The BEST episodes of Late Show with David Letterman season 9
Every episode of Late Show with David Letterman season 9, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Late Show with David Letterman season 9!
“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 #1804
Season 9 - Episode 149 - Aired 5/10/2002
With Biff on vacation, Steph/Monty handles the pushpins live via telephone; during Mailbag, Paul demonstrates a hidden talent for cartwheels, and then mysteriously disappears; a Mother's Day tradition is started when the moms of ten celebrities present the Top Ten list; Dave and Gillian Anderson make out.
#3 - Show #1793
Season 9 - Episode 138 - Aired 4/25/2002
Another "Incredible Dog Challenge" is postponed by rain; Dave wears his ugly red glasses again; Cee-Lo sings "Closet Freak."
#4 - Show #1820
Season 9 - Episode 165 - Aired 6/10/2002
Dave comments on the Nets' playoff run; Alan performs another scene from Double Indemnity, this time with a Edward G. Robinson stand-in; David Bowie performs "Slow Burn."
#5 - Show #1794
Season 9 - Episode 139 - Aired 4/26/2002
Dave and Paul talk about wrestling in preparation of his interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. During CBS Mailbag, "Mayor Bloomberg" (Gerard) offers Dave some pot, and Alan Kalter promotes the video "Osama Gone Wild."
#6 - Show #1795
Season 9 - Episode 140 - Aired 4/29/2002
Dave shows various clips of Ted Danson looked scared/shocked from his recent miniseries Living With the Dead; Dave points out that the Late Show was chosen as the seventh greatest television program of all time; Paul Westerberg performs "Silent Film Star."
#7 - Show #1796
Season 9 - Episode 141 - Aired 4/30/2002
The Incredible Dog Challenge is finally held out on 53rd Street, and throughout the night three dogs compete through a series of hurdles and tubes.
#8 - Show #1797
Season 9 - Episode 142 - Aired 5/1/2002
An "Incredible Cat Challenge" is thwarted when George Clarke's cat won't go through the obstacle course; Kirsten Dunst promotes Spider-Man; after Angie Stone and the O'Jays perform "Wish I Didn't Miss You," the house band closes the show by performing "Love Train."
#9 - Show #1798
Season 9 - Episode 143 - Aired 5/2/2002
"Biff Henderson's America" visits the hamlet of Denver, Indiana; Dave comments on rumors that Bill Clinton may host a daytime talk show; Tobey Maguire does a really bad Rodney Dangerfield impression.
#10 - Show #1799
Season 9 - Episode 144 - Aired 5/3/2002
Mailbag: a letter about having your name mentioned on TV is somehow morphed into a request to see Alan getting the crap beat out of him. Later on in the segment, a letter about tornados has the same result, as an already bloodied Alan is further laid to waste. Also, Michael McIntee does a remote Top Ten from Central Park, while Jim Gaffigan discusses food and cleanliness.
#11 - Show #1800
Season 9 - Episode 145 - Aired 5/6/2002
The outside cam catches Spider-Man jacking a car; Dave and Mary Tyler Moore play catch; Norah Jones performs "Don't Know Why."
#12 - Show #1801
Season 9 - Episode 146 - Aired 5/7/2002
Dave moans and groans over his latest dental work; Dave shows (obviously phony) footage of Peter Jennings doing World News Tonight in a Spider-Man costume; Richard Gere makes first appearance on the show since 1983.
#13 - Show #1802
Season 9 - Episode 147 - Aired 5/8/2002
Dave and Paul take apart wedding announcements in the New York Times; a staffer in a Spider-Man outfit successfully hails a taxi; Will Ferrell tells Dave what it's like to run the NYC marathon.
#14 - Show #1803
Season 9 - Episode 148 - Aired 5/9/2002
Skateboarding great Tony Hawk demonstrates his wares out on 53rd Street.
#15 - Show #1805
Season 9 - Episode 150 - Aired 5/13/2002
Dave chats with the latest Survivor loser Robert "The General" DeCanio, while Liza Minnelli performs "Some People" from the musical Gypsy.
#16 - Show #1806
Season 9 - Episode 151 - Aired 5/14/2002
Nine guys in Spider-Man outfits, not to mention Dracula, Superman, and a cowboy cram themselves into a Subway restaurant; Tony Orlando dresses down Dave even though he interrupted him, then leaps into a chorus of "Knock Three Times"; when one of Lee Marek's kid scientists starts a very flammable demonstration, Dave demands that the band and everyone else onstage take for cover behind his desk.
#17 - Show #1807
Season 9 - Episode 152 - Aired 5/15/2002
Tony Mendez goes home with an audience member (see recap), while Dave and rocker/sportsman Ted Nugent cook rabbit.
#18 - Show #1808
Season 9 - Episode 153 - Aired 5/16/2002
Dave shows footage from rehearsal of Kenny McGowan tripping over the "Will It Float" tank; Biff visits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 time trials; a participant in tonight's "Stupid Human Tricks" that can maneuver a tennis racquet all over his body flirts with Natalie Portman in the green room.
#19 - Show #1809
Season 9 - Episode 154 - Aired 5/17/2002
Mailbag: Martha Stewart fills in for Biff on the pushpin board, Harold Larkin goes hitchhiking, and Tony is humiliated on Blind Date. Also, Brian Regan comments on his inability to spell names correctly.
#20 - Show #1810
Season 9 - Episode 155 - Aired 5/20/2002
Steph/Monty is mentioned in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly; Dave calls New York Highway Superintendent Drew Outhouse to resolve an awkward social situation; The Kalter Twins perform "I've Got You Babe"; The Firecrackers, a synchronized jump rope team, demonstrate their wares on-stage.
#21 - Show #1811
Season 9 - Episode 156 - Aired 5/21/2002
Dave shows real footage of a woman being questioned on the news wearing a Late Show t-shirt; Diane Sawyer brags about her recent weight loss; Dave chats with Australian teen Jesse Martin, the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo.
#22 - Show #1812
Season 9 - Episode 157 - Aired 5/22/2002
Trumpter Terence Blanchard sits in; in honor of David Blaine's recent stunt in which he stands on a eighty-foot platform for several days, George Clarke attempts to stand on a folding chair for the duration of the show; Dave chats with April Kleinschmidt, the sole graduate of the Class of 2002 at Harrold High School in South Dakota.
#23 - Show #1813
Season 9 - Episode 158 - Aired 5/23/2002
Alan asks passerby for their reaction to the new Star Wars prequel and ends up making a scene. Also, Anton Fig and Ivan Neville perform "Inside Out" from the CBS Orchestra drummer's new album, Figments.
#24 - Show #1814
Season 9 - Episode 159 - Aired 5/24/2002
Dave announces that Paul will be called Pablo this summer, which will go into effect immediately; Dave promises tonight's show will be "smooth and suave"; during Mailbag, an audience member asks Dave what his most embarrassing moment was, and we watch a (phony) clip of Dave performing with The Firecrackers last week.
#25 - Show #1815
Season 9 - Episode 160 - Aired 6/3/2002
While showing photos from her trip to the Indianapolis 500, Dave calls Steph/Monty "Dutch"; the snake lady performs again on "Is This Anything?"; Tom Dreesen tells various tales of Hollywood hobnobbing.