Comedy staple and late-night icon David Letterman is celebrating his 30th year on late-night television this evening.
Letterman started his after comedy career on a short-lived morning show called "The David Letterman Show" which was critically acclaimed but not a ratings success.
Two years later came the big NBC gig, "Late Night with David Letterman." The show was a huge hit and Letterman was responsible for some of the best comedy bits of all time. "Late Show" saw the creation of such classic routines like "Stupid Pet Tricks," "Stupid Human Tricks," and "Small Town News."
But when Johnny Carson retired from "The Today Show" in 1992 and the gig went to Jay Leno, Letterman moved to CBS and started a late night rivalry that provided for some awesome (and sometimes even awkward) laughs.
Celebrities, comedy bits, and surprising emotional moments are what make Letterman's show so fun to watch.
10. "Will It Float?"
One of Letterman's new bits on "The Late Show with David Letterman" was also one of the most bizarre. This bit saw Letterman take different items and put them in water to see if they'll float or not. It was preceeded with a hard rock theme by sidekick and music legend Paul Schaffer and it spawned a board game of the same name.
Though how this bit actually works as a board game is still a mystery.
9. Crispin Glover gets physical
"Back to the Future" star Crispin Glover always looked a bit strange. But it wasn't apparent how strange he really could be until he made his first appearance on "The Late Show" in 1987.
While promoting his film "River's Edge," Glover made his appearance as a character from one of his other movies, "Rubin and Ed." A movie which would not be released for another four years.
During the weird interview, Glover challenged Letterman to an arm-wrestling match and proceeded to do a roundhouse kick which almost his Letterman in the face. After commercial break, Glover was gone.
Awkward...
8. "Great Moments in Presidential History"
When George W. Bush was in office, Letterman used his two-term presidency as comedy gold. He didn't have to do much for this particular sketch.
"Great Moments" took bits of different speeches and press conferences by the former president and picked out the most embarrassing moments or the scenes that made Bush look as ridiculous as possible.
In early 2009, right before President Obama's inauguration, Letterman showed the grand finale of "Great Moments." Check it out.
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