Everybody Loves Rory

this is Steve Wier I used to write for the David Letterman show this is Mike Chism who spent entire life dreaming of being on the David Letterman show and will never happen watch his podcast instead welcome once again of the Letterman podcast my name is Mike Chisum okay I love this episode uh Rory R Rose Garden God the alliteration is just killing me uh automatic poetically it's such a great name Rory Rose Garden godamn it might get it better anyway Rory is on the show today Rory is um I would say you know through the uh people can can try and prove me wrong I don't think you're going to be able to one of the most uh successful uh Boutique comedy managers in history so this isn't a guy that has you know hundreds and hundreds of of of clients he has a select few clients uh comedians entertainers but the ones that he resonates with are ones that go into his stable of of of of folks and and as a comedy manager uh he has seen so much change in the last four decades plus of what he has done um and I mean you know yes Ray Romano Brian Regan Tom Green Robert Klein many other clients um that that over the years that that are that are household names but a a a significant connection to the Letterman Mythos because uh one of the uh Founders and the guy who helped to make Everybody Loves Raymond happen which is by far the most successful production that worldwide pants has been a part of other than of course Late Show with David Letterman and and and it's just we have a fantastic conversation uh that is spanning I tried very hard not to make it all about Ray Romano because we certainly could Ray Romano and his story is is is um is amazing and hopefully we can get Ray on the show here one day where he can talk about it but at the end of the day um sometimes people want to be the guy and sometimes people want to be the guy behind the guy um some guys do the show some guys do the business of show and Rory is an absolute ninja when it comes to that but a ninja with a heart and you will see that right away as we start talking just a great guy has so many behind the-scenes stories of how um you know back all the way to Ray Romano's uh first his Carson appearance um and and an experience in the green room with Johnny afterwards all the way up to the very end of late show and Beyond and we talk about Brian Regan and we talk about some of these other amazing um pieces of the puzzle that Rory is uh a part of when it comes to the Mythos of David Letterman uh the Letterman podcast has one sponsor one sponsor only hello- deli.com go to hellodd deli.com for um one of your only official sources for Letterman merchandise the other source is worldwide pants go to the YouTube channel and you'll see uh you could the worldwide pants has a store now you can go there and you can can get different merchandise than what rert has so there's a couple places now if we want to uh you know go through and get some Letterman uh swag uh you can go to the worldwide Pants Store you can go to Hello jelly.com I hope today that you enjoy even a fraction a fraction of this episode as I did having the conversation with Rory uh please enjoy all right Roy I have so many things I want to ask you about and uh there's so many directions that we can go into this episode here uh but I wanted to start it in a way of uh creating commonality between the two of us I know that you're a collector uh I am a collector of of of many things that I love so much um and it's funny looking at your background I wasn't aware the guitars were going to be the background there so I may know the answer but uh the house is Up in Flames everybody is out which is good you've got time to go back in for two things two things what are the things you're going back in the house for My Wife and Kids no they're out they're out they're good I'm talking about I'm talking about the collection when you collect things what well there's a couple things okay myamy I have two emys and they're very dear to me so they would go yep you grab the Emmys both of them that's what you oh I love it I would grab the emms the rest of the stuff is great but it's stuff uh this is actually there there's the folder right there for the original David Letterman Emmy nomination it was for the morning show that was the folder that they got uh saying that they had been nominated for uh an Emmy for the morning show back in the day I'm going to use that is it empty is no no no there's there's there's a map uh an old school map how to get there there's a instructions how to tie a bow tie there is a parking pass that goes on oh no it's it's loaded and the telegram which is interesting because the telegram has a it's a telegram with the nomination in it so uh that being said um one of the things that I find very very Charming you're uh your relationship with the Letterman Productions started way early on is Barry sand the first connection that you had to okay how did you and Barry connect and uh let's give Barry a little bit of love before we kind of move on to other stuff Barry's a very nice fan another one I haven't spoken to in decades yeah I'll get him a message to you I'll get him a message from you say he he was the executive producer of Dave show and I had Comedians and clients who would be on the show so I got to know Barry he he's a very nice guy he absolutely uh down in Florida now and uh I just traded corres with pardon me yeah he's retired now and uh he was doing some work with the university down there but now he's he's full on retired so his wife and I correspond um every once in a while here um you know so let's talk manager for a second and I mean it's so cool you and I were going to do this months ago and then we didn't and I love the way that Serendipity kind of takes over because in that time I've kind of gone head down into this world of of of management because we're talking Morty and I are talking Morty says hi by the way uh he wants me to make sure I I said hi to you um but we're talking about doing this documentary on Jack Rollins and and so you know who was in many respects the Pioneer the very first person I me you know he was the first manager uh to get a production deal you know as an example and so we've been I've been learning a lot about and he was the executive producer on Dave show well that's yes ABS absolutely absolutely and then discovered Woody Allen and all these amazing amazing things um you know Harry bellonte Robert Klein you know there's a lot of there's a lot of cross-pollination here which is very very interesting um you know so he kind of created the blueprint for what a a manager could could be I'm looking at your career and I'm saying oh my goodness the changes you have seen Rory from being a manager and and I wanted to maybe before we we kind of get into some of the worldwide pants stuff and and whatnot just talk about being a manager back then versus being a manager now are they even the in the same solar system anymore are there things that have been through lines the beginning to now remotely remotely you know when when I started look I'm doing this 42 years yeah it's hard to believe but it's true um it was Show Business and now it's show industry oh interesting you see the difference absolutely you know the P the the companies weren't publicly traded yep and we all came up with ideas and it was very creative and it business was second yeah I'm not naive I know business is first but for the creative people business was second now you have to consider it all differently than you considered it then yeah um and and back then I mean you you see an act and I mean looking into Jack I'm curious back then if you were if it was similar for you the thing about Jack is he would be and it was as standup was becoming an industry like you look at standup back then versus standup now you know the value of a special uh and and what it could mean you know monetarily but also like you say for the the industry these comedians are becoming Industries under themselves uh you could got like Rogan you look at Cher you look at you know some of these some of these people who are just they've got their own ecosystems already or his own atmosphere around them but back then Jack would be in the club till 3 in the morning trying to find that uh that that person who was different I imagine you I imagine it was say that everything I always did was I did it based on my belly I never did anything based on it was good business it didn't work for me that way and I had the opportunity to work with some pretty great people yeah that I just either their comedy didn't do it for me or they didn't do it for me as a person look there are comedians that I have met through the years who are the funniest people they're wonderful y they're not good guys yeah they're just not and I've always said that I want to love what I'm doing I I want to love it I want to get up every day and love what I'm doing and I've been very very selective I have a very small group of guys that I work with I don't work with 50 guys I'm not a corporation that way I'm not judging it I'm saying for me I was I'm I'm the last of the Mohan so I kind of bring old school to the new school you know and I I I balance it that way well and I think that that's a that's a that's a time honored thing like like you go back and put the Letterman you know view over it you look at that morning show or the early incarnation of of late night and yes you had these uh you know quote unquote Cutting Edge you know writers and people who were you know were going to be counterculture and and the tone of the show but then you had like Hal gurny and you had you know Jack Rollins you had people who were were were were um the bridge from the old show business and the and and the storyed part of Show Business uh to to to counter with that beautiful Cutting Edge technology you're kind of the same way in that regard like I mean you're you're you you've seen all of these changes compared to what these um what the industry looks like now and you're able to bring that flavor uh the time tested true traditions and bring it into the now and add it and that's a say this let's say it this way you know I I I don't want to sound like a poana but the reality is funny is funny yes period Henny Youngman once said to me I met him once when I was younger obviously and he said there's no such thing as an old joke if you've never heard it before yes which I I loved because it meant that even if something's old it can be new to somebody else now clearly there is comedy that's out of style references that are dated I I get that I understand that but the basic premise of a joke the basic premise of material funny is funny what's happened is the audience is much smarter and I think that people generally negate the audience a little bit and I think the audience really knows they know what they like you know when they're in a comedy club and they're paying two cover charges and the two drink minimum and the traffic was terrible and they had to pay for the parking and they had to pay for the babysitter yep it's got to be good it's got to be good and I get that and that's fair but it it the basic part of it funny is funny a joke works or a joke doesn't work um years and years ago um when I the club that I used in New York was the comic strip that's kind of where I started and the comedians all there Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Riser and Eddie Murphy had become a superstar he said he was going to be bigger than the Beatles And he was and I remember Eddie said once we just a bunch of guys who are shooting the and talking and Eddie said the problem for me now is I don't know what's funny because I get on stage I go how y'all doing and they're laughing which is you know it's a blessing but it's also a curse as a as a pure standup comedian I think um you talk about the audience and the sophistication of that of of of how we as a comedy audience have have have evolved as well I think there's Goodwill that shows up uh for the first couple minutes of a set for somebody like that and then after that couple minutes of Goodwill it's great to see you whatnot the material does still need to do its thing still needs to do its thing but you get to a point some comedians read such a crazy level yeah that it's very hard are they being polite yes clearly 40 minutes in and they're looking at their watch you know the stuff is it's not working yeah but when you're a known quantity you get the benefit of the doubt yes and it's very hard again comedy the one thing that the audience doesn't understand yeah that every and in or is practiced on stage in front of a mirror o00 in the morning y comedians are the hardest working guys because they introduce them they go on stage they're the lighting director they're the sound man they're the artist they're the writer they're alone they can't bounce off anybody else it's a very very it's a Highwire act y the good Comedians and I've been surrounded by a lot of great comedians in my life and I'm very fortunate for that they work very very hard yeah it's uh absolutely and not just very they very very hard to make it look effortless and and almost like they're improvising as they go along um as they're performing it's a true it's a true craft yes what has happened now with the with you know the phones and the internet and computer technology you can be a comedian who's got 15 minutes of material yeah back in the day those guys worked in the club and they they had to have an act yeah they had to have an act yep they had to go for an hour like I I you know I I talked to my guys especially the younger guys I'll say how much a material do you have yeah a material not filler material not B material you're working on yeah how much a do you have and very often it's 15 20 minutes and they really have to work there's no shortcut for the work there's no magic bullet there's no pill you can take yeah it's work and if you're if you think there is a shortcut then comedy's not for you absolutely and and even like I'll even throw in uh you know guys today like like Matt re right looks like it's all you know crowd work and he's just making up his no no no no no no no it's way deeper than that and for people who just dismiss uh even even someone who is phenomenal at crowd work um you know no no no no there's a lot of depth that has gone into that and and many times the funny part when I watch re um you know i' I have a wife and it turns out hey guess what she likes Matt R who would have thought she uh you know we watch him and I'm like oh that is so clever because you can see him setting up for crowd work and actually ping ponging live and you know that some of this was predetermined before beforehand and he knew a direction was going to go a certain way well I I think I think with Matt specifically yeah well Matt suddenly came out of nowhere but I gotta tell you something Matt worked underground online for a really long time the a a lot of the audience doesn't know the specifics of it he didn't come in overnight he worked his way up to that and he had his moment and he hit a grand slam yeah um another another one who's like that is uh and I've watched him a couple of times in small venues and then I watched him open for Bert when Bert turned up here in Canada uh was is Ian bag and I mean Ian bag is just Ian's been around a re he's also been around a really long time he wants to come on the show because he's mad that he never got a chance to go on Letterman and he wants to talk about it yeah like he's a long time I'll tell you something Ian uh my Lucian hold at the comic strip who's passed away he was the manager of the comic strip he kind of managed Ian um so that's a long long time ago Ian's been around a long time and he's done a lot of hard work and he's had a lot of lousy gigs but he works at his craft yeah I'm a I'm a purist when it comes to that I'm not again I'm not being an idiot about it but no I am a purist about comedy because I can't do it I tried I'm not good at it and I'm very respectful of those who can it's miraculous to me that they can knit a sweater from a pile of undyed wool you know and and that's that's a very incredible High Calling to be able to do that you and I could go so deep on just this um you know part of the of of I love comedy so I you all day long me too absolutely I want to bring it back to late night television and the intersection between comedy and late night television over the years the evolution of that uh when you started as a manager uh the King was still reigning and and and and Johnny was um you know the idea of getting a guy or a gal onto Carson um the Carson bump was a thing back then and you saw the evolution of the Carson bump uh you saw the early incarnation of the Letterman bump because of all the hoopla when when he moved over that sort of the the the idea of what it meant to have a comedian hone their hunk get their hunk on for five minutes or eight minutes on one of these shows um do you remember your first client that got on Johnny that got on Johnny's Tonight Show well yeah well I managed Robert Klein in my early days right so Robert was on that show pretty good for the resume did you take over right after Jack did he come to you after Jack yes I think you that's what I thought I I worked with Robert for 40 years yeah yeah so but here's the thing there there you touched on something so Ray Romano had the incredible distinction of doing that show Y and he Carson Carson yeah and he he he killed and we were in the dressing room afterward and in the dressing room walks Johnny and Ed McMahon and Johnny says well you got to be happy with that and a little small talk and he turned around and he walked out and I looked at Ry and Ry looked at me it was crazy but here's the interesting part Ry as a comedian yeah his goal was to do The Tonight Show with Johnny yeah and now he did it yep and he was sad yeah because he goes now what where's the next mountain is there another is there another Mountain correct corre he I'll tell you another Inside Story yeah please that Ray Romano and Phil rosenfall the showrunner of Everybody Loves Raymond he's on my list too by the way yeah have lunch with Johnny Carson on Johnny's boat the two of them with Johnny that's lovely it is the only time in all the time that I'm working with Ray that I've been jealous of him oh if I could have only been a fly on that on that boat that day on that deck oh um I love yeah you both those guys are on my list to to to talk to because both are just um the voice that both of them have is one that is just lovely I I want to tell you Rory I have so much respect for you there is no way I was going to be the first person to mention Ray Romano because obviously you know it's funny I had Bill Carter on the show and and I I wanted to talk to him for so so so long and I asked him about late shift and and and what it meant is and I said is that is that the Pinnacle and he said well you know he goes uh when I pass away if a publication happens to do uh you know uh any sort of obituary about me uh in the first few sentences it will mention late shift and it will uh and I get that and I imagine it might be similar for you and Rey because you have worked together for so long and and and in so many ways uh created history with that show the way that you did I imagine that would be the case but I have so much respect for you in your career in your part of it uh I was not going to mention Ray first for the audience I promise we will get to some Ray stuff for sure but I want to go back to this year because I am absolutely fascinated by it um so you're in the Green Room Johnny Carson says well you you gotta be happy with that um that is that's a direct that's a direct quote that is a crazy moment for CRA moment it's been a crazy moment for all the years that's unbelievable I love how grateful you are about it like like I'm the same way I I I I like working with around people who are like like I love kindness I love I love good guys I I I totally resonate with what you just said there and to think about you two in that green room having that Titan say those words like two idiots we were two idiots and the King walks in like that and Ray is still riding High about the set and it's like it's out of body experience and then Johnny walks in that was that was crazy so we're talking that'd be like 1990 is is yeah so you're well it's close to Carson's the end of Carson's run clearly and I mean you know there's some really cool um you know Alchemy there because I mean the the the lore of of comedians that could do a set on Letterman and do a set on Carson Romano did it in a very unique way because he had this great moment with Johnny um and then of course his first set on Letterman uh but the idea at that point that Johnny Carson would do that you're probably five six years in the business whatever it is um you know r no no no no no I'm in the I got in the business are 10 years in 81 okay so you're nine 10 years in the business but still it's the king doing that I got to ask about the Carson bump did the Carson bump still exists at that moment okay so his life changed the next day hold on hold on Carson bump was a huge thing yeah was a huge thing uh early in the early days cuz I managed David brener okay yeah all right when brener did The Tonight Show the first time yep that was it I mean he was a made man and he made a lot of money and he went on the road and he went into Vegas he really did well yeah the bump existed years later because there was something about being kissed on the head by Johnny it was a very special thing because Johnny said you would Johnny was sort of the spokesman for the United States him and Walter kronite with the and and when Johnny said you were funny and Johnny gave you one of these you were made because Johnny had told the public that's a guy so the bump exist man I gotta ask about brener okay were you managing uh brener during the Hulk Hogan thing no I was okay all right I I have a I have a I have a slice of pro wrestling in my life uh it's an interesting one I do too now I'll tell you that you don't know flip I managed Lou Albano and Sergeant Slaughter that is fantastic I had a I had a I had a charity professional wrestling promotion for five years in my city up here in Canada and and and it was just to give back to the community it was uh my version of a golf tournament right I wanted to do something for the and so I got into the business I'm actually a member of cauliflower alley which is like their fraternity uh Bob Sergeant Slaughter I've met him multiple multiple times phenomenal like absolutely nicest guy I was gonna have Jerry on the show here I've met Jerry a b Jerry Lawler a bunch of times um you know because that moment on Letterman of course Infamous um we were looking to do the show and then he had his stroke unfortunately so so so I've got Jerry Lawler stories but we're gonna wait to get him back on here oh okay so yeah I gotta ask this did you ever meet Andy coffin did you ever cross paths with coffin I did now there's so much my my life has been insane when I was in high school I did a monthly celebrity interview column the first interview I ever did was with Andy calman he did a show at Great Neck North Senior High School where he had gone to school I'm from Great Neck although the other side of the tracks south and I met him then um I have uh I have voracious envy and jealousy uh for Jud appow uh because you talk about Inc Canada Gretzky's most famous quote you don't go where the puck is you go where the puck is going boy when he was in high school did he ever know where the puck was going um and when he did his when he did his little uh radio show or his interview show for this High School paper and talking to all these Comics you did the well it's funny because Jud and I have been friends for for 40 years Y and we kind of have a very similar not the same but similar yeah background yeah it's uh I'm so in the past happily jealous like oh I would love to that guy what's that know no no no just studied up a lot Wonder wonderful guy well actually it's funny well I don't know if I should do this on one so with this Rollins doc we're looking for a producer who cares very much about being a steward of Comedy history you know it's a very particular one that we're looking for and and his name is one of the names that we had kind of thought about for for for for that um so but we can talk about that after uh but anyway yeah Jud is just I mean I look at like and and I have so much Envy for like what you did there you talked to Andy calman back then uh was he at all in character or in the wrestling business a kayf like was he did he character a little out of character yeah yeah you never really knew right he he had done a show so it was sort of after the show so he had come down a little bit yeah so yeah uh that is that is phenomenal um so you like to work with you know uh uh Good Guys good talent uh you know you know people who you resonated with and and and and and harmonized with that's great because if when adversity hits that's who you want to be your Fox old buddy or people that you resonate with I get that we're all of them ones who I don't want to say just necessarily clean because that's that's that's that's not you know I don't mean it like that but we're all of them ones that you would want to have a hunk that could get on The Tonight Show versus other comedians who were more Avant guard they had no interest in being you know you know what I'm saying like like okay it's a good question the reality is I never worked with someone with The Tonight Show as the goal okay they are who they are they do what they do and then you fit into things you fit into y um I tend to look I like funny guys you know if they curse or they don't curse guys who curse just to curse I I don't have patience for that y but guys who curse with purpose or it builds their character that they're they're portraying on stage then I I'm not as put off by it you know but it all comes back to the same thing are they funny and funny is is like holding water because fat woman could walk into this room and she could flip and fall I could laugh you could cry and we'd both be right depending on your point of view yes so I never judged anybody for anybody that they worked with I judge it solely on do I think they're funny I have to sit in this chair every day yeah and it's lonely and it's hard and it's it's never ending if I don't think they're funny it I I can't I I I'm not a liar I'm not a good liar so it's very hard to be on the phone and pretend he's great I I think when you're in the role of a manager and you're dealing with the agency and you're dealing with buyers and producers and whatever I think people know if you're sincere I think that that kind of energy and excitement comes forth look I've worked with guys in my career who didn't make a lot of money yeah they were great comedians but it's like again holding water I can't tell you definitively why they're not the next big thing yeah I thought they were the next big thing but never happened yeah but that didn't make them less funny not to me the show is good but the business didn't work didn't work yeah yeah and by the way there are more commedians in that category yeah than comedians in the Superstar category absolutely oh yeah absolutely there there are guys who have a career and there are guys who are working comedians yeah and I gotta tell you something the Best comedian in the world is in Omaha somewhere and he hasn't had the opportunity or the right guy hasn't seen him or whatever and he's staying in Omaha because his family's there and his friends are there and he's doing the best he can yep and he could be the Best comedian ever of all time Y and no one will ever see him so I'm sensitive to that and I'm aware that that's part of everything that we do absolutely um to go back to the the the late night portion and uh you know again there are people the dozens of people who enjoy this show are wondering when are you going to get to Everybody Loves Raymond and pants and all that yeah we'll get to it but I I'm so fascinated about the late night years yes uh because again very few comedians I mean Don Giller and I went through a list of them not too long ago there are some that could do Seinfeld always said he was the only one that could do late night and uh and uh The Tonight Show at the same time um you know Carson and Letterman back in the day there were actually a few there were a few that could do but not very many hold on hold on okay yeah I love it Carson and Letterman y I'm sorry Letterman and and Leno oh I'm going before that I'm going back I'm going back I'm going back to it was compet it was competition it was competitive it was ratings there were guys who preceded that there were guys who were such Superstars yeah they dictated the terms you know there's a period of time where the show is the thing and you're here yeah and then this happens yes exactly we got the show we got this guy awesome as opposed to this guy's gonna you know be a part of the show so back then though like um because Carson letter me very different uh flavors very different including the comics that they would book uh to do to do shots did back in the day um did you have any notable experiences with late night with David Letterman with any of your clients I mean kle obviously you know and things in the early days when he was on NBC yes sir no I I I had comedians who worked on the show and you know we then tried to make hey while the sunshines yep absolutely pull all the clubs prior to them being on the show and then follow up after them being you know if they did well we followed up and you know made sure that they were booked solidly and had opportunities or as best as we could could get it yep uh I I I hear you um and I guess a big part of your job is to have a good relationship with the Zoe Friedman of the world or the Eddie brills of the world that that that's a huge part of your deal right both of both of them are friends of mine I like them both immensely Eddie Eddie has he done your has he done the podcast twice Yeah Eddie and I friends Eddie AB he's a wonderful guy he's funny as hell yep he had an amazing job at Letterman yeah warming up the audience Dave trusted him and liked him and I I could see why he he's a wonderful person and he's really really funny yeah and got a heart the size of New York big heart Zoe is Bud fredman's daughter but own The Improv and Zoey in the early part of her career worked for networks and whatever she had jobs in Show Business also old school and really nice yeah and as a manager it's your job to find those are two examples of them but people who are all kind of The Gatekeepers and build a relationship right so you can send your like that's a big part of your job back then still it's different it's different than it used to be yeah in the again the old days and the new days the old days you called your friend you called whoever it was and you talked to them you could talk to them now the layers have layers have layers you know the funny thing is that even with the success of Everybody Loves Raymond and of a certain age and movies and everything else this is what I have I I have earned the right for them to listen to me but I have there is no right that they put you on as a favor you know what I mean they 100% they could not do that you know yep I I appreciate and I respect the fact that i' sort of I'm around a long time and I really don't have any problems with anybody so I I they'll listen to me they'll take my call they will talk to me but I'm not a fool and I don't believe that anyone is putting on any one of my clients as a favor to me they're putting them on because they're good the other thing I do is a manager which is true I mean we talk about Ray but I don't wedge one against the other either I don't ever say and I never have said if you want Ray you have to book so and so and I'll tell why it's unfair to Rey to use him that way and it's unfair of for the unknown comedian because did he get it because he's good or did he get it because of Ray yeah I'm not naive and I know you do what you got to do get the guy on and then but I don't I'm very careful about not taking advantage of anybody I just don't feel I I wouldn't like it and I I I'm assuming they wouldn't like it either feels like we're deconstructing an episode of the Larry Sanders show where they would make fun of exactly the things that you're talking about here you know you want so and so you got to have so and so and and and and power plays and things like that look I know that happens sure I'm not saying it's wrong it's not my thing well and then the other thing Eddie like here's the part where I just have tremendous to this day tremendous empathy for Eddie you know Eddie who's been around in the trenches for forever and and when the show's dark or whatever he's going around the country he's going around and he's seeing people that he's known for years and and and and I mean he's the guy he's the guy for light show and he's like I'm so I'm sorry I can't do you any favors but the people that he did believe in and wanted to he would sit there and help hone their hunk hone their act or whatever try and find a piece that would work the one thing I have to say about Eddie which I've always really appreciated he's very intelligent and he's very he's got a very good moral compass yes um there are there are Club Bookers who are not as good and people who are not as good as Eddie but Eddie's a relatively a really good guy and he didn't want to take advantage of who he was or what he did or or mislead anybody that he could take advantage yes and yet there's a lineup of people that are basically saying please take advantage of me please you know you know what I mean and that is a that's a really tough I'm not look I'm being very clear I'm not saying right or wrong way the way I do the way I'm in Show Business is what's good for me and hopefully the the people that I work with is good for them yeah and then we have a coming together we have the same point of view about the way to go about it yes the guys that I've been had the pleasure of working with for years and years they're all good guys they're all very decent they have a again again I hate to say the word again they have a good moral compass and then you you trudge forward yeah I uh there's a few things that I'm delighted about when it comes to um just your story and and the story of of of of your group um you met Rey was it during a krock was it during a you were a judge of a you really did your homework um I was I I'll tell you exactly how I met him I was a judge on a krock which is a radio station York comp yep and you know I was a judge whatever and I don't even remember who the other judges were a club owner and a Booker and a we were all on the panel yep and I saw Rey and he killed me I I couldn't believe how good he was now B the belly went this is before Ray was Ray right a working comedian and I I remember going backstage before the end of the competition when there was still people in and I said I don't care how this turns out I want to work with you you know at that time I was already the manager for Brian rean for six months so I'm with Brian okay yeah and Ray Ray called Brian and said who is this guy this is your guy like it was very very funny meanwhile here we are 42 years later they play golf for all good friends oh that's fantastic yeah I love that so much um yeah I mean okay so Rey at that point is this had the twins been born at that point they were just born okay just wait wait a second were the twins born no they were infants okay okay they were infants okay so so now around this time the landcape changes and uh you know Carson is has been pushed out or or or you know he's going off into the sunset Letterman's moving over um I can imagine the feeling and we've had so many people on here who talked about their specific point of view at that specific time with their specific uh Viewpoint in the business uh whether they worked for the show or outside of the show that must have been a really crazy time as a comedy manager going okay everything is changing here Letterman's moving over he's going to the Big Show the 11:30 deal um there was no bigger story in show business again books being written about it at the time movies being made like crazy crazy time um obviously you're in the show business you see this as massive opportunity you want to get in there as soon as possible is that the is that is that where you're the way it worked is early in my career remember I was the manager for Robert Klein yes remember we talked about this becomes this yes this so Robert was someone who was on Letterman and I got to know everybody and that's when I met Mory okay that's when I met Morty and we hit it off he's he's a another tremendous Guy funny he's really funny I love Robert Morton yeah so grateful really he's a very decent very smart and Incredibly funny guy yep and I called him up and um I told him uh about Ry and he put Ry on the show yeah and when Ry had the set of his life to this day I still show that set to people as a learning set you know I didn't do any research for this show here to go back it was this one right yes it was this one yes that is one of my favorite jokes of time I love that is this funny you know because of the kid let me finish let me please do please do so Ray gets on the show yep he kills yep absolutely Slaughters yep Morty found me backstage or wherever we were and he said Dave loved him Dave said he's incredibly accessible the following Saturday Rob Bernett who was running worldwide pants uh helping the show he was an executive producer on the show at that time but Dave also had another company to build TV shows and whatever and I think that was cbs's way of not only paying him but finding another Avenue to pay him more and to give him something else another situation 100% and Rob Bernett called Ray directly on Saturday the Ray's joke is I was hosing the kids the fence yeah and and um Rob berett said you know we have this development deal um you have a deal D and RAC I I have nothing I have nothing yeah and that's how it was all born but I will tell you another Inside Story please The Joe Rogan role yeah on on the on news radio on news radio yep wasn't originally Joe Rog absolutely it was Ray Romano for a day or something like that or one episode Paul Sims called me after rehearsal the first day and said this is not working out yeah we're going to go in another Direction and I had a call and tell Ry exactly what he said and I was a lot Slicker when I was younger and I was nervous to tell him but that's what happened to this day it's the worst and best call I ever ever had to make yeah because if he had stayed on news radio Everybody Loves Raymond would have never happened possibly the Chinese have a word uh Pro is it problem and opportunity or the same word or crisis and opportunity are the same word whatever and and and you know worked out pretty good for both guys worked out out pretty good for both guys um that night so so just to paint the picture of when Ray came on yeah it was the keys one it was that was that was the set and it was so funny and I'll go back and I I I'm almost positive because Late Show at that point was ahead of The Tonight Show it was like you said um you know and we've said we've talked about this on the show a lot but Letterman basically got the Carson deal except continued to move over to CBS and that included production that included worldwide pants they hadn't produced much at that point I think they had I think they had Ed Ed was in production at that point because that was in production or pre-production yeah yeah cuz that was Beckerman and uh Bernett and Beck love love John John's such a good guy and John I'm sorry John Beckerman and uh Rob berett that's right so I think that was going and I think maybe they had conversations with Bonnie Hunt at that point but I'm not sure it was all in its infancy pants hadn't done anything yet and the landscape at that by the way worldwide pants and I I'll tell you another inside when we made the deal for Raymond mhm it was worldwide pant and CBS yep but HBO got involved because they were a real company yes worldwide pants was Rob Bernett and a secretary at that time so it was Dave doing it but they had to bring someone in to really be a production company to handle the show is this how Stu got involved yes that's where Ste came into it yeah Ste worked at that time Stu worked for HBO again you talk about all these intersections now wait wait wait and Morty and Stu are were best friends and roommates at one point and at one point Ste Smiley back in the day managing Letterman like like during his times where he jack Rollins where Robert Klein was exactly like there are so many intersections here but this is the point that is also one of the big differences from the old days to now yeah it was smaller yeah and those things could happen because it it was feasible that they would happen y now it's so big and there are so many layers and it's so corporate in so many ways you don't have exactly a couple of college jums and they're in show business together and yeah yeah it's just different yeah absolutely this is the industry you talked about at the beginning of the thing this is the industry part and and and and that's right so so so yeah worldwide pants hadn't done anything and and in the market so so so late show Is Bigger Than The Tonight Show uh at that point uh huge show if I do remember correctly that night it might have not have not it might have been Ray's second appearance but there was a night where um um Paul Schaefer cut Mel Gibson's leg when they were doing the okay I'll tell you I got tell you an inside story about that too well maybe turn your pants into shorts right that was that night okay hold on hold on man you need a chill pill buddy oh I'm excited brother I've been excited for this I'm excited for this the first night Ray was on The Tonight Show Mel Gibson was on The Tonight Show and Mel Gibson had come out uh Dave had cut Mel's pants and Mel cut Dave's pants yes Ray and I literally had a conversation backstage before his should he come out with his pants cut off and much to raise credit much to raise credit said no because that then that makes me part of the boys club and I'm not part of that club I haven't earned it yet yeah he wanted to come out like the clearly the Lesser guy and he was absolutely right and yeah had he done that he might not have done as well so it was it was the right thing that was his first shot yes okay so in my mind his first shot as far as I'm concerned was the character Raymond and everybody Loves Raymond the the the the father who was being beaten down a little bit you know so that makes sense to me the idea to not cut the pants off I don't think the tone stays the same if he would have done it that was all Ray that was all Ray yep the one thing about Ry which is rather amazing first of all he's a a tremendously good dramatic actor as you as we have seen since yep but when we got Ray and he did Letterman Ray that was his character the whole idea the reason Raymond works is Ray is basically doing a TV show about what he does in standup y so it wasn't contrived it was I mean look it's comedically contrived but oh yeah Ray Ry was true to being Ry all the time yes and and in this time where I mean whether you like it you don't like whatever for whatever reason comedy went down this interesting path where the the goal was to get discovered and get a sitcom for many of these performers and that was that was kind of the the attitude that was out there at that point I think we had it had probably crested in many ways um you know cuz Seinfeld had hit already and some of these other ones had hit already uh but but pants didn't have one yet well well well that that let me tell you a little bit about this please so ABC NBC CBS they used to give development deals to comedians put them on hold yeah yeah they put them on hold and they would pay a lot I mean the me the deals would be 7 $500,000 or 350 lifechanging money at that time and because everybody wanted to get into the comedy business Seinfeld was as hot as hell it was a great show and why not y why not now in cut two now those deals don't even exist anymore no no and and and and and so yes you had this happening worldwide pants I guess that's probably the the the process uh or the process depending on where you're from um that's the with with Ray that's that's kind of what happens at first they're sniffing around going yeah we want to put a show into development and pants now jumping into The Fray with the hbos and the cbs's as backers um they put them on hold and they build a show and they bring on guys like Phil you had a hard time getting writers for that show didn't you going to tell you about that we met with 11 riters we met at a diner yeah and the first Rider we had coffee with him and the second riter we had toast and the third rer we had eggs we had a meet out the and we met with all these writers and they were all good they were all really good people because we had the pleasure of saying CBS and Letterman yeah so you got the cream of the crop yeah this is where Stu Smiley earned every penny that Stu Smiley ever made in his life from Raymond Stu said to us there's a writer at coach he's really good you should meet him yeah you should meet him and Stu and Ray and I and Phil met and Phil was basically the Jewish Rayman Phil's Jewish same gu different you know and and they hit it off they had the same kind of father and the same kind of mother and it was very very similar they didn't know each other it's like an arranged marriage um but we we we picked Phil yeah and Phil did a tremendous job with Rey I mean they created that show together yeah um you know it was based on Rey and based on Ray's comedy and Phil was a wonderful writer and creative and that that highight is incredible that fruit scene alone is still legendary and um the interesting thing was that in the early days we were at a different studio uh go I believe and um Phil's office was at this end of the studio you know the office and Ray's office was over here this and in the very very beginning and we were nervous I was a kid what and and I would go to Ray's office and he would say would you tell Phil blah blah blah BL blah and I walk all the way down the hall tell Phil and he said why don't you tell Ray walk all they didn't know each other yet it was you know they they were getting to know each other so it was you know that was a very joyous and fun part of doing the show it was really from the ground up an unknown guy first time executive producer on a show like it was just it was fantastic Y at first production company like like but let me say this last thing that Ray and Phil deserve all the credit for Everybody Loves Raymond it was a great cast great people capturing lightning in a bottle yeah Ray worked like an animal because he would be an actor and be on set and then he come back and sit with the writers because he's a comedian right so it's the material yes and he wanted to make sure it was always genuine and it wasn't sit Kami and it was comfortable for him and Phil just ran the room with the writers like fantastically and the two of them together they're still friends to this day and the two of them together made a wonderful show I mean I it's hard for me to be objective because I was involved but it's a great show and I know it's a great show because I have never not not met people and the first thing they say is how much they love the show some people say I never saw it first run I saw it in syndication it's my favorite show what so we were part of something that was very special Dave was Dave loved Ray and he was fantastic with him and uh very lucky very lucky I I I wish I could say we're Geniuses we're lucky as hell yep we're very fortunate we really appreciate what happened to us it certainly never lost on me even to this day I mean the last Rainman was on uh ran from um uh 1996 to 2005 yeah this is 2024 and I'm just as proud of it now as I was then maybe even so even more because I'm whistful about it now well it holds up uh you know I've here's the way I've always discovered uh describ Everybody Loves Raymond it was the Tiffany networks Seinfeld and and the reason I say it that way is because CBS uh you know has a standard that they strive for and the Tiffany the idea of the Tiffany Network you know you look at Seinfeld and and and and I loved Seinfeld don't get me wrong The Genius of it all uh you know incredible uh but not the greatest people in the world in that show the characters were you know it was very self-absorbed and and and and what not whereas Raymond uh the Tiffany Network Seinfeld because again you got a comedian that's that's that's you know centered around the show but it's family and warmth but it's real life and me it holds up different way than Seinfeld I'm gonna stop there I I don't agree with that completely Seinfeld was Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond was Everybody Loves Raymond they were different shows about different people and different circumstances different writers yes I go back to what I said 20 minutes ago were they funny yes that's all that matters all the rest is is conversation over a beer the reality is you work all day you come home you sit in your living room with your wife or your kids or whatever and you put it on are you laughing yeah if you're laughing then the job was done well and that's kind of my point to me that version exactly what you said like I you kind of made my point for me in that regard like to me it's the Tiffany Network's version of that show that is timeless that is like it is that high bar and that high quality where a network can say this was our you know really at the end of the it's the gift that keeps on giving like it's not like Raymond's gone away people are still watching it discovering it and it's it holds up in a way you know why do you know why they're watching it's a great show because it's funny absolutely because it's funny go back to what Henny Youngman told me there's no such thing as an old joke if you've never heard it before if it's funny and you've never watched Raymond and it's funny the odds are you're going to laugh yeah that's why The Honeymooners is still on yep that was they made 39 Honeymooners plus the the Lost episodes yep and that was made a zillion years ago people are still watching it why because it's funny absolutely um back at that time you had other comedians uh who who would get on and have spots for Letterman uh Brian rean is a phenomenal example of that and I I would be Brian Regan holds the record on CBS as the comedian who was on the most Brian Regan was he was uh to me uh is like you could set your watch and there were some comedians that would come on Late Show um that I just was happy every single time they would be on it was like they were part of the family uh there's a few comedians that are in that that also you know many would say kind of cut their teeth on that stage where as the previous generation they cut their teeth on Carson Late Show certainly has that Legacy Brian Regan might be at the top of comedians who did that um I'm so happy that you're saying that I'll tell you also something which I he is the sweet he's too nice for Show Business he's the nicest most gentle most polite person his parents did a great job with him he he he's a great guy another one who takes the comedy very seriously he's unbelievable he writes a new act every 18 months to this day he's he's unreal accessible but then you talk about this work ethic that these comedians have and when they decide to act you can tell that they many of them will throw themselves into that Ry certainly being one who is you know became a good actor but I watched I watched louder milk and I I was absolutely astounded by Brian's acting and that he made me cry oh my God was he was he unbelievable he's a guy that I I want to have him on the show I want to talk Letterman but I'm such a big music fan and l i louder milk just hit me so hard well you know the funny thing with Loudermilk was you know we did a couple of seasons and we did on AT&T network and they moved over to Netflix yeah became the number three Show on Netflix it's so good J X absolutely encourage I'm not making any money I would absolutely encourage the audience to watch the show louder milk they love it they would laugh everybody who's in it is incredible Y and Ryan does possibly the best work of his career in that show Absolutely and he's it's funny because he brings his hilariousness quirkiness uh to the role but then the role gets a little bit deeper and some substance shows up and his acting is jaw third the third season you meet him in the first season you know him more in the in the third season it's his season yeah it's his season yeah he's amazing he's amazing and I'll tell you something yeah that's a perfect example of a guy that you root for yes because he's so nice he's so beloved by comedians he's so well-respected yeah they all love him and think he's funny as hell and when he got louder milk everybody was rooting for him because if you can't root for Brian who who can you who can you root for yeah yeah I uh I loved him on on on Late Show he was the perfect example of somebody who like I don't get me wrong I love Burr Burr's one of my he's he's he might even be on my on my Rushmore um but and I watch buron Letterman but you know when you're watching buron Letterman how much he is adjusting and I love how bur is a problem solver okay so I got to do clean okay I'll figure it out I'll do it I'll get it done no no no he's incredibly smart of course of course but you know that if you're watching him on Letterman you're having a completely different experience if you're going to see Burr in the club it's just a different it's a different Chappelle too same deal by the Wayan every is a little different in the club sure you know you have to do the five minutes on those late shows and especially Letterman it had to be tight and it had to work and there was no room for breath like you have five minutes to boom boom boom boom boom and you rearrange things what you see in a club is different a little bit from what you'll see on Letterman or on The Late Show yes what I will say and I know exactly where you were going Brian is the closest to being the same exactly thank you for saying I'm glad you said it instead of me because you got the credibility I'm just some but I got to tell you something he I'm not again you know the the the e of a of a comedian the the bottom line is he works so hard to make it look so easy yes I can't say that enough can you the audience never sees the comedians you know it's like a songwriter you don't see them struggling over a song you just see the song that's the way it's supposed to be the man behind the curtain comedians David Letterman perfect example all those bits he did Dave worked so hard he was incredibly kind to me always nice to me always I I I'll I shouldn't tell this but I'll tell this what the hell I love when the Story begins that way Rory thank you after after 911 yeah you know everybody was off the air and the world was coming to an end we didn't know what end was up we were scared we were confused everybody was terrified and Dave came back back yeah and he gave an incredible monologue I don't take advantage of the relationships I have I don't call Dave just to call Dave but I called him the next day and I and he took the call and he made some I won't repeat it but he made a funny joke and then and I said to him I just wanted to tell you that you were great last night yeah and you said what we were all thinking y you know what I mean it's very hard I've said this 15 times it's very hard to be a comedian the comedians today it's a little bit different in the older days it was more pure you're a comedian and you did comedy there were no phones there was no computers there you were funny and you got on stage and you told your pounda joke and you're hoped you hit a home run and no comedian worth his weight comes off the stage and is happy yeah they want to make an adjustment they want to make a change they want to reorder they're always working always working comedians are they they're funny and they make it look so easy it is the furthest thing from easy they work really hard uh I could not agree more um I know how I want to end this I know how I want to end the but I I'm not there yet another good Canadian boy uh who I worshiped growing up uh right after I got I so I'm 48 at the time of this recording um literally when Dave moved over I was in grade 11 so like my cement was still very wet and it was like a big moment for me at that point with all of these things that have stuck a couple years later uh when I'm going and hanging out and we're all moved out of our parents houses and we're hanging out at their Buddy's apartments and whatnot an underground guy showed up in Canada called Tom Green and Tom uh absolutely blew all of our doors off of and and Canadians have this thing Rory and you probably know this already um but but when when when one one of us goes down south and makes it big we have a vicariousness a vicarious Pride that we all feel like when Jim Carrey went down and and and did what he did we're oh yeah because we've seen him for years and years and years on some of these Canadian shows um Tom Green very very much that guy because we watched him on our version of the comedy channel and and some of the other things and then he gets this big deal and goes down south um I've been going back and forth with Tom i't said this out loud but I'm saying it now Tom's going to come on the show here at some point uh we're very excited about that um you know because he's got a a lot of I one of the the joys of my life is I manage him yeah and oh there's so much to tell you so in January on Amazon Prime yep there are three different Tom Green shows that he directed and shot I'll tell you about that in a minute yep it's Tom Green Country I got a mule and this is the Tom Green documentary yeah um he's extraordinary y everybody says is he crazy is he nuts and I say you don't understand to be that nuts you have to be brilliant to pull that off yep he's a very hardworking guy so let's see here's how it goes so he does the show on Rogers Cable in Canada yep show gets picked up by MTV yep he's had an incredible life he married Drew Barrymore yep for a cup of coffee yep he when he the show was on MTV and doing great he got testicular cancer yeah he did a special on MTB about his surgery and testicular cancer very funny but very poignant and it saved oodles and oodles of lives because everybody was talking about it now so it wasn't there was no Stigma yeah um he's extraordinary good guy he hosted Letterman when Dave had heart uh was it his heart surgery yeah it was when he went for the heart surgery we've had gab we've had Gabe abson on the show a couple of times Gabe's a friend and so so yeah that's one Tom on yeah Tom's two things in his life that he's most proud of is hosting Saturday Night Live yeah and hosting Letterman he loves Letterman oh my goodness he he loves him y so he's he's at the top of his game now and he's young you know everybody forgets that when he did MTV was a kid so he's a young guy yeah that was part that was that was how we viewed him because we were all like like 19 20 years old whatever like I say first Apartments little TV all crowded around usy like one of us made it somehow what the hell how did this happen GL having a show how does this happen he's fun to work with he's a lot of fun to work with I mean I get up every morning at 8 o'clock and there's a text from him yeah with a million ideas some of them suck yeah but the point is he's always thinking he's always working this is a guy who works eight days a week 29 hours a day he's always thinking he's also 10 steps ahead of everybody all the time sometimes he's right more times he's right sometimes he's wrong he listens to other people he listens to Concepts and he's he's he's fun to work with it's exhausting but in the best possible way because there's so many things going on and so many ideas you're like the guy on the and suvan show in the old days spinning the plates you know because but another guy who's really a good guy too great yeah I I I'm so grateful that we we talked about him a little bit here like okay biggest uh show on on the planet you know they talk about traditional media versus you know uh Joe Rogan and Joe Rogan credits Tom Green yes because Tom when Tom was doing the the YouTube show it was when it was very difficult to do a YouTube show he had living room yeah he outfitted his whole house into a traditional television Studio it's not like this little thing I got go I got Studio it was exactly then it was exactly then that the light bulb went off for Joe Rogan exactly and he started to move in that direction yep and I don't know what ever happened to Joe Rogan I don't hear from him very much but um yeah it's amazing and Joe always much all to Joe's Credit he he always bows to Tom as the guy I mean Tom is the Godfather of podcasting he had the first one could you imagine think about today yeah could you imagine a day where you were on a podcast and you were the only one in the world who was on a podcast that was Tom that was Tom Green yep yep he did it when it was very the the lifting was very heavy to do that back then the commitment was ab and you had to be a dreamer you had to be a dreamer because it was round Peg square hole stuff but Tom didn't let up he was going to do this hook cook or otherwise and he was right yeah you know and it's a good for for folks who enjoy this show and enjoy the things that are all within the Letterman kind of universe if ever you want to see some fun Norm McDonald stuff that you may not have seen go back and look at all the norm mcdonal appearances on on Tom's internet show um it's all on YouTube you can find it all like it's all designed for the internet I'll tell you another thing outside of my man so Tom's first manager who is a friend of mine yeah um he also managed nor McDonald oh no kidding yeah no kidding well there you go another Howard leus his name is Howard leus he was Tom's manager when the Tom Green Show was on MTV terrific guy his wife Maria the nicest people just they and funny very very funny guy very yeah um I could do this with you all day I'm gonna move into the close um I cannot wait for our paths to cross again I believe they will uh I believe they will CR do this show again oh my man thank you Rory I appreciate you promise you it won't take a half a year or so to to arrange it yeah now it was supposed to happen this way because because I wouldn't have known as much as I knew about Jack and all this other stuff to this point and it made it made it that much better and again everything happens when it's supposed to happen I'm fully convinced of that I don't try and force anything so thank you uh I do we're getting close now I'm starting to talk about the idea of Dave being off Network television for 10 years and and this April uh it's or this may I should say is is is Dave being off the air for 10 years L show closing off I'll tell you a letterman a letterman thing yes of course in the last I don't know if it was 10 or 15 episodes yeah they did me a favor on Letterman ah they put Ray and Brian rean on the same show I was okay we're about to talk about that what number show is that I don't know what number it is but it was it's within the last couple weeks though it's in I can find out we can open up last days of Letterman and we can go through it but it was right near the end yes and and um and we you asked for that you asked them to put them on the same show yes yes the last six weeks I I contend um from my vantage point uh because to me I don't even view Johnny as the king and Dave everyone I view it as The Godfather I I view Carson as veto and and Dav is Michael that's how I view it it's just that's good that's a good that's a good way to look at it that's how I look at it and and uh so so although I will say that Johnny and Dave didn't kill anybody that's well comedically comedically than you yeah when what I love about that analogy is people go okay well who's Leno and then I don't say anything um because we can all we can all make our uh our distinction as to who that is but the last six weeks of Letterman to me is the greatest six weeks of of any run of Television of ever because it was a culmination all all A+ celebrities came to kiss the ring and Friends of the show not just the a plus celebrities you're right about that but the friends of the show yes um you know and and and and and it was just and so the idea that Ray and Brian were on the same show I was gonna thank you tick mark asked that question that's one of my most prideful moments not look at that point Ray was Ray and Brian's Brian they need me a hole in the head for the to do let him and yeah but I was very proud of that I was very proud of that it was a coming every it was a coming together and here's a here's a a great thing too on Ray's last appearance on that show he cut off the leg of his pants he cut off the leg of his pants so everything sort of came full circle and it was sweet I mean it sounds so silly to say but it was very sweet and very sentimental and very lovely that that that that's how it was and Dave when Dave ended his show a chapter of Show Business sort of closed absolutely the old school show business I'm not saying in any way that everybody wasn't changing and adjusting because we were yes but there was something very special about you know we all kind of started out with Dave and we grew up with Dave and it was just it was great it it was very emotional and very I mean Ry was choked up I mean it was really it was tough this is where I'm going with this because uh there were in that last six weeks there were five maybe six performers that actually burst through the crust of because because again one of the things about this show that we want to have on are guys or gals who got to sit in the chair that were told in no uncertain terms do not talk about your reverence for Dave he doesn't want to hear it don't compliment him don't do this don't do that and every once in a while you'd had someone who uh who would who would Buck the trend but most couldn't do it and there is a long list of people who it's the greatest moment in their life they knew that they made it it was the mountain like what you were talking about with Carson and you guys in that Green Room going well what's next many people feel the way about being they can't talk about it with Ray specifically if Letterman had not made the offer to do everybody's Loves Raymond yes Ray's life might not be what Ray's life had become yes honestly my life wouldn't have become what my life became so it was in many ways it wasn't reverence it was a thank you it was I here because of you yes and it's not a a silly thing to say if Dave had not made the deal with us to do Raymond we you and I wouldn't be talking right now yeah that's exactly right and that's how he accessed it that's how he got there because again he Dave tried to avoid the sentimentality as much as he could he's like a cat weaving around things but when Ray showed up and he sat on and he's doing panel and he starts bringing out these pictures of what Dave means to him and he goes he made it funny because he he he he absolutely walked that tight RPP so beautifully talked about how he showed his family right like and and I mean you're starting to well up because it's like I exactly what you just said my life wouldn't be the same thing he goes but I got to do a movie there's me and Sophie Sophia vagar in the movie did I get to kiss her flips the you're damn right I got to kiss her because of you did and everyone laughs right and and and takes the takes the pressure out of the sentimental balloon but he did it and and his uh I don't know if you watched the entire six weeks but Ray's moment is in my top five moments in that last six weeks him Sandler's song nor McDonald's last uh stand up on there is up there as well when Norman got all choked up he when Norman got choked up too yeah he got he he started to cry he was really I did see that but you know something it was beautiful it was exactly what it should be it was exactly perfect it wasn't contrived everybody loved Dave and they wanted to tell Dave that they loved him what Dave meant to him you know to Dave's credit he you know he's a shy guy Dave and he does get a little squirrly with emotion and whatever I I contend that Dave is a mushball he may not show people but Dave's a mush and I think that when all these people were saying nice things it was too much to take it wasn't I don't know any of this for a fact but I know Dave through the years so I would I I I'm going to stay with this I think that it was hard for Dave to just accept all that he he's not much for compliments and he that's not his style yeah but the the people who are on the show especially toward the end all loved him appreciated him appreciated what he did for them um and they wanted to tell him and tell the audience too yeah and I I I think that that appearance of Ry and Brian um was very special and very a thank you it was a thank you and like autic didn't need to do letman Brian didn't need to do Letterman again they wanted to do Letterman it wasn't a career move they wanted to go on they wanted to say thank you and they did um there's no better place to end this I want to say thank you um thank you for taking time and opening up the old memory banks and going through some of this stuff with me I really really appreciate it a lot uh I am going to pick your brain about some of these other other things you have a you have a brilliant mind Rory and and I I just want to say um thank you for contributing to this business of show that we all love so much uh everybody has a piece and everybody has a contribution to it uh the business part of it where folks aren't in industry but where they are actually a person that wants people to genuinely connect with the people that they are entertaining you are that guy you're the guy that helps facilitate that I want to say thank you very much thank you for being part of being part of history in the sense of there will never this where I'm like Dave because I'm not good with all these um I am a very fortunate and lucky guy I have lived a life that is magical it's been hard and whatever all the everybody has to deal with when you talk about Dave and that portion of my life and Everybody Loves Raymond I I live I'm the man with the golden shoes and I stepped in a giant pile of and it was amazing for me and I I never ever not appreciate that never I'm going to do a quick outro stay on the line here please uh we'll say our goodbye privately and uh we'll take it from there because that is a perfect way to end um I say it all the time uh broken record this is why we do the show this is exactly why we do the show because we want to capture catalog and and and and keep and pass on yeah um all of these amazing I'm glad I'm glad that you're doing the show it's important and these things shouldn't be lost because they're great stories oh thank you oh and by the way before we say goodbye we'll say our goodbye privately but uh Steve Weiner told me to make sure I say hi to you again oh please say hi back yeah he loves you thinks you're great I got a great I got a great clein story for you uh once we turn this off here with Stephen okay um thank you everybody uh for for the dozens of you who have embraced this show over the last couple of years uh we're 150 over 150 episodes in we're we're just getting started as far as I'm concerned I love it so much so grateful to celebrate the greatest body of broadcast work in history that of David Letterman and Company um Rory is certainly part of the company and we appreciate him very very very much uh if you okay we have one sponsor on the show one sponsor only and it is hello- deli.com Rupert may not own the deli anymore but he still owns hell yeah rert absolutely good friend some of the best Letterman stuff was in that Deli and absolutely great he was great good friend of the show uh sold the deli but hello Dash Deli still exists up until this week the only official place to get any David Letterman official merchandise was hellodd deli.com but now worldwide pants has a store as well so make sure you check out the worldwide Pants Store go to the Letterman YouTube channel and uh you can see all these amazing Clips many of which are ones Rory and I just talked about today this has been another episode of the Letterman podcast with Mike Chisum coincidentally I am Mike Chisum thank you and good night overcoat and Underpants