Mark Malkoff returns!

ready you're watching The Lettermen podcast with Mike chisen endorsed by the hello Deli yeah welcome once again to the Lettermen podcast as always my name is Mike Chisholm as always I'm excited to be here and uh today we start our anniversary week so from this episode to the to the next Friday episode uh and everything in between we're talking about the anniversary of the Letterman podcast it's been a year um April 20th of 2022 is when we uh started this endeavor we're there now um a year later and uh a lot of very cool things this last year uh you'd think that I would be the type of guy that comes out and does a retrospective episode like I did in episode 30.

and maybe we will uh but that's not what we have on the that'll be a bonus episode if we do because we've got a whole bunch of stuff in the can today uh starts anniversary week uh and three episodes are going to commemorate that and a contest and maybe some more stuff um so for those who don't know about the contest we've already got a video up uh on the YouTubes and also on the Facebooks uh if you want to be rejected by The Late Show with David Letterman this is a rejection postcard this is the one I use it is beat up I have a whole bunch of pristine ones and we're going to give a few of them away uh this go around to see how this works so if you want to get into the contest uh please join the Facebook group The Lettermen podcast Facebook group find the post that has the video the contest talking about it if you like the post you get an entry if you share the post you get an entry and if you leave a comment on the post you get an entry so head to the Lettermen podcast Facebook group join the group share the group uh and and um yeah you'll get uh entered in to for a chance to win one of the official Late Show rejection postcards um so how are we starting anniversary week we're starting with Mark malkov and I'm very thrilled uh to have him on uh of course um I actually tell the story I actually get a little bit vulnerable in this episode and tell us tell him the story about uh with shecky and all that not sure if he was aware of that or not uh one thing that I love about Mark um is is he is a constant source of encouragement to me uh and this endeavor this program here um and and after his ending his his amazing run on the Carson podcast um which just such brilliant beautiful work um and and which of course bled over into Letterman stuff lots of good Letterman stuff on the Carson podcast so it's still around check it out go look at the old episodes with people like Peter LaSalle like Morty like Bill Chef some of these people that there's a good chance we'll never be able to get on this show Mark has done that so in many ways the Carson podcast ending right as we were beginning uh it was a kind of a bridge and they merged with each other which I which I adore um yeah uh we asked Mark we catch up with him what's what's he been doing since the Carson podcast he talks about that he's got a Carson project he's working on that he can't really talk about but thank goodness uh you know his life still gets to have some of that um that love that he has for uh for Johnny Carson and things like that I I'm just very excited to have Mark back on um you know what I think I can probably cut the intro short here um yeah the we are very proud to present the uh beginning of oh our anniversary week yeah next uh on we're gonna put a bonus episode on Tuesday uh with Darren Cox where uh we talk about Letterman Collectibles and that's going to be definitely an offshoot podcast where there's maybe not an offshoot podcast but we're gonna have more uh collectors Letterman uh and Company collectors out there some of the uh the cool things that are around Darren certainly has a very cool memorabilia collection um and I'm I'm excited uh to talk to him about that and also the U2 special uh we did a merge with Darren's podcast the irritable dad Cinder Chrome we did a kind of a mashup episode and so I'm going to include um I'm going to include Darren's stuff uh that he and I did with the collector stuff and then I'm gonna put on the extra 20 minutes or so of us talking about the the Dave U2 special so uh and then that's gonna culminate next Friday uh one week today with a very special episode I'm not gonna disclose who the guest is but it's a good guest a great guest they're all great guests this one here is one that um we talk about the top five in the top five so uh very excited about that and I'm not going to say anything else um very very excited to present uh uh on our anniversary week the Lettermen podcast is proud to present the return of our boy mark malkov my man I am so happy to have you back I was just saying just before we hit the record button that I'm actually not nearly as nervous this time as I was you came back you came on in episode five and it was a big deal for me uh and I mean there was there's you'll find I'm going to tell you a story within this episode here before this conversation's over um about why some of that nervousness was there and and the regard I have for you mark how have you been I've been okay just working on a Carson project um yeah it's congrats on everybody you've gotten uh so far uh the show I mean could go on for it seems like it could go on forever like the Carson podcast I was limited with guests and stuff that are around still and um yeah no you're doing a great job I love learning the new things that's why I loved sitting down with more with Morgan I'm like why did the window why did Wendell leave and like oh that was one of the best part I love your Morton interview I listened to that a couple of times um I I wish I could get Morty I wish I could get him but but at least you know you have had LaSalle you have had Chef yeah you have had some of these people that are getting more and more and more ungettable every day the Wendell story was the Wendell story about when he left but also the the flatulence yeah and then Don Gambler put up I think videos of them referencing it on the NBC show I you know it's one of those things where I just had the I just always the questions and it's just a forum it's just a place where to get my questions answered and then uh it's a bonus that it's recorded and other people get to listen to it so uh yeah it definitely when I could get some of these things um answered was good and he Morty was really a fantastic guest and I had a good time with them here here I do chat and I've actually mentioned this on the show he and I do chat he it's kind of like he plays me like a cat with a rubber Mouse a little bit like and it's fun uh he makes me laugh I make him laugh a little bit we've got a um radio Legend Alex Bennett we've got a connection there between the two of them and so we talk about other things too real estate I I like I want to talk to about real estate you know if I want to talk to him about because he's you know California of course no he's definitely he's done a lot in his life yeah like yeah he's a fascinating guy Morty is and um yeah yeah I'm glad him and then like I got um two episodes I never aired um with Rick Shack men that I will at some point put up so I probably have like um and not at least like each one was like an hour and a half I think with Jackie because I didn't want to get one but I'm I mean it just sucks so bad that he passed away and he was very helpful to me we would talk on the phone um as um you know a lot of people um he was really good too and um I would like to put that stuff up but it's it's just one anything like that happens especially you know he was not old at all no it's just it's yeah it's a shock and it's a blow but um but I I just been I could find myself fortunate I've gotten to talk to these people how Gurney I just was like sitting there in his home and I'm like I I can't believe that I'm here I can't like just because it's one of those things like he's done so he was with Jack Parr absolutely directing forever and then he I remember when he retired um when he left and Jerry Foley came in and that was a long time ago so just the fact that I was able to sit down and he was receptive for me um yeah that meant a lot I really enjoyed that I uh uh okay so so you're talking about checking here I might I might as well just bring it up now I'm gonna ask you the question so did you interview Rick just once and it was just really really really long and you cut that into one episode is that how that worked or did you yeah okay yeah no that was just one episode and then we talked all this other and like there are a lot of people that I interview that won't that um they're like I want to tell you something but it's private I don't yawn in the episode it's shocking like sometimes it'll be when we're done filming it's normally when we're done recording that I'll kind of tell you something I'm like tell me whatever you want and they start just yep everything starts coming out that they don't you and rightfully so but in some cases that should be on there and uh definitely Rick was one of those people but there's certain people also and I'm not going to mention there's somebody else oh somebody a letter have been related that would just be like dropping these like things that I was like I can't believe you're saying this on the podcast and they're like um well you're not gonna air put this in the podcast or you'll edit this part out I'm like yes I will I no I will I'll protect you sure but yeah Rick was one of those people um that would uh do that um I think I think that's the difference a little bit between um what we're doing here and and Carson podcast because with Carson the Carson podcast you know we're we're so many years removed and we're talking about people who had passed away and and things like that so some of those stories can be loosened up a little bit more we're we're now with Letterman folk the balance is wanting to make sure that you know we we're unabashedly wanting one of the things Rick loved about what we're doing here is that we want to keep it positive Scandal and gossip can go live you know kind of somewhere else we're going to focus on the anecdotes the funny stories you know if it made TV it's fair game but we're going to be as respectful as possible even if we're talking about things that might be potential you know land monitors and that was my philosophy that's yours it's one of those things where it's like to me personally when I have somebody on it's their episode and we'll talk about whatever they want to um if they want to say things and they want to keep it in and they're comfortable with that I'll put it unless it like I really think it's gonna hurt the death the guest or really another person and I'll just make a judgment call but um a lot of times they're like no keep that in when something I wouldn't necessarily put it in and it wasn't nothing scandalous but they're definitely certain and then there's certain guests rarely they will have asked a lesson beforehand and make some edit notes and like I misspoke here or like normally it's like everything's great you did a great job with the edit and making me look good and stuff like that but I try to be respectful and you do the same thing it's one of those things you give them a safe space and if something goes somewhere like I almost every anything I feel like I could ask it was if it was respectable in some way I mean there definitely are a lot of things I just I didn't actually feel like I could but there were certain things that I thought might be uh a difficult conversation but I was able to phrase it in a way and ask it in a polite way where people were normally very receptive uh how I approached the subject and how I was with that and I know you do the same so yeah well the respect you use that word respect and that's that's what it was um you know and we did it is like like I know you and I are cut from the same clock in the sense that we respect these people totally the last thing we would ever want to do is for a little bit of short-term gotcha type uh type to you know to to screw up anything else or other people to screw it up for them just to get a little like what Dreesen was on and uh how creative a guy is Tom treason like they're just wonderful I was having a really tough time in my life a bunch of years ago just down in the dumps with everything and I was in LA and he took me out um I watched him with he introduced me to Jimmy Masada and I was watching his set and then we went next door to some deli or whatever it was just really great to me when I needed it he's like your favorite uncle he's like meeting your favorite uncle yeah I'm grateful yeah so yeah I uh I just appreciate him and and so some of the things that he was saying in his episode like you could definitely go down a gotcha pathway because I mean and not just him but anybody who is clearly you know because some of these people are are are Kumbaya let's we all want to get together some people of course very very voraciously on team Dave and and and uh protect active like a like a guard dog yeah sometimes like to take time it takes time I think sometimes especially with my thing with the cars and things I think it was just so many people participated slowly it was just a build of like of people on Snap especially and they just like I'm sure with YouTube they listen to some episodes they're like oh wow this it's what you're doing sincere it's authentic you're not you're true it's it's very obvious and I would like to thank and um with my guest that said yes it was about it was the same pretty much the same definitely a couple people didn't want to talk some key people I wanted I just didn't want to talk and weren't comfortable with it and like I get it there's it's always gonna happen and you respect it and yeah what was Dave the uh the number one guest that you never had that you wanted oh goodness that ordered a hand there were like three and Dave was on one of them I I I get it I mean I he I mean yeah this would be a whole podcast episode talking about it but um I I understand I mean Carson was someone that was so near and dear to him and I know Dave it's not his favorite thing to talk about himself yeah uh especially like yeah I mean there's just so much stuff uh but uh yeah he was definitely my top three yeah I I was gonna say I that makes sense to me um who are some of the other folks on the Carson podcast that you wanted very badly but didn't get are you see they're all people for the most part that are not public figures they were worked on The Tonight Show for all and they just had a different perspective in terms of like famous people I would have really liked Bette Midler and Dave Letterman I think that those were the two yeah I mean I tried Burt Reynolds the last Bunches of years of his life and it's like it's what it is I mean yeah there I mean maybe those top three but yeah a lot of the times and it's you too A lot of the times the staffers are way better than than famous people I mean um and like just the people knew him in other capacities with Carson I found um is where the the best stuff was yeah oh that's those are the people that I uh I love to talk to too and I think that's where the bonding with Rick came in I'm also bring this up now and we can kind of uh so so let's do it well okay so there's a there's a very famous um underappreciated radio guy we had him on the podcast here his name is Alex Bennett he he's an influence of Howard Stern and and uh and and he and shecky were best friends so Alex this is where I got to know shecky and and the the seeds of this I wished the Letterman podcast existed in the throes of the Carson podcast I was a listener of the Carson podcast and I always wished The Lettermen podcast existed I did too I just didn't want to do it I was too overwhelmed with Carson and people constantly were like do a letterman podcast do a letterman podcast and I'm just like I I don't have it so much really I am barely staying afloat getting this thing out every week Carson thing I'm like I can't do it and uh but it definitely I definitely thought about it and stuff so I'm so glad you're doing it just like it would have been something that I just would have loved especially in my in my like my 20s and um I don't want to date myself but like in 30s and stuff because it's just like this just stuff wasn't attainable with the information and just people I mean obviously he was still doing this show at the time yeah but you were in the throes of it at that point I was gonna say yeah um yeah but uh but anyway so so so when shecky and I started to get to know each other a little bit one of the things that he did to kind of I think vet me to make sure that I wasn't you know well as Alex says you know I wasn't Looney that's what Alex Bennett says so so Alex Bennett does a panel show every week he started it during uh covid um and he's still got gabnet shout out to Alex Bennett you're awesome um and so I would go on every week and shecky was on every week too and so every Monday uh at 4 P.M Eastern I'm on this forum with a bunch of different panelists from all over the continent and including Rick sheckman though yeah and of course you know Letterman stories come out because Alex loves Dave and and Becky you know you couldn't talk to shecky without hearing an amazing story about old Hollywood or or in my case as we got to be friends comic books or or just just because he had people talk about Don giller's encyclopedia brain Rick shechman's same deal he was an encyclopedia yeah he definitely go ahead he was accurate there's so many people to give Recollections I found I have to do the thing but check he was really spot on with um with this remembering things from like decades ago like with the detail and stuff so yeah and well and so and here I became friends over this time and and there was one episode and I'm gonna go back and find it I'm gonna go back on Alex's uh on gabnet and I'm gonna actually find the episode um where shecky this is where I gotta keep some Praise on on you now I was a listener of course I loved it I wanted the Letterman podcast to exist but I had this imposterone there's no way I could ever like I had the same thing wouldn't even fathom that I could do the same thing yeah yeah oh god um but battling through that there's no greater achievement when you can battle through imposter syndrome and actually start doing something yes it's definitely going through uncomfortableness and and that that voice at least like I'm saying Stephen Wright one of my first guests and I emailed him and four hours later we're actually and I know he was New York in the studio and I'm asking him questions we're having a good connection but in my head I'm like you have no business talking to him yes um you're not an interviewer you're not anybody and I just so I had to work through that but please get back to no no no no but but this is no this is good because really you and I are a kid in this way in so many ways and and so anyway we're we're doing the the show and I think it's in the summertime I I recollect being in the summertime I'm in my my home office um and I I can I can picture it my mind's eye and Rick goes like we're just talking and suddenly Alex I think Alex just would go to Rick every once because they're best friends if there was a lull in the conversation he'd say hey Rick so what's going on for you and and uh so he said that to him and he's like well I gotta go on this I don't know this Letterman podcast thing uh I'm not sure exactly what it is and I'm sitting there a panel and I remember watching it back I'm gonna watch it back again and I remember kind of having this sort of Perma smile on my face as he said he's going on this Letterman podcast thing later in the day after the show finishes and and I'm like oh and that Perma smile is my dream shattering again I gotta it's like going oh okay the Letterman podcast does exist somewhere even though I've searched all over the place of course yeah I I need to find it I need to subscribe and so I even said to Rick Rick what what show is this like you just I think I said you just described my dream job and Rick's like oh I don't know it's some sort of whatever and anyway and and it's like okay and I'm like all right well okay and we finished the show and all this stuff and a few hours later it might have been it might have even been the next morning he messages me because we we've talked a lot um and he messages me and he says oh by the way it wasn't a letterman podcast I was I was on malkov's Carson podcast and immediately my mind went okay stupid you now know what it feels like to have this idea that this dream gone and now this dream is back what are you gonna do yeah that was I'm glad that that happened and got you going I there were a bunch of people um some well-known people within the industry that um met called me and were like I'm so jealous that you did this because I've always like or at least had thought about it and stuff and I just I it was timing I didn't think it was gonna succeed more than like seven episodes and no one was gonna care I didn't think there would anyone would would listen certainly not the numbers and stuff and like that all these people would go on it's one of those things where you just never know and you just I was fortunate just to to jump in the water and just like it wasn't uncomfortable for a long time I mean people were pretty um someone my listeners they're nice but they were definitely like you're interrupting too much and I was like okay fine so oh my God okay so there's a guy right now uh and I'm not gonna mention his name but he works for he works for a senator in Washington DC and and I mean he's he's like he's a very very like he's a very decorated guy when it comes to the world of professional politics who his initial reach out to me was I don't want to go so far as to say it's venomous but it was certainly concerned he was like listen you are you are this and this and this and this I I'm so frustrated I want to listen to this episode I want to listen to this show every week because it because it's of what it's about but and he and he just went up and I just started going back and forth with him going hey man I'm just I'm stumbling for it I'm just learning yeah and now he and I are like are like buddies it's so um but I know exactly what you're talking destructive criticism is very it's tough sometimes to hear but it was the best thing that happened I just absolutely like that and I would it just and then it was really it would just get more from the people I mean there's definitely times I would energetic or I really if it was something that was like necessary I might um it might happen but it was extremely rare in getting those type of things rather than you you suck explanation point emails or like whatever but it is it's it's somebody like there's aren't a lot of people well um just that are will lean in terms of like audiences and stuff just to be not good in a public forum in the at least in the beginning it took me a long time and um yeah people would be like wow you're so much better than you were I'm like I know I was not didn't know what I was doing and I was like raining in it in a little bit um but yeah the constructive criticism can get an audience of of people that are actually have good notes and you get more than one and they're saying and stuff like there's one of my favorite podcasts where they just entered yeah and it's just what it is and like they're it's yeah I still enjoy it but I'm just like like I don't even know if they're really aware of it but um it's just what it is well for sure and there's a learning curve and you get used to it and all these things and I I can say the same thing like I went back and I listened you came on episode five of this show and so and we're now shooting I think it's episode 60.

uh this will be the 60th one um and and and I I oh I'm one of the it's one of those things where you hate listening to yourself but you got to listen to yourself for a variety I know we're like the two people where it's like when I listen to my voice when it sounds I don't get freaked out or it's not weird because of all of this but like I can't tell you how many people that info I keep forgetting that people aren't used to that and when they I've been around them they're gonna really sound like that I'm like I know what I sound like I don't I wish I didn't have to but yeah it's it's very rare that people probably know what they sound like like that yeah yeah and and so listening to uh our first exchange and I can I you know definitely there were Hallmark moments where it's like okay I've gotten better there I've gotten better there I've gotten better absolutely just bailed me out there thank god um you know and and and so it's fun the progression is fun and having you know guests on a second third fourth time uh which is what we want to do I mean we want to keep going I want to have I want to have O'Donnell I mean I think you're it could be like endless people I mean I yeah I mean just the fact that your NBC in CBS and that people are like so many of the people are still around I mean um yeah I I think that's great and just how many people that it didn't even go on Dave's show necessarily revered him and want to talk about him and just like Neil Brennan who's a really funny comic um yes oh God how awesome was blocks was the was Letterman's appearance on his yeah yeah yeah it was one of those things though that I remember with the final CBS show that Neil Brennan was tweeted that he was just crying through the Montage and like that that I I could totally when he said that I'm like like I get it yep um and he's one of those people that um didn't I don't think he went on the show perhaps he did I don't think he did on the CBS show um he might have been in Chappelle's Entourage one night or something like that yeah or something but yeah I don't think but it's one of those things just to talk to some somebody that's a really um really unique comic voice and stuff that's been really successful and be able to talk about um like jet app I found number one on NBC he went on CBS I think once but still I mean you could do a whole podcast about happened how talking about Dave and oh he's on my dream list oh so so I've got a bunch of different dream lists and one of the categories is uh celebrities who have either been on the show or are attached to the show like like a dream moment I would love to have Sandler on here and have him play his Letterman song I would love that like that no it's good I always say it's good to think big you never know and think would be a mere Apatow would be amazing um because you know of of his history of how he would do exactly what you and I have done is is he would just go and approach these people like as a quote unquote you know unknown and and talk to them about things and they would open up and talk about all these things and then he ended up working with some of them and and experience the story is unbelievable here in those tapes but he's definitely one of those people like Neil Brennan like so many of us that are just like Norm Macdonald I mean I think that's how I know this I mean I was fortunate I got to meet him a bunch of times when we we texted um like the last year like near okay maybe a year or two before we died we would test how much he revered Dave he would oh he told me he's like you go on Conan and I just wing it but you go on Dave and you know it's like it's Letterman you have to prepare and like get so much respect um from there's just certain people um yeah I know another there's another famous person that somebody told me I can't mention really really famous comic that was crying during the Montage the Dave thing who'd been on the show a bunch and it's just yeah there's a it just means so much to people so I'm glad you're doing this and it's like I think a lot of people are going to want to talk to just because they don't get the outlet to talk about this this thing oh I've had those and and I've got a couple in the background who won't come on the show but uh like well shecky was one of those two guys too you know he's he on on one of his very last appearances on Alex's show I think his second to last one he even says it I I do attribute uh a shacky tribute episode and in it at the beginning of it it's a clip of him and he even says it on camera he's like oh I'll tell all these stories to Chisholm but I'll never go on and do one of the one of these uh staff favorite moments because his favorite moments are ones that could never be on the favorite moments he opened up to me on a bunch of things that I just couldn't put out that he didn't want to put out in it was a very different era um doing the NBC show uh but yeah so he so he was never a guest with you with you no and and it was funny I had one I can't believe that so the day before this is okay this is weird um I was one of the last people to talk to him and and the reason was he was about to go on a cruise um and and uh so I had Jeff Martin um and Jerry Mulligan on at the same time and and one of the the way that I knew that I would get checky and this is true if he would have you know if he'd still be around eventually I would have had him on the show but the way I would have had him on the show is not as a guest I was gonna have him be a zoom bomber uh you know having two oh I said that he loved and then suddenly oh hey look everybody it's Rick schickman and check shows up and and and then they could all just have some fun reuniting or whatever and I actually uh 20 minutes so so so he was hospitalized on the Wednesday so Tuesday I talked to him on the phone about 20 minutes before Martin and Mulligan showed up and I gave him the option and he was like yeah maybe I will okay send me the link just in case yeah nothing for the trip and I'm yeah yeah you know and and and he wasn't you know he wasn't feeling great but he was hoping to go to Florida and the Florida Sun would help things and and unfortunately get hospitalized but but that was the way that I was gonna get shacky I was gonna get him on by smart jumping in uh with other people I see I I did my Carson podcast was like seven years in or something like that and so many of Dave people had taught and he had listened to my podcast yeah I didn't know he was a regular listener When anybody in the industry and I hear from people I'm just like really I'm like that's so nice it's a huge compliment so I think maybe that's how um he was I was able to to uh to get him and stuff but I mean I'm just glad you got to know the guy I was privileged I mean I met him when I worked at the show uh he gave me a dub of uh was it Christmas with the Lettermen no that was later he did give me a Christmas with the Letterman's which was one of my favorite episodes I wanted Dave's Last show which this is back pre YouTube and stuff oh yeah I got the June 20 June uh 25th um 93 and then I get Christmas with the lettermen's and uh yeah Christmas Christmas with the Letterman's too tired to do the show those are two of my favorite um episodes um on NBC and stuff so I mean he was great and it was just fun talking to somebody that like could speak my language and like answer questions and stuff like um he was there like talking about the universal Amphitheater when they did like the anniversary stuff and yeah yeah that's like one of my favorite Clips which they ended on um the last on NBC with Dave riding out on the horse and stuff and yeah that was that's one of my favorite moments too yeah well and I think I even said uh Alex said well you know uh why won't you ever do one of those segment things and and I I kind of piped in because shecky knows where all the bodies are buried um he he was you know he knows all that all the stuff yeah you know and it is a different era and all these things but the thing that's one of the things I love about Chucky is you ask him um you know uh you know what was if you had a secret to your longevity or or why was it why did you make no ripples there I stayed in my Lane like he didn't want to take credit for things he didn't want to but like here's the here's he's the guy that told Dave that Bill Hicks passed um you know like Alex yeah so so Bill Hicks um when he when he passed yeah who's at that point in San Francisco okay so sorry I'll go back uh Bill Hicks gets cut from the show the next day he's on Alex Bennett's radio show yeah the next day okay so fast forward eight months or whatever it is Alex calls up Rick and says hey uh did you hear about Bill Hicks and Rick goes oh what did he do now and yeah you know yeah he passed oh my God and Rick's the guy that went and told Dave and Morty about like but Rick never broadcast that stuff sure he wasn't the guy that would you know oh I was the guy who you know yeah I mean like yeah that whole thing was so hard because Dave was like number one and he's being he was just being really careful with his the show and stuff and like one of his stay number one and it was nice that he had his mom on and they showed it and totally a decade and a half later or whatever and it's like Dave I think even said like why it's like why didn't we broadcast this I mean yeah but um but yeah that's interesting with with shaqi he um he kept everything I think the show he had I mean I have a first script I can show you from like late night um the first app from February 82 the first and yeah I know shecky had had one as well and like um he had one signed by Dave and I think maybe Dave and Merrell wow yeah yeah if I yeah I am only right now is how Gurney signed it for me I had Hal sign up but I'm singing if like I ran into or like something and it was appropriate um be fun to get some of the other peeps um so to uh put their name on it if they're okay with it but um yeah that to me was like one of my favorite things and I got it from I guess I can say his name a gentleman by the name of Bill Shortridge Bill Shortridge was yeah on NBC and he um shout out to Bill he's a member of our of our uh the Letterman podcast Community shout out to Bill oh good yeah bill um I was just so excited to be able to get that and uh yeah bill was really cool uh and yeah just the fact that he got to be there for those years yeah uh hey uh do you have it with you do you have it right beside you I do I have a few things it's like I've been working really hard on some projects and stuff and I haven't I wasn't I have too much stuff I've gotten rid of a lot I actually gave Don Giller a lot of my stuff that I just I'm like I like scripts like this of late night or late show I gave I have some still but I give a bunch um yeah this is the first one wow um this was yeah show number one it says we're looking better late night hell One Man One Vision yeah it was one of those things where yeah you just never who knew um I'm just glad that um that I was able to get this absolutely yeah Cal Gurney signed I think my CBS I had the first episode ever from cbs2 I don't have it here I think I might have like um I was like money problems I might have sold it on eBay or something a couple years ago but he signed it Hal gertner well okay so actually uh this is Bernie this is Bernie though Don just chimed in uh Christmas with the Letterman's was the very first Hal gertner so that was the first time Hal gertner ever uh wow and for those who know every once in a while in the cast um they would call director Hal Gurney they'd call him Hal gertner um oh it's right I really love talking to him I don't know if and I think it made the episode of some of this stuff this is something that Don has never seen before so I'm like that is bizarre this is when I worked at the show when they gave us our for the the holidays they gave us the pant jackets my year was like the yeah it was like yellow and blue blue it was like I don't want to date myself but I was like 98.

yep December they gave us um a worldwide pants coin oh that's awesome and I will tell you what it says so like this is says the wait late show Everybody Loves Raymond uh the late show and then it's a flag and a heart with the Roman Roman numeral five because oh I guess it was day fifth season and then this is is just uh yeah a worldwide pants Incorporated thing so um for done I'm like wow yeah so I got that that was a long time ago um I gave Don a lot of stuff but like um I have like um somebody I was able to get like a contact sheet of Dave from NBC doing stuff and stuff this is just him with a golf like putting and stuff probably for something they were gonna do on the mail bag so and I have one with him and Paul as well framed from The Late Night show so I I really do um I do like that I don't like anything else on me like I definitely have like run down from from NBC rundowns from Serbia I had one round one rundown that I I remember that um Dave was had his heart issues in the Gina Garofalo guest hosted and yeah I got about Odin Kirk before he was really famous in David Cross because of such a big Mr Chopin in the Air Hawk afterwards signed it for me they were nice that I could be there for backstage for someone that I never I don't think I ever asked but they were like but yeah they were nice for that and Zach Galifianakis network television debut which really catapulted him yeah um I was there for that but my point is is I have all this stuff I probably have this stack of this many tickets CBS tickets from when I worked there like um that were left over because yeah like I mean they would they were just there so I have a lot of those um at the Holiday party invite somewhere which was I think it was like it was either the last or second to last that Dave actually went to the holiday party yeah um I believe so um and then yeah that's pretty much what I have and I definitely got rid of some stuff like I had a Rolling Stone magazine when Dave makes this face yeah oh yeah yeah well like and I'm not faulting this person for it but like when I go to the NBC show there would be somebody that worked for Dave who would be like does anyone if somebody has something sound you want Dave to sign this afterwards and I was like oh my goodness that'd be amazing and then uh afterwards this person would come that the update sign after show come back and hand it and it was like I don't my instinct is like I don't think this is Dave's signature and it it was and I got rid of it it's I I get it it's like it's what it is but then I found out for sure that this individual would be signing Dave's name on stuff and it was like I got a book a letterman a book also like one of the top 10 lists and it was like it was highly personalized yeah to me and stuff like now Mark this is this book cannot be returned or or something like this and I'm like I don't think Dave after the show would take at that time to write like two sentences well and cinnamon I mean that's how zinnamon opens his book opens he he had this canned ham for years and years and years that he thought was signed by Dave you know the stat after the show gives it to the staff of the staffer goes to get it signed it comes back and I mean actually that was one of the first things that shecky did um so yeah I've got something else I'm going to show you Don just sent something but uh so there's my there's my knight my picture but now I've got two of them signed wow you know two Mike David Letterman and the other one is Mike my best friend David Letterman shecky immediately that got signed in California a few months ago or well yeah yeah yeah so shecky immediately messaged the right people to say hey did Dave actually signed that or did what's her name silent and uh it wasn't there she doesn't work for her name before okay okay so this is okay anyway I'm just talking about the NBC oh that you did oh he did it at CBS the person that was would sign this stuff at NBC was there for CBS for a lot was very nice to me um when I worked there um that's a curling Rock from Nagano wow Don just sent me that it's very very cool and that's either on his desktop or somebody else's I assume it's his yeah um let me see if I have something hold on um I'll be right back yeah no problem so so we just had Darren Cox on uh I don't know if it's gonna air before or after this episode airs but we did an entire Collectibles um uh you know for for public but he worked for a CBS affiliate and so he's got these CBS catalogs and all these other things what were you looking for I was looking for a photo I had with Dave that he signed that was really fun it's but I can't find it it's pretty people the inscription was fun I mean I thought it was I don't know what it said but I'll tell you afterwards but okay okay for sure it's nothing but it was like kind of embarrassing what he wrote I thought at the time um it's for me but um no I was it was one of those things I got it and I was like oh this is so cool and then before I worked there and then Biff and saw it then and it was like oh my goodness you got this and I'm like I'm like Biff you work with the guy and it was one of those things I think I said art Kelly's like I never had a photo with him I've worked on the show exactly and it was like the employees people don't realize that the staffers they even weren't there would have loved the chance to do that and so many of them some did some absolutely but a lot of them just didn't have the opportunity or just didn't feel that they could but they wanted to so don just sent uh Late Show 1000 watch as well wow that's kind of fun yeah there's some fun stuff that they would put out I'll tell you I'll tell you one of my favorite things my jackets are probably like my most coveted the things that I love her but I'll tell you this thing here I love this that book that book is uh like that is yeah yeah I'll like if it's rare I'm in a sad mood or a bad mood or whatever I flipped through that for 10 minutes and suddenly I'm yeah it's super rare I of that it's just it's made with it's like my wife cooks it's made with love like you could tell the character care that was taken in that book we talked to um do you ever talk to George Schweitzer the the uh I know who he is yeah no so we had him on the show and um he and I talked about the thing I loved about CBS is how much they cared about no matter what was going on no matter what was going on how much they cared about Dave I oh I mean it was beyond I mean it was it was something that I I don't know why I didn't realize and stuff and the fact that that so many of the people would tell me that were there that they were just there for Dave out of loyalty and it doesn't help it helps also get in the vacation time paid vacation health insurance but like the loyalty to that guy and the love for that guy I don't there's no way he he I don't think he he could process that or ever understand that or probably even know it yeah um when it would while it was going on yeah he uh I appreciated that very very much like they had his back to the point he could still be if he wanted to still be doing that show he could still be doing that show like they would he was a legend they knew they had a legend they had a legend every episode that he did was another episode longer that the lineage would last yeah into the broadcasting history which still is very um they care about that they care about the history and of that Network and I I do appreciate that so much um about CBS um you've had Maryland right no she's been very helpful recently we emailed I had a bunch of questions um about um yeah about Dave doing Carson Show back in the day and stuff and when Dave would guess host and stuff and she was very helpful I've never met her it would be great to meet her at some time with mutual friends and stuff but um yeah have you had her on not yet she's on my she's uh she is probably like if you asked me who I'd rather have on the show Dave or Merrell it would almost be a coin flip like I I love she doesn't get enough credit and the fact that she wasn't the fact that like if it happened now and she did something like and Macy or somebody would give her like like the poor like Netflix like 40 million dollar deal for her to be to be develop shows and to uh to do things it just I mean for what she attributed to Comedy in general in that show yep I mean I loved when she was listening she was a correspondent Michael Moore's TV Nation I think I think that's what it was yeah yeah yeah I loved when she would ever do anything but just um yeah amen she's still hilarious I mean she's still married I would be amazing if somebody just handed her some money to make something uh when zinnamon was on the show here he he he made me unbelievably envious in a positive way yeah you know I don't get jealous of people I just I get excited for them but it's like oh I'd love to be there she loves uh they they bonded over uh they've bonded over like reality dating shows so like when a new season of Love is Blind comes out the two of them will just go back and forth uh like oh can you believe this person did that or whatever and I can only imagine doing that with the mind of Maryland I feel like the things that would pop back yeah you know the responses would be just so real she's she's hilarious and uh yeah I I told her that I wanted Dave's Carson appearances um they showed a clip and they showed um it was I think that's dog poetry and that was Merrell's thing and Dave Gaber attribution after and it did really well with the audience it was a tape piece with the dogs and stuff I forgot what the pub home was and then it was like and then Dave afterwards was like you know that was um red or conceived by Meryl Marcone and it makes sense um I want to ask actually there's a Carson question here uh let's do it well no it's it's so good because you and Morty when Morty was on your on on uh on your show you guys talked about and I think in other episodes too you've talked about when Carson saw the momentum of everything that was going on with Dave and how it was happening and how they deconstructed and the behind the scenes stuff and how Carson would start to kind of yeah launch some of that stuff and it was kind of painful a little bit most of it was not right but there's one that was amazing because it had to do with Dave and it was when David shows up Dave's truck shows up and then and then after that then the Wapner stuff and and that was amazing television exactly very Letterman but it was also Carson like it was it was it was a good way for Carson to do what Dave is doing and Dave I mean I I no one is gonna know for sure except Dave but I from people I talked on the on the attention to the word they're dead no clue and for for tell for that to happen on a late show next show now yep I mean it should be a camel and forzinski and Emily bunt or blunt were really funny with their but their uh practical jokes when they live next to each other and stuff but I don't know how much it was if they tipped each other off or whatever um so Kimmel is actually very can be very good at that but um yeah that was um that was a great thing I remember on the Johnny tribute show when I was there um in the audience at the very very very very back of the uh David K thank you on the folded chair yeah they weren't supposed to let people in that had ever um worked on the show because Dave uh it's just my Throne day off which I I get um but yeah I remember Johnny uh Dave showing that Johnny clip of the the the the truck yeah and and the fact that like that story like that it in itself that episode and then the Wapner thing after and all of these things that happened oh it was wonderful the the truck itself here's the here's the Merrell thing I want to go back to for a second one of the things that Merrill loved to do to Dave was surprise him and as much as he hated the Supreme he didn't like surprises yeah right but yeah but she loved that and I and what a genius of course because you know is there anybody on the planet that responds better off the cuff to whatever is thrown yeah and so let's throw him a surprise and see how he responds um and so I wanted to know if that moment of the truck you kind of half answered that question already was it a surprise and did Meryl have anything to do with that like like like because even on Late Show you know you think about Lyle the intern or or or or some of these other spontaneous moments with Tony or whatever that seemed like they were surprising Dave even though they weren't they weren't yeah but did Meryl did Meryl tell you that she she was involved in it well no I'm asking I'm I'm wanting to know I don't know I should ask her I'm curious to know um if that is true that I have and yeah I'm not sure I do want to say the one thing that Carson did have um in terms of like a day moment was the Rickles thing going across the hall and like that never happened until like I don't like it to my knowledge on a late night show something like that but it seemed like when they were like let's let's go outside the studio and somebody's out there playing the piano and or like I don't know they did a bunch of things like where uh Dave type stuff like like they put signs up in a Disney Disney World bathroom like called this number at this date at this time and um it just didn't work Peter LaSalle would say gone on record too that they didn't it just didn't work It's just tough though right because Dave was getting really all the Acclaim from the credits Johnny wrote at read everything that was about his show um if it was a compact like he wasn't a competitor but definitely it was just I I know it had been um a little tough well when your Protege starts to outshine you there's a special unique feeling to that it's like going back to your high school reunion after 10 years you know it's it's it's it's a unique feeling that only in that moment you could feel that feeling and and for Johnny to see Dave you know blow up the way that he did and then to see it turn into you know Carter we're talking about Carter with the whole late shift stuff like and there wasn't anything in entertainment that was being talked about more than that um you know I uh um oh okay Don just said by the way uh regarding the contact sheet that that you gave yeah uh the shots were taken by Bill Shortridge so there we go that's amazing and oh that's I did it I did not know uh right there um but but no the cars like I I I love Johnny's Legacy for what it was I also love again I use the Godfather uh analogy far far far too much you know um Don Corleone Michael Corley like you know and then you love I love what Dave has done since then I love the fact that I think and I if I had him on I would ask him if I had Dave on to ask a Carson question one of the questions would be okay so you know how Carson finished things off he basically finished things off on your show a benefit here maybe or or something after that but basically his last his exclamation point on his career was being on Dave's show um when you retired from late show and this is what we have to say we got to stop saying Dave retired because he certainly didn't retire that's true he went the exact opposite way that Carson went that's true kept going and it's still relevant to this day yeah and I want to know if he saw Carson's last years and we hear about the last time on the boat and all this kind of stuff I want to know if if if he saw that was what Johnny did and said no I don't want that so I'm intentionally not going to do that I thought I read something that Dave said something similar to that that just Johnny it took something out of him just not being you know doing stuff and active and he could see that um I I could be off on that now there's so many questions um that I'd have for um that guy but that's an excellent question I mean Dave um Dave Johnny loved Dave Dave um was loyal to the end yes with him I mean I think I mentioned this team maybe the last time or not but I've mentioned it like Tom Snyder uh was not thrilled um I think she was on the CBS show The Late Late Show talking about that he wasn't the real that Johnny Carson and would have all of those years never said stay tuned for Tom Snyder up next and I say back an 11 and a half whatever 10 years of Dave Carson to my knowledge never said and wait um and stay up for Dave Letterman I mean Don might have something different but he was just very Dave um Carson was very competitive even I think I've made the point that the first Late Show Carson and he did this with Snyder he would not make sure he was not hosting that week the big guest host and uh yeah I mean that less people are going to be tuning in it's just it's what it is but um yeah there's another era that doesn't get talked about enough and I want to I I don't know who the perfect person to talk about uh this with I know I'm certainly if I ever have a chance to talk to Morty I'm certainly going to ask him about it but yeah um there there was a time where where Jay Leno was David Letterman's lead-in and and and and I think about I think about the uncomfort the level of either discomfort or apathy or whatever you want to call it um that that that there was a time and we don't talk about it it's not even even a late shift and War for late night which I think are the two you know most complete uh yeah you know records of this it's kind of almost glossed over where there was a time it was nine months or ten months however long it was sometimes I guess Leno took over May 25th I believe 92 and then um and then Dave's um yeah didn't leave until then the June a year later 25th 93 yeah yeah there was some time I you know I've heard conflicting things that they were still on good terms at that point I have no idea and I it's but yeah they definitely I don't know how much communication they had Dave had a contract and he had no other at that point concrete he didn't ever even like went out to see like what he would be interested and and finished up really really strong on that show uh but yeah that that's true they were on back to back for yeah and and literally Jay would be like stay tuned for today but that was also during the time where they've basically stricken that period of The Tonight Show from the record um you know because it was during the kushnik time yeah and so before the new beginning of the show and and all of that so you know because because as as Jay they've talked about this uh well Bill certainly talked about it in his book but but you know we're gonna basically restart the show from this point once Helen left and they basically looked at like and it was a new era so yeah I talked to some I don't want to mention who but I talked to somebody um that was related to Leno's um show um about the about their first year and I was just like I'm like I can't like because somebody was just saying about how Conan you know just his show wasn't great the first 10 months and I'm like yeah it was your show it was not it did not have its voice I'm like look at the first Leno's Tonight Show um The Economist at the end of the show I mean it the show was just not out there yes Jay was doing I think the first two weeks live which is is very cool and just yeah that didn't happen much but it took him a long time they didn't find the voice until he went to 8A she did the week in New York and I was there I saw what my own eyes and then they went back and Studio three and then just ADHD it with a lot of the setup and that's when they succeeded wildly they had way more time than whatever Conan was given it wasn't even close oh a hundred percent um and that was always the that was always the in 2010 uh when the second you know when the second late shift happened that was always um you know the vocal minority uh idea was that you know and I mean I don't even think Conan stood up for himself the way that he he could I love the letter that he wrote it was amazing yeah that was basically and that was like the end I mean him writing that letter and everybody like are you sure you want to do this yeah um and also just the fact like I know Johnny Carson I've read some of his contrast the real estate was like The Show Must start at 11 30.

Carson when he and even in the NBC years when he got more Cloud um not NBC but in New York yeah in like 60s with like this football game is going to go over my show I'm not doing the show my contract says it has to be from 11 30 to 1 o'clock and if not I'm not gonna do the show yep and uh just the fact that that was overlooked with Conan's contract apparently that's what I think yeah that's what I said in that book yeah you get The Tonight Show we'll run it whenever we want to run it and he's like yeah crap yeah exactly yeah it was definitely I think Bob Morton might have been one of the ones like you didn't get that in the contract that was like the lunch or something with maybe Jeff Ross because they were good friends I don't know if they how good but um yeah that's interesting um talk to Jeff Ross you've talked to Jeff Ross haven't you I'm mad at him I mean I used to go to that show that the first two years of cone and when they had empty seats and nobody liked him I'm telling you uh I know he's it was it was in terms of like the the public and stuff yeah I would see Jeff Ross all the time he'd be on set and then um seen him around but yeah I didn't talk I didn't really get to meet him I don't think till Rick a lot wins Memorial and um somebody introduced me I didn't even go up to him somebody introduced me to him and we talked and he was really cool nice guy yeah um are you gonna go check his memorial I haven't been invited um I know don don Giller said that there's they're doing something I mean I have no idea it's one of those things like you know that that was really like Nick Bernstein who um worked under Rick invited me to the memorial and I was like oh wow that's so nice of you uh to do that but I don't know I certainly never expect anything and if I'm yeah I haven't been invited and that's fine I I mean I don't yeah it's one I think I'm gonna fly out for it so I hope I hope there are so many people that he was friends with that he touched and it's like um yeah you knew him way more than I did we had talked on the phone and stuff and all these orbits right like but when Leonard Moulton comes out and says something about like yeah they were close yeah it's just what it is but that's great that they're doing something uh as yeah is this I think that they should so no I uh anyway I didn't mean to Railroad back but uh you're at Rick ludwin's Memorial like there's a guy who seems to be as as consider like because he had so many sides pulling at him in so many directions still universally I mean exceptions of course but universally loved in so many ways he is I mean he was conflicted with with a bunch of decisions and there's like within when NBC uh said we're going to go with this thing with Kona gets four more years and then Jay's Gonna Leave Rick went with it and I know Jay wasn't happy about it and he was always upset and I know that Dave um with Ludwin um was not thrilled about him and everything Rick would always tell me he's like first of all in war I've heard Warren Littlefield basically say that the same thing I might have said this before is like they will always say they will not say that that Dave show they will not say that Jay's show was better or funnier they will just say it was the right show to get we got the ratings um that's it yeah Rick did say though that I love Dave Dave's show on NBC and just he's no one's funnier but there's definitely things that I mean Leno is clearly with within Helen politicking going to the NBC affiliates and just doing everything and there were definitely some things that um Dave didn't do and I get it I wanna I mean I totally get and I I kind of you know I think that's cool that Dave went in through that but like I think that that's probably um that probably did hurt him in in the end and Ray Rick was very much like that some of his stuff like with like I don't know some of the stuff that he would make fun with the network and stuff would maybe run from people a little bit but um but Rick there wasn't one thing that Rick never said uh that never said that Dave wasn't a genius and stuff like I mean he yeah everybody over there recognized Dave um the talent and just that what that show was but if you're a business person and you're it's numbers and stuff well I don't that was his goal it would be number one and he succeeded wildly well he did uh oh by the way like and you've worked with him way way way more obviously um but my conversation with Bill Carter is one of the most important conversations I've ever had from a personal standpoint I loved it I love just being able to hang with him like I was just so happy that I was able to to just hang with Bill and and and then throw out a couple of the things that have been percolating in my head for years and years and years and years one of them being what you're talking about here um you know I appreciate where Mr Leno comes from when he says okay I was number one when I came in I was number one when I went out or uh you know and and and um and I appreciate that um that dialogue that he has okay fine but the glaring stuff that isn't being said is that there had never been a franchise that was able to take hold against The Tonight Show ever um that would even come close to to being able to live never mind even come close to compete even come close to taking some of that ad dollar and and dividing the audience and doing that sort of thing that's never ever ever happened yes number one okay fine but the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show uh you know which is going to turn into what it's going to turn into here um uh you know wouldn't exist you know in the Johnny Carson era of course and then yeah okay you may be number one but the fact that the fragmentation happened on your watch and there's obviously extenuating circumstances so talking to Bill about that was amazing I'm glad you got to talk to him yeah it's it's one of those things if Dave wasn't beating Lano for the first whatever two years or whatever in the power switch that I don't think there would be much of a thing there um to write about I mean there are there was and stuff but certainly not um how everything uh yeah everything went down but I'm glad you got to talk to him oh man me too it was so great and I want to ask you about I want to talk about Bill in a second Don just said something really fun here because I I've said other things like this in the past yeah you don't see a ton of cult stuff happening for for Jay Leno Don just said there's no Dawns for Jay Leno and that is so true you know you don't have a ton of people there might be I there might be not that we know not that we know okay yeah fair enough uh for Jay Leno here come on over we'll get you both on the show and you guys can uh do uh do something yeah I've never heard of of that I mean um it was just a different show and I mean it's just it's what it is and stuff but yeah that's an interesting observation Mr Giller absolutely uh I gotta ask you about what you're can you talk about what you're working on right now is it the is it the can you talk about what no I'm just working on um just a Carson related thing I can't talk about you can't talk about it okay fair enough you win lots of research and talking to people I never got to talk to as well and I'm making lots of discoveries and uh yeah we'll see what happens um it's one of those things where it seems like just because I'm still doing such a deep dive and stuff like every seems like every couple weeks or month I make a discovery that I'm just like I got Carson's Tonight Show stuff that went on Backstage I'm like I can't believe I didn't know this and the public has no idea and it's stuff that a lot of it's very pivotal to um the story of uh of The Tonight Show and him so it's it's doing um just talking to people that I never got to talk to that maybe are more comfortable um just being on the phone and not doing a podcast episode um yeah and just yeah just listening this Delights me uh of course one of the questions I was going to ask and I kind of aborted it right at the beginning because you started talking about this is like how if you miss if you miss it um you know because you're you're what seven months out now from your last episode that you've done I don't remember but my quality of life has shot up through the room I can't tell you for eight years I I am so grateful I got the chance that people listen I loved it but it just like it was so hard to get gas near the end and it was just like we would really go over the top with making our guests look good like we would take like um a lot and just like heavy more heavy um post-production than I think a lot of it and it was just like it just got to be so much yeah and that it just got to be too much and it was taken away from so from everything so I don't remember when it'll be a year I thought it would be May or June when it would be yeah something like that it's it's coming up I think it's I think it's been 10 months since the the Spade episode or the the Kirby episode came out do you want to say Frank sinapadre the Gilbert Godfrey podcast same then we talk on the phone he's like it's a different world like it's like so um yeah just more relaxing and tranquil and stuff I mean I I love having the conversations like this is great it's just everything else that um people don't know about nor should they they should just enjoy the final product but yeah yes yeah yeah they don't want another sausage gets mates but but at the end of the day um you know you'd probably miss it I would I would I would submit that you probably would miss it a lot more if you weren't doing your current project it sounds like your current project has gotten you to dig into what you love and what yeah you're probably right but I definitely thought like by the end of the podcast that I get all my questions answered and I probably did at the time but there's just so many more now questions from just the digging um deeper and talking to more people that uh yeah there are definitely a few more people I I would like to talk I always kind of mentioned that maybe I'll do a bonus episode here and there maybe yeah there are a bunch of people in my list just maybe like 15 minutes or something I it's just putting my recording uh equipment back on is just like still triggering and like it's just I don't know when I put this stuff on and I'm doing the headphones on I'm just like I'm in my head I'm like this is gonna be like an old it's gonna be I don't know like it just it brings me back to just taking over my life for days out of the weeks and stuff but yeah we'll see um I uh I I'm glad I'm glad you still get to scratch the itch though I'm so I'm glad that you're you're still doing something that's different uh I'm certainly glad that your quality of life has shot up that makes me uh uh very happy first time you came on our show you would you were just I don't I know you had shot with commissar I don't I don't think you would shot with Carvey I think you're right no I thought that that was that was about it yeah um I think that's what it was so yeah Robert smeaga was so nice to get Carvey does not like doing those things unless like he knows the person and it's comfortable and or if it's like completely necessary is plugging something and but he's so good at it fly on the wall is so good it is he he if that's great and it's his friends and he's getting paid I've been guessing very handsome way um I would think so for the show and stuff and like but how do you get on that boat right how do you get on the the very paid very handsomely I think you go on Saturday Night Live for six and a half whatever years and do a couple do a 200 million dollar film and all that stuff but um no it was great but like it's like I could tell when I was talking to him and I'm sure I would think that the guest would that you talked the same way I was asking Dana stuff and he never gets to talk about stuff that he's like I can't whoa and he did tell me I don't know if it was true or not but my feeling was and Robert said that like yeah he really liked talking to me but but so many podcasts are ubiquitous so many asked the same questions to public figures and it's like I I get it it's like why would you want to do that like when you've answered it so many times and they just don't have original uh questions or ideas or anything based on like somebody just like interviewers just going like on a Wikipedia and taking like the four biggest things and just hammering it over and over again with them exactly well Martin Jeff Martin talked about that when he came on because uh you know he would talk about where reporters would call him up and they'd ask him one question or two it's the same question every time and and the reason he came on our show and we went three hours like that's amazing because he got a chance to delve into this stuff and there's no better feeling like we don't you know we make tongue-in-cheek jokes about the paid handsomely part whatever okay but I would I I love it so much I would give up that opportunity so I could have this deep relationship so when yeah calls me yeah he leaves a voicemail in one of his crazy voices and uh he does Carson sometimes like really like there's no feeling like that having this connection with these people that we admire so much it's the one of the greatest things ever and it sounds like you're still getting it which is good people have been nice I think hopefully my work the work got done speaks for itself in terms of like people um put in their trust in me and I don't know just trying to uh um just do stuff that that interests me trying to do stuff I'm curious about and it means something to me um which all the what you're doing is what I did with the Carson podcast I just didn't expect um yeah any of what came out of it but um but yeah I still have the same same thing I have a bunch of my problem is is like I just have too many ideas of stuff I want to do yeah I'm I'm fortunate just because I guess I've been doing this for so long just that I can get a notebook and fill the thing and have I'm like like 95 to 97 of the stuff that will come out is is bad or I wouldn't use but just like I just have like I've had a bulletin board with like I'd have I'd have Emma's um um three by five cards it probably needs it need to be like a giant wall of everything I want to do and stuff so it's basically just go I'm doing what I'm like at all I'm trying to narrow stuff down but it's like it's for me though that thing just um stuff I want to do and stuff I'm curious about is pretty endless I have to say well the Curiosity I think is is is something that also bonds everybody and you throw Dave into this as well um actually shecky told me this one of the reasons he loves my next guest and some of the things Dave is doing um up to this point is is and I think one of the reasons why I love Dave so much is he's curious and I have he always was yeah yeah curiosity it leads to so many great things like you say it also leads to dud things too but the the act or the art of it of being able to kind of be inspired by something and and go down these paths and learn these things curiosity is such a beautiful beautiful yeah Dave I always admired more uh he would do it more on the NBC show but have these people that were never gonna get ratings and stuff but have these people he was just curious to have on and ask the questions he wanted to and um but yeah like a lot most late night shows a host one and that would never do that but he he would just bring some of these people on that um the competition which is just like every rating Point mattered and um it was you know it's different and stuff now it was different then but um yeah Dave would um yeah Dave would do that so I I can relate to you about the ideas thing um like I keep um you know Walter at pants is so he's so generous to me because he allows me to just message him and I I try that's great yeah Walter's a wonderful person oh I love him I love him candy and I came out to New York uh in the fall and and he took us out for lunch and and we oh wow got on the same page about everything yeah I could say that David Letterman took me out for lunch because he you know he put it um let me put it on the company card uh but one of the things that I keep I keep pitching him ideas about things like I I just my mind keeps going about like I would love to see a reunion show of some sort like at Radio City or something like that where even if Dave wasn't the head of the show but it was like like Sandler showing up and singing a song or somebody coming up and doing a you know Altman coming up doing some close-up magic or something you know what I mean like I just love the idea yeah what you're saying I mean they've mentioned they almost that Beacon thing with darling love like a Christmas Christmas yes exactly that which would have been fun I mean not really expensive and they but just the fact that they would even consider such a thing and now get Netflix to pay the bill for the production of the whole thing up with three episodes or something like that and there you go right how funny yeah it was um they keep coming they just keep coming I have ideas for Bill Carter Bill Carter was on and and one of the things that he said was he goes well my contract with CNN expires in a few months and then I'm just gonna put my shingle out there and I don't know what I'm gonna do and I'm like oh my God there's a there's a weekly show right there like you just talking about the house yeah I mean Bill did I don't know how many shows he did with me um he did uh Carter when I'm the podcast a lot at least four times three or four times something like that and just like the listeners had so many so many questions for him it was uh yeah it was really great just to pick his brain and stuff and and I that he definitely um in terms of like being there in the war room with all that stuff and sitting down with the power players that just would just open up like they've never really opened up about that stuff to him um yeah it's interesting that's that trust that you were talking about at the beginning of the show you know um you know bill has that in Spades with to the point where you know writes a book I I said this to him too or it writes the writes a book about it including all of the glaring mistakes that the NBC Executives made he had so much clout and trust with these people that the next regime of NBC Executives who made even bigger mistakes opened up just as much to him as like that's astounding to me and to me it's a throwback to um to what journalism should be uh and what quality journalism should be that people aren't afraid of journalists I think so Bill Bill definitely did Justice to the to the thing and it's one of those things where I think a lot of those people are smart and know that they're going to be written about it and when their version of what happened um because a lot of times people's different have different versions of of what happened which are I don't know sometimes people believe it sometimes people um exaggerate or whatever but um yeah I think people were smart to just to be able to at least yeah contribute and be like this this was true this wasn't true this didn't happen or happened like this but um yeah I thought um yeah that when his book came out it was one of the I go like I just nabbed that book um when it came out the first one a fascinating read and uh yeah it's it's uh I haven't picked it up in a long long time but um they're both they're both worth reading again and again and and it's fun to watch especially looking at what's going on with late night right now um you know because he started talking about the fragmentation in the first book it was I mean yeah and now it's just like it's yeah I mean it's not it's it's never gonna go back to even close to what it is I mean um I think that they were definitely fortunate um when Dave was on and and Jay that that Spike theorist and that fox didn't give him a a nightly show this the spares in my opinion would still be on yeah um to me personally that guy was so likable for having no experience he gets on camera and he was good out of the gate yep um he had all these like famous people that he was friends with it could come on it was just a really funny show yeah and um they did it on Fox they did a bunch of Sundays and they canceled I don't know 13 episodes but he he's one of those people Fox did and it's very hard to clear all the Affiliates that I think would have that fragmentation it would have been a little bit more if he was uh if he was there on uh doing the fox thing and yeah I can't say enough about um that I can't believe that nobody gave him like on other networks being like we want you to host yeah try something like this but um the likability is so important but to somebody that's out of the gate that can do that thing the school said it so many comedians could never even do one show no um and be good at that thing versus like um hosting like a thing for like I don't know even doing a week um shamling you know even said Gary Shandling said when he when he was guest hosting for Johnny like one of the I think it was like a special the first time he did it he didn't realize how exhausting it was I mean he was said by the end when he host and hurt other people just like like it's like the point where it's just all his energy it was gone no energy and people people I don't think the public realizes that um and I think Spike could have could have done that and um I could have made that happen but yeah that those those shows the daily shows are definitely what Dave went through made it look easy in the public had no idea going on night after night like that yep it's it's the hardest it's one of the hardest jobs in Show Business and very few people skill set that could actually do it here Dave was definitely I mean he was like Michael Jordan definitely oh ABS absolutely and shout out to spike by the way I mean you know Spike okay while he went out and did his uh you know he's he uh has been successful and so he's able to go and do the the garage in the podcast and it's very he's doing a million things with Harry is working on he's he's fine I just yeah that but his show his Show online like his his uh his podcast is is brilliant and it should I've listened to a bunch of stuff that like if people I mean definitely he said stuff that like um if the media would have listened would have picked stuff up and reported and stuff he's definitely is very candid I'm with a lot of his stuff and I've definitely learned a lot I am definitely admire his work and uh yeah the fact that he was like I got the work for Dave on both shows yeah he's on my list um you know we talked about a couple of writers already my day today started at uh just uh just after six a.m my time um talking to Scott Ryan uh oh yeah he's a letterman and and I told him you know so he he's got a guy who uh he wants me to have on on or thinks it's a good idea that I have on here and I think it's a great idea too a real monologue for Dave for a long time and uh is that Gabe is it Gabe Abelson no I've had Gabe on the show I love him oh it is great um yeah you don't have to tell me who but keep going I'll tell you I'll tell you off it's a fact a fact sir uh it's one of the factors um uh oh interesting yeah yeah can't happen today but yeah yeah so so so uh so we were just going back and forth and and I said uh you know and Scott and I are friends too right we just we we we're Cut From the Same Cloth as well I love Scott and so I said oh by the way I'm about to have I gotta go here soon I gotta I'm about to have Mark on and he just oh he just unloaded like a fire hose oh I love Mark so much oh that's very nice the biggest Spike he ever got with the last days of Letterman uh was when he was on your show so that's very nice to hear yeah it's I never expect stuff like that but like um James kamasar who I admire so much has persisted what he's like gone through to get these pieces told me on the podcast was more he got hurt from more people and more like just people talking about it than when he did like like I'm not gonna say if it didn't like National print like a magazine that was like huge stuff but he heard and that's really nice to hear I mean it's I'm glad uh yeah it's um definitely what a labor of love to for him to write that book for um yeah Scott to write that's Paul I'm glad celebrated in my it's for me it's that six weeks was um it was the greatest television moment for me just personally yeah ever I mean I remember my favorite team on the Stanley Cup I remember like I remember a lot of very uh pivotal TV moments um but for me that that six weeks if there is a golden age of Television for me it was the final six weeks they were really excited and it was like watching the Montage it's just like am I ever gonna see this guy again and it was so emotional the whole thing and uh he's a pro I I mean I know he is able emotionally to deal with things I I I I'm pretty sure like beforehand but he was not he so many people would just be like even Carson like on the verge of tears and when he was able I don't think I could have gotten through something like that without just bawling and the Dave Dave is a broadcaster can can do that I'm sure he had the emotion stuff that he dealt with before um maybe even weeks before and stuff but um yeah the way he was able to even like talk about George Miller his friends that passed and be able to keep his composure and really talk about them eloquently I couldn't do that absolutely and like bring up references oh the rats by the way they were they they were stoop shouldered or whatever the line was like like pulling in Old lines from old-timey things and yeah it's great I mean the guy always would do stuff that would make him Shetland was the same way when he would have host um for for Carson dude he would they would do stuff both of them did not Mo that certain things little things that that most of the audience would not get yeah yeah I just um I appreciate you so so much uh as we kind of start to wrap here um was there okay first off was there anything else today that you had thought yeah I want to talk about I want to throw out there um when you asked me to come on I'm like I don't know what I'm possibly gonna talk about I didn't and yet 90 minutes no problem but that's like so many of the guests that come up they've come up with me and they're like I don't know what Bull and then no you're it's a TR it's a testament to you and you posting this to get this stuff out so no I'm glad to do this and it's like I think it's just so many other people like you're talking about the recording for three hours with those writers it's like it I I never get to talk to almost never get to talk about um one of like my favorite shows of all time like this and like go inside baseball on it and stuff that's I think that's the reason they do too it's like it's it just was one of the most special times in so many people's lives people that work there people that didn't work there yeah um and uh yeah definitely just to hear um anything that I didn't know previously is just that you're doing a great service wow coming from you like I I'm yeah again you talk about the motion welling up coming from you that makes me almost uh like want to just grow up right now so thank you thank you for saying that um you are a a massive massive influence to me I'm grateful that I can call you buddy I can message you anytime I want I can get advice I can get thank you so much for everything that you have done to contribute to um you know the Carson podcast is an amazing body of work thank you I'm so happy that you have um you know sprung boarded into the you know this being part of the CNN project for whatever it is that you're part of that was very nice they brought me in and it was um yeah it was interesting working with Bill and yeah I enjoyed a lot of that well um you know the adage of course is more to come my My Hope Is that you and I can take that phrase right now and and expound on it in so many ways that there is more to come you on this show of course that's my selfishly thinking that but more to come for you with this stuff thank you very much for saying Rebecca yeah oh thank you so much Mark I appreciate you um oh let's do the commercial first let's do the commercial because I there is one last thing I want to talk about the Letterman podcast has one sponsor one sponsor only and that is Rupert G and the hello Deli um Rupert go to Hello places that for sale everybody go to Hello deli.com if you want to get licensed Late Show with David Letterman merchandise it's the only place to get it uh the you need broke your mug go get one um because at some point we don't know what it's gonna look like uh what that opportunity is going to look like when this place closes uh Mark Rupert recently announced that he's selling the he's selling the joint I heard you know nothing what do you think about that what was your reaction nothing lasts forever but it's like what an amazing run and how pivotal that guy was to uh the show in terms of um I mean John beckerman's thing that he came up with with the Dave feeding Rupert lines and stuff to just just making him such a staple of the show I mean his um such a nice guy I mean uh Rupert if you're listening thank you when I worked for the show on my birthday you gave me a free meal it's like the whole parmesan or something he's like it's your birthday no charge I'm like it's my birthday tomorrow but um you that they were great and just it was always fun just to um Whenever there and did it that just this guy's hard-working nice man is getting people just want photos and him sign and stuff it was like that okay now was it called k l or kns with Muji bird and Sierra Jewel yeah people just going over they were rock stars for a while and then yeah it's a shame that everything closes after a while but yeah but Rupert uh it's it's just a huge accomplishment that he he's lasted all these years and stuff and I hope uh that um I hope uh The Late Show the current light show does something and maybe mentions him or something I would not agree more uh don Giller just chimed in Rupert always charged me double that's the way it should be Dons absolutely that's right that's right I love you brother I love you so much yeah it was so good seeing you I'm glad we got to do this thanks for asking and making it easy on me because I just I'm like one of my possibly in the talk about so yeah I'm glad we have to do this so it's fun well we're hitting our anniversary uh guaranteed around anniversary time every year uh we're gonna have you on but of course it's gonna be more than that because and as projects get announced and are allowed to be promoted and things like that this vehicle will be one um hopefully it gets bigger and stronger and faster but we will promote whatever you're doing whatever you're doing I really appreciate it I love you brother yeah thank you so much love to you back and I'm definitely looking forward to talking sometime soon awesome thank you brother okay so wasn't that fun that was like uh man it's so cool getting together with these like-minded folks um and and I just I I can't tell you how grateful I am for Mark um just the fact that uh um that he didn't really know that he inspired me the way that he did through Rick shackman and and that I I'm glad that I got a chance to tell him that that's cool I hope that uh it translates to a an entertaining episode I I know all the other stuff I mean Mark is just um he's an encyclopedia out there as well and and those of us that want to take these stories and take this um all of this this form of entertainment and pass it on to others uh give some insights and entertain and give some insight edutainment uh Maybe not maybe not vegetarian I don't know but I'm very excited now once again don't forget to join the the Letterman podcast Facebook group for a chance to win and and get into the contest for a chance to win a David Letterman rejection uh postcard um yeah I'm just really really grateful uh obviously with the anniversary coming and the prep for it and all that stuff there's been a lot of reflection I'm I'm really grateful uh to be part of this um this part of of entertainment the of entertainment Mythos I guess and and uh I hope this is a contribution that people uh will appreciate I certainly appreciate the folks who have reached out and talked about it um and a special shout out to uh and happy anniversary and a special thanks to um those who worked for Dave uh who have either been on the show or haven't been on the show but have reached out and tell me that they watch the show or listen to the show there's quite a few who do and and that's extremely gratifying um to say the least it is it is uh but a token of of what I can give back to um all of these people whether they worked there for six months as a as an intern all the way up to you know the entire run um if I can give a little bit of insight or or entertainment back to uh those who spent so much time and effort uh developing you know this odd brain that I have you know it's worth it right there um yeah so as we say more to come that is another episode of The Lettermen podcast with Mike Chisholm coincidentally I am Mike Chisholm thank you and good night overcoat and Underpants