The Letterman Podcast

This episode features stand-up comedian Chad Riden, a longtime Late Show fan and an early member of the legendary online Letterman fan group, alt.fan.letterman. Inspired by Dave from the very beginning, Chad has carved out a career as a broadcaster, performer, and stand-up comic, sharing the stage with legends like Nate Bargatze, Ralphie May, Doug Stanhope, Tom Green, and many more. Chad and Mike...

This episode features the return of Johnny Mac, host of the Daily Comedy News podcast! Johnny and Mike just had to connect this week to break down some huge moments in the world of comedy—especially those involving David Letterman. For the first time in decades, Letterman made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show, an event sparked by Paul Shaffer & The World’s Most Dangerous Band taking o...

This episode features Greg Burmeister, who served as a Late Show with David Letterman page during the final stretch of the show’s legendary run. Greg shares with Mike how he made the leap from Minnesota to New York as a musician, only to land his first gig in the city as a page for Late Show. The two bond over their love of music as Greg recalls some of the incredible bands he saw and interacted w...

This episode features the return of one of our first Friends of the Show, J Ryan! Best known on social media as @PorscheLife111, J is the host of Late Night Playset, which can be found on YouTube. After catching up on how things are in LA following the devastating fires a few weeks ago, J and Mike dive into a long-overdue conversation. They discuss J’s 2.5-month road trip across America, his recen...

This episode features Alita Ditkowsky and her husband, Mike, who share the fascinating story of how Alita found herself in the national spotlight and on Late Show with David Letterman! In 2005, Alita was involved in a high-profile class action lawsuit investigation, which led to several meetings with the highest-ranking officials in the United States, including multiple interactions with President...

This episode features Eric Schmidt, who worked as a page and audience coordinator during one of the most entertaining eras of Late Show with David Letterman from 2009 to 2011. Now a stand-up comedian and host of the podcast Talking Schmidt, Eric reflects on his time at the Ed Sullivan Theater with humor and gratitude. Eric and Mike dive into behind-the-scenes stories of Late Show, including the un...

Episode 160: Andrew L. Buss – The Oral Historian Extraordinaire This week’s guest is Andrew L. Buss, a prolific writer and oral historian who has meticulously documented some of pop culture’s most iconic projects, including The Jerk, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, High Fidelity, Freaks and Geeks, Clerks: The Animated Series, and more. As an assistant, collaborator, and protégé of the late Bill Zehme...

Episode 159: Television Legend David Bianculli Joins the Show Our first episode of the year features David Bianculli, a man who has been writing about television for over 50 years, appeared on radio, and currently teaches television at Rowan University. He’s the author of The Platinum Age of Television and Dangerously Funny, a deep dive into the legacy of The Smothers Brothers, among others. David...

Episode 158 - Rob Kates & Darin Cox: A Letterman Fan Fest Finale for 2024 To wrap up 2024, The Letterman Podcast brings together two friends of the show who have never appeared on the same episode before: Rob Kates and Darin Cox. Rob is the administrator of several thriving Facebook groups, including the David Letterman Fans page, boasting tens of thousands of members. His encyclopedic knowled...

Episode 157: Comedy Catch-Up with John McDermott This episode features the return of John McDermott, founder and host of the Daily Comedy News podcast, with over 1,400 episodes and decades of experience, including his time running comedy programming for SiriusXM. John and Mike have an expansive conversation covering the latest in comedy news, much of it involving none other than David Letterman. T...

The Conclusion of our conversation with author of The Merv Griffin Show: The Inside Story Steve Randisi.

This week, we’re delighted to welcome author Steve Randisi to the show. Steve’s knowledge of Merv Griffin is unparalleled—he literally wrote the book on him, Merv Griffin: The Inside Story. With an encyclopedic understanding of Merv, game shows, and late-night television during their formative years and evolution, Steve offers fascinating insights into the titans of late-night TV. In this episode,...

Episode 154 of The Letterman Podcast This week, we delve into the newly released book Carson the Magnificent by the late, great Bill Zehme, completed posthumously with the help of his collaborator Mike Thomas. The book provides a uniquely insightful take on Johnny Carson, exploring his early years, career, and the magic (both literal and figurative) that made him a television legend. Joining Mike...

This week, we are thrilled to welcome legendary comedy manager Rory Rosegarten to the show. For over four decades, Rory has been guiding the careers of some of the greatest stand-up comics in the world, including Robert Klein, Ray Romano, Brian Regan, Tom Green, and many others. Rory’s influence reaches far and wide. From helping his clients land spots on iconic stages like The Tonight Show with J...

This episode is the thrilling conclusion to our first Friends of the Show series. Featuring an incredible lineup—prolific Letterman comedy writer Steve Young, OG Late Night with David Letterman writer Steve Winer, official Warren Zevon historian Adam Unger, TV historian Allison Lips, and Darin Cox, co-host of the Irritable Dad Syndrome podcast and content creator for Antenna TV—we pick up right wh...

Today’s episode kicks off a new series we’re calling Friends of the Show. In this premiere, Mike is joined by a stellar panel for an epic roundtable discussion that became so lively it had to be split into two episodes! Joining Mike are Letterman legend and prolific comedy writer Steve Young, original Late Night with David Letterman writer Steve Winer, Warren Zevon historian Adam Unger, TV histori...

Episode 150 of The Letterman Podcast celebrates a special guest and a pivotal moment in late-night history with Alex Hazard. Alex started as an intern during the final chapter of Late Show with David Letterman, a role that ultimately led to a full-time position in the audience coordination department. For Alex, his time at the Ed Sullivan Theater was pure magic. In this episode, Alex shares his jo...

This episode of The Letterman Podcast features Chris DeLuca, the mastermind behind the brilliant Talking Trump: The American Emperor Aftershow podcast. Chris shares his wealth of late-night experience, having worked on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, where he even escorted David Letterman back to the late-night studio for his first appearance after moving to CBS. Chris also wrote for The Late Late...

This episode marks the return of one of the most prolific Letterman writers of all time, Steve Young! Mike and Steve catch up to chat about Steve’s latest musical project, Broken Heart Insurance, a hilarious and clever EP available across all streaming services and YouTube. Beyond that, they dive into a nearly existential conversation about the state of television, entertainment, and what it reall...

This week’s guest is John Moran, a broadcasting veteran with over four decades of experience at the highest level. For Late Show with David Letterman, John was the guy who handed Dave the microphone during the preshow Q&A, but that’s just one small part of his fascinating career. Mike and John dive into an amazing conversation that covers John’s journey from delivering TV Guides as a boy, to b...

Today’s episode highlights a beloved segment of the Letterman mythos we’ve been wanting to explore for quite some time… Stupid Pet Tricks! Our guest is none other than Ben Zelevansky, who coordinated this legendary segment for Late Show with David Letterman. An actor, writer, and more, Ben’s career in show business kicked off during his formative years working for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Sa...

Episode 145: George Rothweiler This week’s guest is George Rothweiler, an Emmy-winning camera operator who worked for CBS for over 40 years, including the entire 22-year run of Late Show with David Letterman. George and Mike have an expansive conversation about his journey into the world of television, how he climbed the ranks to cover high-profile sporting events like Super Bowl XII, and his tran...

This episode features the return of television historian and friend of the show, Allison Lips. Mike and Allison, who often have long, in-depth conversations outside of the podcast, bring that dynamic to this episode. The original idea was to focus on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, and while they definitely dive into that, their journey through the material takes some une...

This episode features Francesca Rollins, the youngest daughter of legendary showbiz manager Jack Rollins. Mike and Francesca have a fantastic conversation about how 30 Rockefeller Center, home to Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman, served as the backdrop for her high school and college years. They delve into stories of staffers she interacted with, cherished memories from bein...

Episode 142 of The Letterman Podcast This episode takes a different tone as we memorialize Nicole Ryan, a cherished friend and an integral part of The Letterman Podcast community from the very beginning, who recently passed away after a courageous battle with MS. In this deeply personal conversation, Nicole’s husband and frequent guest on our show, J Ryan, joins Mike exactly one month after Nicole...