The BEST Episodes of Late Show with David Letterman
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2020
Network: CBS
“Late Show with David Letterman” is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City and is produced and hosted by David Letterman. The show's music director and bandleader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is Paul Shaffer. The head writers are brothers Justin Stangel and Eric Stangel. The announcer is Alan Kalter, who replaced Bill Wendell as announcer in 1995. The show airs at night, but is recorded the afternoon of the broadcast.
#1 - Show #1531
Season 8 - Episode 73 - Aired Dec 26, 2000
Calvert comes out with his shiny new scooter; Dave asks Steph/Monty to tape "Jackass" for him; Paul discusses Hanukkah, then admits that he's in a drunken stupor; Dave claims that he's cold, so one of his assistants walks onstage to give him gloves to wear.
10.00 
#2 - Alec Baldwin, Jay Thomas, Darlene Love
Season 17 - Episode 65 - Aired Dec 23, 2009
Alec Baldwin gets intimidated by an acting legend. Also: Jay Thomas returns and Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
10.00 
#3 - Jerry Seinfeld, Colin Firth
Season 17 - Episode 234 - Aired Nov 23, 2010
10.00 
#4 - Gordon Ramsay, Adam Devine, St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Season 22 - Episode 67 - Aired Jan 12, 2015
10.00 
#5 - Lena Dunham, Bobby Cannavale, Andy Kim with Kevin Drew
Season 22 - Episode 98 - Aired Mar 12, 2015
9.50 
#6 - The Final Late Show with David Letterman
Season 22 - Episode 138 - Aired May 20, 2015
6,028th broadcast
9.47 
#7 - Show #0001 - Bill Murray, Tom Brokaw, Paul Newman, Billy Joel
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired Aug 30, 1993
Tom Brokaw shows up to take back some NBC "intellectual property;" Dave shows off the renovated Ed Sullivan Theater and chats with Bill Murray.
9.25 #8 - Show #0002
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired Aug 31, 1993
Dave's worst moment on last night's debut: his fake tooth fell out (the video is repeated several times in slow motion); a four-year-old geography expert and cheese lover names states on a U.S. map.
9.00 
#9 - Rachel Maddow, Rose Byrne, Gavin Harrison
Season 18 - Episode 115 - Aired Aug 23, 2011
Dave welcomes talk show host Rachel Maddow and actress Rose Byrne also a drum solo by Gavin Harrison.
9.00 
#10 - President Barack Obama
Season 19 - Episode 124 - Aired Sep 18, 2012
President Barack Obama discusses the comments made by Mitt Romney in a recently released video. Dave wants to keep the vacant chair vacant . . . . just in case the President wants to speak to it. Dave and the President talked about the Conventions, the deficit, jobs, the divisiveness in politics, beer in the White House, the Romney tape, and the troubles in Libya, Egypt, and the Middle East.
9.00 
#11 - Jessica Chastain, Lenny Marcus, Foo Fighters
Season 22 - Episode 29 - Aired Oct 17, 2014
9.00 
#12 - Kevin Bacon, Jimmie Walker, Airborne Toxic Event
Season 22 - Episode 99 - Aired Mar 13, 2015
9.00 
#13 - Bill O'Reilly, Aubrey Plaza
Season 22 - Episode 104 - Aired Mar 24, 2015
9.00 
#14 - Reese Witherspoon, Nathan Lane, Mumford & Sons
Season 22 - Episode 127 - Aired May 5, 2015
9.00 
#15 - Martin Short, Norah Jones
Season 22 - Episode 128 - Aired May 6, 2015
8.74 #16 - Louis C.K.; Hugh Evans; John Legend
Season 20 - Episode 111 - Aired Aug 20, 2013
Comedian and star of "Louie", Louis C.K.; from The Global Citizen Festival, humanitarian Hugh Evans; musical guest John Legend.
8.67 
#17 - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Simon Amstell, David Gray
Season 21 - Episode 109 - Aired Jul 31, 2014
8.67 
#18 - Meryl Streep, Rebel Wilson, J. Cole
Season 22 - Episode 54 - Aired Dec 10, 2014
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods (2014)); actress Rebel Wilson (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)). Also: J. Cole performs, 'Be Free'.
8.67 
#19 - Patricia Arquette, Will Butler
Season 22 - Episode 96 - Aired Mar 10, 2015
8.67 
#20 - Jack Hanna, John Fogerty, John Popper
Season 22 - Episode 123 - Aired Apr 29, 2015
8.67 
#21 - Howard Stern, Don Rickles
Season 22 - Episode 131 - Aired May 11, 2015
8.61 
#22 - Bill Murray; Eagulls
Season 21 - Episode 19 - Aired Jan 31, 2014
From "The Monuments Men", actor/comic Bill Murray; musical guests Eagulls.
8.50 
#23 - Bill Murray, Martha Stewart, Lady Gaga
Season 21 - Episode 50 - Aired Apr 2, 2014
8.50 
#24 - Kelsey Grammer, Stevie Wonder
Season 22 - Episode 97 - Aired Mar 11, 2015
8.50 
#25 - David Duchovny, Josh Gad, Houndmouth
Season 22 - Episode 107 - Aired Mar 31, 2015
8.50