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US CHAT SHOW legend David Letterman brought the curtain down on a 33-year late night career last night – and former US presidents lined-up to give him the send-off he deserved.
But there were no tears…
No hugging, no learning.
George H. and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton – as well as current president Barack Obama were filmed repeating one after the other – “our long national nightmare is over”.
The last-ever ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ brings to an end an American cultural institution that has been watched by millions.
The host’s extraordinary career inspired a generation of comedians – including the likes of Louis CK, who wrote for the presenter, and Jon Stewart, who has also announced he will be leaving his late-night Daily Show later this year.
“Letterman is retiring,” Obama said, standing shoulder to shoulder with the 68-year-old comedian in a pre-filmed sketch.
“You’re just kidding right?” Letterman deadpanned, to a no-nonsense shrug from Obama.
Top ten
There was no shortage of star guests.
Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Jim Carrey, and comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey all showed up to perform the “Top 10 things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave.”
“Of all the talk shows yours is the most geographically convenient to my home,” Baldwin said – as the actors and comedians paid tongue-in-cheek tribute to the longest-serving of the nighttime US talk show hosts (he’s been on air since getting his first show on NBC in 1982).
“Thank you and goodnight,” Letterman said at the end of what was the 6,028th television show of his career, calling the tributes he’d received “flattering, embarrassing and gratifying.”
He told fans:
Thank you for everything, you’ve given me everything.
He also gave thanks to wife Regina and their 11-year-old son Harry – who sat beaming in the audience.
Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters closed the show.
Includes reporting from AFP.
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Disgraceful, can they do anything right?
@Eddie O’Neill: No.. they absolutely can NOT do ANYTHING right.
@Eddie O’Neill: and it seems it was the rookiest of rooky mistakes too. An average 12 year old knows how to hide email addresses.
Waiting for the (Learn Lessons) excuse now to come next. Unbelievable but not shocked by this
Innocent women and children reall don’t stand a chance in the country!
If they sat down and planned it they really couldn’t mess up this entire mother and baby homes issue any more than they actually have,
And of course it’s a system’s error. So no one held accountable yet again. I would love to know who has the final say in outsourcing these contracts.
Do we not have enough people working in these Departments eg Health, Children etc to handle things in-house? Why do we ALWAYS have to out-source everything? Is it so that no individual can be held to account for these cock ups? This Govt has to be the most inept ever.
@Jane Waters: yes John. It’s so they can land the blame on the external party. Highly frustrating!
I assume they Cc’d instead of Bcc’d in the email invite.
Another article a few days ago people were complaining that the departments subject access request SARS looking for ID of those requesting information was to intrusive and cumbersome for those applying who will be elderly, and now there are complaints that there was a data breach email addresses were seen at an invitation to a meeting that members of the public could attend?
Complaints it’s too strict and then not strict enough?
Ffs. Are we really surprised by the incompetence
have your say