The Remote Island : Late Show With David Letterman

So Dave Says To Regis, Who's Dressed As Shrek, "Let's Get Some Whores" [VIDEO]

Bryan Christian — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:40:00 GMT

No, seriously. It's basically amazing. Click through for video.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.joost.com/094wju4/t/Letterman-Regis-Is-Shrek"&amp;gt;Letterman - Regis Is Shrek&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Korean Dictator Brings New Record, Two-Inch Lifts To Letterman

Bryan Christian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:31:00 GMT

Well, after 10 years of jetting around the world dressed like the leader of a honky junta, Bono's politically-informed sense of style finally caught up with him last night when, on the first night of U2's weeklong residency on The Late Show, Mr. -No showed up wearing what looks to be our Kim Jong-Il costume from a few Halloweens back. Tuft of hair on top of his closely cropped head? Check. Weird aviator shades? Check. Frankenstein-thick soles to mask his freakish shortness? Oh, you don't even know...

Click through for a picture!

Dollars to donuts there's one cameraman in New York City who's been firmly instructed not to pan down for the rest of the week.

PREVIOUSLY:

U2 On "The Late Show With David Letterman" - For A Week

Joaquin Phoenix Acts Crazy, David Letterman Makes The Best of It; We Are Speechless

Lindy Parker — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:34:00 GMT

Okay, here's our theory: Joaquin Phoenix is cast in a Charles Manson biopic and he's currently too deep in the method for there to be any hope of escape. At any rate, we are completely mesmerized by this video of his appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman last night, mostly because it proves once again that David Letterman's comedic genius knows no bounds. Neither, apparently, does Joaquin Phoenix's crazy -- it has to seen to be believed...

Previously:

Bill Hicks on Letterman: Better 15 Years Late Than Never

David Letterman and Ben Roethlisberger Talk Hangovers

Bill Hicks On Letterman: Better 15 Years Late Than Never

Jake Kalish — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Well this was very odd television viewing. But very moving. David Letterman apologized profusely on Friday night's Late Show for censoring controversial comic Bill Hicks' performance 15 years ago, 4 months before the 32-year-old died of pancreatic cancer. At first, the crowd didn't know what to make of it, and laughed uneasily - and then they realized, crap, Letterman's serious, and he's really sorry. Dave then welcomed Bill Hicks' mother, and apologized more. And then he showed the routine he censored a decade and a half ago. Which, as we mentioned before, though briliiant and biting, is the sort of thing network television might censor. Don't know why he did this now, but glad he did.

Here's Letterman's apology, and the crowd's "what are we supposed to do" reaction:

Here's Dave's moving interview with Bill Hicks' mother:

And here's the censored Bill Hicks Late Night With David Letterman performance:

PREVIOUSLY:

Classy David Letterman Will Air Bill Hicks' Censored Performance

"The Late Show With David Letterman" Top 10 With Hall Of Famers Rickey Henderson And Jim Rice

Jake Kalish — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:44:00 GMT

This is kind of funny, but not nearly as funny as Rickey Henderson himself, who constantly referred to himself in the third person, and once left this phone message on the answering machine of San Diego Padres General Manager Kevin Towers:

"This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball."

Rickey Henderson was an all-time great baseball player, and is an even better personality - here are the 25 best Rickey Henderson stories, including his pregame ritual for his entire quarter-century career, which consisted of standing naked in front of a full-length mirror and repeating the phrase "Rickey's the best" for several minutes. How can you not love a guy like that? David Cross does a fantastic Rickey Henderson bit on his album Shut Up You F***ing Baby - here it is. And here, as promised, is the Letterman video, with co-Hall Of Fame Inductee Jim Rice, who only refers to himself in the first person. Boring! Anyway, the clip is funny, but if the show's producers were smarter, they would have invited Rickey to sit down and start talking about Rickey. That's entertainment.

David Letterman Showed Kate Hudson's Ass To America Last Night

Bryan Christian — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Try as we might, we can not shake the unswerving sense that, in fact, we have a massive crush on Kate Hudson. Somehow this star of frothily bland romcoms and former wife of that keeps making us vaguely heartsick everytime we see her, like back when we knew her in middle school she wasn't the starlet that she is today so we blew her off, and now, this. (We didn't know her, guys, it's a metaphor. Or something.)

Well, Diamond Dave Letterman did nothing to help the situation last night, as he brought out a new photo book featuring a bent-over Hudson in garters and a bare ass.

Click through for the video.

"That's my butt," says this Oscar-winning mother. Oh, Kate, maybe it is. Maybe if CBS (or whoever "OMNI" is) hadn't blurred it out then could we know for sure. In the meantime, guess we will be looking for this in our neighborhood Barnes & Noble.

David Letterman Got Jennifer Aniston's Tie Last Night

Bryan Christian — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:15:00 GMT

Video -- which features some stripper-y-type music as Jen drapes Dave in the magical accessory -- after the jump.

PREVIOUSLY:

Jennifer Aniston Gets Naked For GQ!

Enough Aniston?

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Us Jennifer Aniston Was Looking For A Man?

Tom Cruise Does "Top Ten Craziest Things People Say About Tom Cruise"

Jake Kalish — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:36:00 GMT

Video after the jump.

Weirdly, none of things are anywhere near as crazy as anything we or Rob Thomas heard.

Jay Leno Rejected An Offer To Go On Letterman

Bryan Christian — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:36:00 GMT

Brotha ain't lettin' nothin' make him seem weak on this one, is he? Always be closing, eyes on the prize... No time for weird, wooly, wonderful moments like the 22-year old clip above. Look how much they like each other! What kind of world was that???

Mr. Leno said the Letterman show had indeed invited him to be a guest that night (June 1). “I would leave the show on Friday and do Dave on Monday,” he said, relating a plan undoubtedly hatched at a time when the Letterman show expected Mr. Leno to be leaving NBC (perhaps in an eight-cylinder huff) for ABC.
Not that it was really going to happen. “It would look like an insult to Conan,” Mr. Leno said. “I would never do that.”
An appearance with Mr. Letterman “would be fun to do sometime,” Mr. Leno said.

We totally get Leno's point here, and he's right: it would be kind of weird to do Letterman before doing Conan, and there's no way that Conan would want Leno on his first show. So it's a little impossible. And yet -- we can't believe that Letterman's people did it just to be able to say they did. Letterman doesn't do anything just to say he did. If his show offered Leno a spot, they meant it -- and in offering it, they'd have made the first serious effort to bridge the long-standing divide between these two titans. Ah, well.

[via TVSquad]

Paula Abdul Pretends To Walk Off Letterman Over Stalker Talk

Bryan Christian — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:24:00 GMT

Hold up: the one time Paula thinks about getting off-camera during an interview, and it's with a guy who's been there too?

Video after the jump.

The Weekly Rewind: Everyone's a Comedian

Ben Kallen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:40:00 GMT

The comedians made fun of the candidates, the candidates went on comedy shows, and everyone seemed to think that being serious was the same as raising taxes. Meanwhile, the new TV season was still going strong, except that maybe nobody was watching. We'll try to make sense of it all -- and be funny! -- as we bring you the highlights of the week.

We decided that whoever wins the popular vote, comedy will take the election. We were hoping for a late-night foursome, but still enjoyed seeing John McCain finally make it to Dave Letterman's comedy hot seat. We enjoyed the debate, but were a little disappointed by the inevitable follow-up spoof on Saturday Night Live. We watched as Tina Fey tried to beg off impersonating Sarah Palin, but she couldn't help telling Dave how she does it. And it didn't matter, because Sarah Palin's coming to SNL herself -- and she'll probably take over 30 Rock next.

We were surprised when Mark Wahlberg lost his sense of humor entirely. But we had to admit, that was kinda funny, too.

We read all about Maureen McCormick's life of sex, drugs and Marcia Brady. Then we heard her talk about it, and, wow. Just wow.

But while Marcia got Davy Jones to come to her prom, the High School Musical kids had to settle for Tom Cruise.

We were happy that the fashion world agrees with our passion for Mad Men's curvy dynamo Christina Henricks. But we worried about the show itself.

We noticed that The Profiler still cuts a great profile. And Lisa Bonet made us think of a pun that we'll keep to ourselves.

Despite the fact that 15-year-old Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen seems defensive about her weight and still dresses like a 30-year-old model for Mode magazine, we decided she's probably better-adjusted than we are. As for 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, we're not so sure.

And George Hamilton's tale of 12-year-old stepmother sex? That was some time ago, but yikes.

We saw photos of some kids playing Star Trek, and hoped the actual movie would look a lot better.

We saw Cinemax's new zilly, zmutty zex-fest, and decided that literary porn is just like regular porn, but boring.

We thought it was cute that the stars of Gossip Girl think we care what they think.

We heard Blake Lewis deliver a smackdown on American Idol. (Remember? He was that beatbox guy? With the vests?)

And we saw Paris in London, but couldn't figure out how to get them to keep her.

Previously:
The Weekly Rewind: Like Kissing Your Sister

Tina Fey on Tonight's "Letterman": Sarah Palin's Voice Is a Combination of "Fargo," Reese Witherspoon and Her Friend's Grandma

Ben Kallen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:20:00 GMT

Busy Tina Fey has pretaped her interview on tonight's Late Show With David Letterman, and we have an early clip. The multitalented comedian and everyone's favorite crush object spends several minutes on her fantastic impression of Sarah Palin, saying the Alaska governor's voice is as unique as Billy Bob Thornton's in Sling Blade.

And what about the politics of spoofing the candidate?

"I've seen [Democrats] who say, 'Oh, no, you're helping them... because it makes them seem too nice,' " Fey says. "Or the Republicans say it's sexist.... But that's just crazy, because you have to be able to goof on the female politicians just as much, or you really are treating them like they're weaker or something. And Sarah Palin is a tough lady. She kills things. Big animals, bigger than me and you together."

Check out the whole clip here.

Previously:
Sarah Palin's Coming to SNL
Video Fun: SNL Spoofs the Final Debate
McCain to Letterman: "I Screwed Up"

McCain to Letterman: "I Screwed Up"

Ben Kallen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:55:00 GMT

John McCain made his long-awaited appearance on Late Show With David Letterman last night -- regrettably, without Sarah Palin -- and was plenty apologetic for standing Dave up last time around. (Although he managed to avoid providing an explanation for why he did it.) Then the famous former prisoner of war joked, "I haven't had so much fun since my last interrogation." Harsh, dude!

The talk turned from funny to combative and back again -- as when, for instance, McCain promised not to raise anyone's taxes except Letterman's. Dave eventually moved on to another touchy subject: McCain and Palin's complaint that Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists" such as William Ayers. "Did you not have a relationship with [convicted Watergate conspirator] Gordon Liddy?" Dave asked, which immediately made him a tougher interviewer than the majority of reporters these days.

Check out the highlights, below:

TV Tonight: Obama and Biden Might Appear on Leno, Opposite McCain and Palin on Letterman

Ben Kallen — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:20:00 GMT

Tonight at 11:35, the late-night talk show wars could get even more heated than yesterday's presidential debate. That's because the hour's big comic rivals, Jay and Dave, have been suggesting that all four candidates might show up for some jokes and chat.

In this corner: Late Show With David Letterman. We reported earlier that John McCain is slated to show up for a tongue-lashing from Dave after skipping out on his scheduled appearance a while back. But now we're hearing that McCain might bring an apology gift along with him: Lipsticked bulldog Sarah Palin.

Last night, Dave said that McCain had "hinted" he'd be bringing Palin along. Still, he seemed doubtful that it would happen. “I think he was trying to make me feel better. Like, ‘Oh, I know we’ve got the hook in Letterman now.’ But I don’t think she’ll be here. Miss Alaska will probably not be here.”

If she does show up, it'll be a brilliant move by McCain. We all know how much Dave likes a pretty face (not to mention the ratings Palin would be sure to bring), and seeing the two of them flirt and spar would be great television. Plus, they'd all have so much to talk about that there wouldn't be time to dwell on McCain's earlier no-show -- or his lagging campaign, for that matter.

In the other corner: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Jay mentioned earlier in the week that he'll be having vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden on tonight. (Good counter-programming? Er, possibly -- except, whatever your politics may be, Biden isn't exactly Mr. Excitement.)

But at the same time, Leno said Biden might "bring a friend." And if that friend happens to be Barack Obama, well, then we'll have a contest. The New York Post points out that both Obama and McCain are scheduled to attend a dinner in New York tonight, so Obama's appearance would probably have to be via satellite. But given Jay's lighter-weight interviewing style, that would probably work out just fine.

What are the chances that all four of them will show up? We'll say 50-50 -- and we're setting two DVRs, just in case.

Previously:
Video Fun: Hey, John McCain -- You Won't Like Dave When He's Angry

Video Fun: Dave Letterman Grills Anne Hathaway, "Columbo"-Style

Ben Kallen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:20:00 GMT

David Letterman's interview style with celebrity guests has started to take on a certain pattern: He'll compliment them profusely, make small talk about this and that, and only then bring up whatever controversy he probably assured the publicists he wouldn't discuss. And he'll keep bringing it up, over and over, until the guest either starts seething or gives up the dirt.

That's pretty much what happened during last night's interview with Anne Hathaway.

Apparently, Hathaway knew Dave would talk about the fact that her ex-boyfriend, an Italian businessman, has been jailed for fraud. But she thought she could just say how much healthier she is now and move on, without going into "the specifics." Sorry! Dave kept asking "a couple of more questions" -- just like Columbo! -- until finally she said testily, "Do you want to know his shoe size, too?" But the questions still kept coming, right up until the sweet relief of a commercial break.

Check out the fun, below:

Previously:
Video Fun: Hey, John McCain -- You Won't Like Dave When He's Angry
Dave Letterman and Gillian Anderson Relive Their Makeout Session
Kiefer Sutherland's Jailhouse Education

Remembering Paul Newman, the TV Star

Ben Kallen — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:45:00 GMT

As you've probably heard, Paul Newman -- the movie star, philanthropist, race-car driver and all-around good guy -- died on Friday at the age of 83.

What you may not know is that Newman had a substantial career in television as well as film. He got his start acting in "Golden Age" dramas during the '50s, and took occasional TV acting roles throughout his life. (He won an Emmy for the 2005 HBO miniseries Empire Falls.) He was also a sought-after talk-show guest, and made quite a few visits with fellow racing enthusiast David Letterman.

We've collected as much footage as we could of Newman's half-century of TV performances. Take a look, below:

Newman had a small role in "Ice From Space," an episode of the sci-fi series Tales of Tomorrow, way back in 1952. (It's especially notable for the early special effects, which consisted entirely of a block of ice.) You can view the video here -- watch for him at about the 10-minute and 20-minute marks.

In 1955, Newman played young George Gibbs in a production of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town, which aired on the NBC show Producers' Showcase. You'll see a brief clip of it in this public-television documentary -- which also shows the actor, almost 50 years later, as the Stage Manager in a version of the play that aired on PBS and Showtime in 2003.

Newman demonstrated quite a bit of acting range as a soldier trying to get out of his military service in "The Army Game," an hourlong episode of NBC's Kaiser Aluminum Hour, in 1956.

Newman coproduced and costarred in the 2005 HBO miniseries Empire Falls, for which he won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Here's a 2007 appearance Newman made on Late Show With David Letterman, where he enjoyed discussing his second career as an auto racer.

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward is a half-hour documentary on the longtime married couple's lives and work. (The origin is unknown, but we're guessing it's from a 1997 BBC series titled Great Romances of the 20th Century.) This is part one; you can find the rest here and here.

And, just for fun, here are a couple of Newman's TV commercials. The first is a Burger King ad for his salad dressing -- with which he raised millions of dollars for charity -- and the second is a Nissan public-service announcement in which he reminds people to wear their seatbelts.

Rest in peace, Paul Newman -- 1925-2008

The Weekly Rewind: Playing Politics

Ben Kallen — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:50:00 GMT

When did the political process turn into the world's biggest reality show? Now the candidates have become so much a part of our daily entertainment, they might as well be on The Hills. We'll look back at them and much, much more, as we review the many highlights of the week.

We tried to figure out what makes David Spade such a stud with women, but couldn't do it.

We tried to warn 90210 star Shenae Grimes about what happened to former 90210 star Shannen Doherty. And hoped Donnie Wahlberg wouldn't turn into Tara Reid.

We imagined a Kanye West puppet show.

We watched as Robot Chicken spoofed Heroes. Then we watched Heroes, and wondered why Dr. Suresh reminded us of Jeff Goldblum.

We saw what would happen if William Shatner fought himself, and if Mr. Spock faced Dr. Spock. But when the old 90210 fought the new 90210, it was no contest.

We read about how Clay Aiken had come out as Clay Aiken.

We learned a ridiculous amount about '80s teen star Kirk Cameron. Go ahead, ask us anything.

We heard Will Ferrell's response to his fans, and a band's sweet, sweet Lost music, and Idol winner David Cook's retro new single.

We watched the Emmys, then recapped the Emmys, then boasted about predicting many of the winners. We appreciated Josh Groban's weirdly cool theme-song medley, and we really appreciated Mad Men's Christina Hendricks in her Emmy dress. And we enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel's Emmy-related musical number with Salma Hayek, mostly because it involved Salma Hayek.

We enjoyed Bill Clinton on Letterman, then enjoyed Chris Rock making fun of Bill Clinton on Letterman, then enjoyed Dave making fun of John McCain for not going on Letterman. We were dumbfounded by Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin, and by a certain phrase describing President Bush. We heard what Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert talk about when they start getting real. We heard the debates over the debate.

,,, And then we read Barack Obama's pep talk from President Bartlet. And then Chris Rock said this, and we were done for the week.

Previously:
The Weekly Rewind: Sex and the Country

Video Fun: Hey, John McCain -- You Won't Like Dave When He's Angry

Ben Kallen — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:58:00 GMT

(The image above is from an April Late Show appearance in which McCain actually showed up.)

It's one thing to skip out on a presidential debate using the economy as an excuse. But as the video below demonstrates, it's something else entirely to cancel a serious event, like an appearance on a late-night talk show.

But that's exactly what Senator John McCain did to David Letterman last night, leaving viewers to face the wrath of a comedian scorned. Dave was especially p.o.'d because McCain had claimed he was canceling at the last minute in order to deal with the economic crisis back in Washington, D.C., but in fact ended up doing an interview with Katie Couric right down the street in New York City. (Which Dave, a fellow CBS employee, managed to show on the air.)

Not that it will stem the political debate surrounding all this, but Dave actual spent several minutes praising McCain for his war heroism before going about the business of ripping him a new one. "This doesn't smell right," he says several times. Then, adding insult to injury, he brought on liberal gadfly Keith Olbermann to take the senator's place.

Watch the video for a little bit of TV history. We don't think it'll actually affect the election in any way, shape or form, but it's still pretty darn funny.

Previously:
Breaking: McCain Attempts To Delay Friday's TV Debate
Bill Clinton on Letterman: The Video

...Followed by Chris Rock: "Hillary's Not Running!"

Ben Kallen — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:20:00 GMT

If you're a politician on a talk show, the last thing you want is to be followed by Chris Rock -- which is what happened to Bill Clinton on Letterman last night.

Rock skewered Clinton but good, especially making fun of the ex-president for not being over his wife's campaign. "Is it me, or he didn't want to say the name 'Barack Obama'? He went through everything he could do -- well, like, 'Hillary would want to do with the economy....' Hillary ain't running! Hillary's not running! What the hell? One of those guys needs to tell him.... I love Hillary, but, you know, she lost!"

Have a look:

Previously:
Bill Clinton on Letterman: The Video

Bill Clinton on Letterman: The Video

Ben Kallen — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:50:00 GMT

Hey, why can't we vote for this guy? (Oh, right.)

Former President Bill Clinton appeared on Late Show With David Letterman last night, and came off as incredibly smart and well-informed, with more specific ideas for the economy and energy policy than any of the current candidates have provided in weeks.

But whatever your political affiliation, you probably have one question: How come CBS won't put this whole interview online? We've got a clip below, and you can find more here.

Previously:
McCain's Campaign Strategy: Make Conan Laugh
Obama to Dave: "Actually, Palin Would Have Been the Lipstick"

The Greatest Actors of Our Time Take on Dave's Top 10 List

Ben Kallen — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:50:00 GMT

They appeared separately in the Godfather movies, together in the mediocre film Heat, and are about to burn up the screen in the much-anticipated Righteous Kill. But last night, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino took on the greatest challenge of their illustrious careers: Late Show With David Letterman's list of the "Top 10 Reasons I Like Being an Actor."

So how'd they do? These guys aren't exactly subtle these days, and to say that some of their line readings were "quirky" would be an understatement. But there's at least one laugh-out-loud joke, revolving around the word "pudding." To see for yourself, watch the video above.

Barack Obama Returning to the Letterman Show

Ben Kallen — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:25:00 GMT

The Democratic presidential candidate will appear on Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night. We're not really sure how newsworthy this is -- after all, both Obama and John McCain have been on lots of talk shows in the past, including Dave's. (As we mentioned last week, McCain even hosted Saturday Night Live in 2002.)

But it actually could turn out to be a huge deal. Of all the late-night comedians, Letterman's clearly the best political interviewer (when he's paying attention, anyway). The polls are close, even though they've been zigzagging since the conventions. And plenty of voters still don't think they "know" Obama. If he comes off as a regular guy with a sense of humor, and provides some actual policy ideas in an understandable way, the appearance could really benefit his campaign.

One bit of advice, though: Leave the Sarah Palin moose-hunting jokes to Dave.

Above: Letterman's interview with Obama from April 2007

Previously:
Two More Republican Ticket TV Tie-Ins

Pres. Bush's Beach Volleyball Back-Slap: The Inside Story

Ben Kallen — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:25:00 GMT

Everyone enjoyed the photos like the one above of President George W. Bush clowning around at the Olympics with American beach volleyball champs Kerry Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. (Say what you will about his politics, the guy is as ready for a good time as any president since... well, since his immediate predecessor.)

But as May-Treanor explained when the pair appeared on Late Show With David Letterman last night, that wasn't the first time she had shown him her tattoo. Click here for the clip.

Photo: AP

Previously:

The Weekly Rewind: The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of TV

Watch David Letterman's Morning Talk Show

Ben Kallen — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:25:00 GMT

In 1980, right before getting his first late-night program, David Letterman hosted an extremely short-lived morning talk show on NBC. It's no surprise that the show didn't succeed -- Dave's edgy, self-mocking humor was clearly not meant for morning TV, and the comedy bits made a poor match for such Today Show-style subjects as "the two-paycheck family." Instead of Paul Shaffer and the band, he had the low-key "Frank Owens and the Symphony Orchestra," and instead of jokes about the news, he had actual news updates from reporter Edwin Newman.

But while it didn't work in its time, The David Letterman Show is fascinating to watch today. The program employed many of the same staffers who went on to create Dave's late-night shows on NBC and CBS, and you can see lots of similarities. If not for the outdated references, he might as well have delivered the monologues last week.

Some retro TV fans have just posted one of the episodes online, so check it out. You can watch the first segment above, and the rest here.

Via TVTattle.com

Previously:
Kiefer Sutherland's Jailhouse Education
David Letterman and Gillian Anderson Relive Their Makeout Session

Kiefer Sutherland's Jailhouse Education

Ben Kallen — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Unlike Paris Hilton, Kiefer Sutherland was perfectly willing to satisfy Dave Letterman's curiosity about jail when he went on Late Show this week. Watch his appearance here, and find out what he learned about responding to gang signs and dropping the soap.

Previously:
Charlie Sheen Makes Way More Money Than You Do
Dave Letterman and Gillian Anderson Relive Their Makeout Session

Video Weekend: Eight Great Standup Comics

Ben Kallen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:00:00 GMT

One of the things TV does really well is to sponsor great comedy, and send it straight to your home. After all, not every town has its own comedy club -- and even if there is a local Chuckle Hut in your community, you usually have to sit through one or two lame, ancient or belligerent routines for every good one. TV, on the other hand, is full of comedians working at their best -- on Comedy Central, on HBO and on every late-night talk show, not to mention Comic Relief and Last Comic Standing.

We've selected footage from eight of the funniest comedians ever, performing at various times over the past 25 years. And we can pretty much guarantee that they'll make you laugh -- although the two-drink minimum is at your own discretion.

George Carlin on a Comic Relief benefit special in the '80s

Jerry Seinfeld returns to standup on Late Show With David Letterman

Richard Pryor on the '70s music show Midnight Special

Sarah Silverman on Evening at the Improv in 1992

Steve Martin performs "magic" on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show

Mitch Hedberg on The Late Show

Young Steven Wright on an unknown standup show

Jim Gaffigan on Comedy Central

Image: Fox

Previously:
Comedy Central Finally Lets Go of TV Funhouse
RIP: George Carlin
Gentlemen, Sarah Silverman Is Single Again

David Letterman and Will Smith Get Romantic

Ben Kallen — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:00:00 GMT

When an attractive female star visits Late Show With David Letterman, we know the drill: She and Dave will shower each other with compliments, hug and kiss, flirt like crazy, and pretend that he's not a cynical old dude and she's not just there to plug her latest movie. And with some, like Julia Roberts or Drew Barrymore, you can sense some actual affection between talk-show host and talk-show guest -- even though it's clear that the relationship will never continue beyond the chilly confines of the Ed Sullivan Theater.

But we have to admit, we weren't quite prepared for Will Smith's visit with Dave last night. Not only did it include copious smooching (on the cheek, anyway), but the joking banter about the two of them as a romantic couple went on far longer than either of them appeared to expect. Check out the video above to see why Will thinks Dave will "never go back." (And be thankful that they spared us all the potential Hancock jokes.)

Deeply Awkward "Battlestar" Top Ten List

Bryan Christian — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Posted here more for those Battlestar completists who might have missed it the first time around, since there ain't much legitimate comedy here, and the actors seem weirdly out of place -- not only on the Late Show stage, but, in some cases, in what appear to be their Season One costumes. Better to look more like the DVD's for newbies? Whatever; that Colonel Tigh bit's pretty great.