AND NOWAn Oral History of "Late Night with David Letterman " 19821993 Single edition by Brian Abrams Politics Social Sciences eBooks
Download As PDF : AND NOWAn Oral History of "Late Night with David Letterman " 19821993 Single edition by Brian Abrams Politics Social Sciences eBooks 
In the early 1980s, before the dawn of cable television, the fresh and ironic obsessions of a charismatic young standup comic named David Letterman transformed comedy forever. In this definitive oral history of "Late Night," Letterman’s NBC 1230 am talk show that aired from 1982 to 1993, writers, producers, executives and actors share revealing stories — from the origins of the "Top 10" lists and "Stupid Pet Tricks" to the battle over who would replace Letterman’s mentor, Johnny Carson, as host of "The Tonight Show," to Letterman’s final days at 30 Rock before moving to CBS for "The Late Show."
Brian Abrams has been described as "the Ken Burns of presidential alcoholism." His first book, "Party Like a President True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery, and Mischief from the Oval Office" (Workman Publishing), is scheduled for release in February 2015. He has written for Playboy, Heeb, High Times, Mental_Floss and other publications, and has contributed to the books "I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You" and "Reefer Movie Madness The Ultimate Stoner Film Guide." He lives in New York City.
Cover design by Adil Dara.
AND NOWAn Oral History of "Late Night with David Letterman " 19821993 Single edition by Brian Abrams Politics Social Sciences eBooks
With David Letterman's retirement approaching sometime next year, it's to be expected that there'll be new books cashing in on his career. Brian Abrams' is the first out the gate, and it's a nice surprise that it's not one of those flash-in-the-pan knock-offs. Instead, this is a comprehensive inside history of Dave's "Late Night" show on NBC as told by those who wrote and produced it, as well as by network executives who had their own relatively more-distant but equally important perspectives.Abrams has provided a seamless narrative solely by allowing the participants to speak for themselves. Oral histories are a tough nut, as they depend on enough witnesses to construct a story. In this effort, Abrams has succeeded: We can follow Dave's career from L.A. in the late-'70s to his move to CBS in '93 through the collective memories of those Abrams has persuaded into telling their tales. Among the more significant voices are Merrill Markoe's and Steve O'Donnell's, who both -- via the words from others -- receive their due recognition for both molding "Late Night" into a manageable and enduring classic as well as surviving the stress and headaches associated with preparing an hour-long program four nights a week.
There's the wonderful "Rashomon"-like origins of the Top Ten list, as one memory conflicts with another but the underlying foundation rings constant. There's the unflinching testimony of Barry Sand's tenure there. There are the numerous details of how particular bits were conceived and realized, like the Suit of Velcro and the 360-degree hour, all from those who came up with these then-revolutionary ideas in the first place. Above all, there's the sense glimpsed from all the testimony on how Dave approached his job.
Is this book definitive? Probably not; there are voices missing, like Gerard Mulligan, Chris Elliott, Barbara Gaines, Jude Brennan, Rick Scheckman, and a few others whose close associations with Dave's shows span four decades. While unfortunate, their absences don't detract from the overall picture Abrams has managed to provide. And Andy Breckman offers perhaps the most sage advice near the end that every writer should heed.
There are a few minor nits: Tom Snyder's studio was, as I recall, on the second floor at 30 Rock, not where Dave's morning show and "Late Night" were broadcast. The section titled "Index" isn't really an index but instead appendices. There are no acknowledgements. Abrams was gracious enough to mention me in his opening chapter, but I feel it didn't really belong there: This is a story about the show, not one viewer's obsession with it.
But none of this should deter anyone from gaining invaluable insights into "Late Night's" remarkable run. Abrams has established a high bar for subsequent writers to reach, and we'll all benefit from the challenge.
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AND NOWAn Oral History of "Late Night with David Letterman " 19821993 Single edition by Brian Abrams Politics Social Sciences eBooks Reviews
so-so book that gives you a few glimpses into the arrival and rise of a notoriously private guy and the show that has been often imitated, never improved upon. but thre's not much depth here. a quick read, not bad. kudos to abrams for pushing merrill markoe to the front throughout the book - she's sadly overlooked by most people who talk about how funny 'late night' is/was.
It told the true history of how late night came to be. Very interesting how the writers came to be and how funny they are. Not taking away how funny David Letterman is naturally. This man is dearly missed on late night TV. Great read. I recommend this to anyone who loves David Letterman and his humor.
In this little book (85 pages) Brian Abrams gathers together remarks from scores of those involved with NBC's Late Night with David Letterman which was on air following Johnny Carson from 1983 to 1990. For Letterman fans, and fans of late night television in general, this is an essential piece of work. I downloaded it last night, read it in one sitting, and closed it with a smile. I'm sure we'll be deluged with books about the life and career of David Letterman, since he is retiring this year, but this is a good one to start with.
I've been a fan of Letterman since the Morning Show. This book brought me back to those heady days of irreverence at NBC. Some f the stuff here I knew, some I didn't (some I had forgotten). I lieu of ever seeing those shows again, we have this book, a series of stories from those involved in the show (writers, producers, guests). If you remember that show fondly, you might enjoy this trip down memory lane.
If you are a Letterman fan or just interested in TV, this well-documented account of groundbreaking comedy is a must. Longtime fans will recognize classic elements of the NBC show (some premises alone will make you laugh out loud reading about them), and will appreciate the recollections from familiar names. As an NBC page during some of those years, Late Night was hollowed ground to me and my coworkers. Abrams' reporting takes you behind the curtain that was couldn't be imagined even if you worked at 30 Rock. Thank you for this rare visit back to Studio 6A.
Chair.
I discovered David Letterman AFTER he moved to CBS so when I see old Late Night footage on YouTube its new to me....and a lot of fun! This book goes behind the scenes into how the show developed and how the team of Letterman, Merrill Markoe, and the other writers, created the most memorable show of the 1980s. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how the Top Ten List came about, how Calvert Deforest felt about his fame, and how the writers ended up on the show and how they decided to leave. And for $2.99 you simply cannot beat the price!
This was a pretty solid, breezy read. Interesting for hardcore fans of the original Late Night show where Letterman and his writing staff changed the face of comedy. It definitely gets into the weeds, and there's a fair amount of self congratulatory musing from the writers and producers of the original show. However, if you were one of those people who stayed up way too late watching the show, and recorded your favorite bits and skits to rewatch later, this is a rewarding read.
With David Letterman's retirement approaching sometime next year, it's to be expected that there'll be new books cashing in on his career. Brian Abrams' is the first out the gate, and it's a nice surprise that it's not one of those flash-in-the-pan knock-offs. Instead, this is a comprehensive inside history of Dave's "Late Night" show on NBC as told by those who wrote and produced it, as well as by network executives who had their own relatively more-distant but equally important perspectives.
Abrams has provided a seamless narrative solely by allowing the participants to speak for themselves. Oral histories are a tough nut, as they depend on enough witnesses to construct a story. In this effort, Abrams has succeeded We can follow Dave's career from L.A. in the late-'70s to his move to CBS in '93 through the collective memories of those Abrams has persuaded into telling their tales. Among the more significant voices are Merrill Markoe's and Steve O'Donnell's, who both -- via the words from others -- receive their due recognition for both molding "Late Night" into a manageable and enduring classic as well as surviving the stress and headaches associated with preparing an hour-long program four nights a week.
There's the wonderful "Rashomon"-like origins of the Top Ten list, as one memory conflicts with another but the underlying foundation rings constant. There's the unflinching testimony of Barry Sand's tenure there. There are the numerous details of how particular bits were conceived and realized, like the Suit of Velcro and the 360-degree hour, all from those who came up with these then-revolutionary ideas in the first place. Above all, there's the sense glimpsed from all the testimony on how Dave approached his job.
Is this book definitive? Probably not; there are voices missing, like Gerard Mulligan, Chris Elliott, Barbara Gaines, Jude Brennan, Rick Scheckman, and a few others whose close associations with Dave's shows span four decades. While unfortunate, their absences don't detract from the overall picture Abrams has managed to provide. And Andy Breckman offers perhaps the most sage advice near the end that every writer should heed.
There are a few minor nits Tom Snyder's studio was, as I recall, on the second floor at 30 Rock, not where Dave's morning show and "Late Night" were broadcast. The section titled "Index" isn't really an index but instead appendices. There are no acknowledgements. Abrams was gracious enough to mention me in his opening chapter, but I feel it didn't really belong there This is a story about the show, not one viewer's obsession with it.
But none of this should deter anyone from gaining invaluable insights into "Late Night's" remarkable run. Abrams has established a high bar for subsequent writers to reach, and we'll all benefit from the challenge.
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