave’s been one of the few people who’s ever been able to deliver that.”
Young finds himself becoming more contemplative as Letterman’s late-night run nears its end.
“A large part of my life for 25 years will suddenly be gone, and that’s hard to grasp, and it’s definitely sad,” Young said. “I think of the pride I’ve felt when I’ve written pieces and jokes that Dave really enjoyed. I think of hilarious things he’s said to me in person. I think of various ways he’s been gracious and supportive.
“But certainly one of the most vivid memories is the first time I ever saw the show, in early 1983, when I was staying up late with high school friends and flipping through channels,” he said. “We came upon this show I hadn’t heard of. It was a kind of humor I’d never encountered before, and I laughed uncontrollably for about 20 minutes, curled up in a fetal position on the floor. I couldn’t have imagined then that I’d just taken my first real step on the road to a career in comedy.”
Longtime fans have watched Letterman’s career evolve from the time “Late Night With David Letterman” debuted Feb. 1, 1982, on NBC, when the former Indiana weatherman was 34. The 12:30 a.m. show appealed mainly to college students and other young viewers as the self-deprecating host often mocked conventional talk-show tropes.
