Late Night with David Letterman
Reference 1
On February 1, 1982, Late Night with David Letterman debuted at 12:30 a.m. on NBC, right after The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. There it would develop, at first, a college-age cult following, and then, a solid viewer base. David Letterman's time slot after Carson lasted 11 years until Carson's retirement. Letterman's spot behind Carson's desk after his retirement seemed imminent.
It didn't happen.
And in a series of moves that inspired both a book and a made-for-TV movie, Letterman decided to leave Late Night and NBC. His final show, which included a surprise appearance by Bruce Springsteen, who belted out "Glory Days", was on June 25, 1993. NBC hired Jay Leno to host the Tonight Show after Johnny Carson retired, while CBS decided to take on the Tonight Show by seducing Letterman away from NBC.
A little less than a month and a half after leaving NBC, Letterman launched the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS August 10, 1993. As it is today, the show was broadcast from The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Letterman's first guest was the same first guest he welcomed in 1982: comedian Bill Murray.
Letterman brought along all his old co-stars, crew and friends – and said goodbye to such "intellectual property" as Viewer Mail and Larry "Bud" Melman. (They reappeared as The CBS Mailbag and Calvert DeForest, the real name of the actor who portrayed Melman).
source: From www.about.com
Reference 2
Letterman, who had hoped to get the hosting job of The Tonight Show following Johnny Carson's retirement, moved to CBS in 1993, when the job was given to Jay Leno. This was done against the wishes of Carson, who had always seen Letterman as his rightful successor, according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally, a onetime producer for both men.[1] On April 25, 1993, Lorne Michaels chose Conan O'Brien, who was a writer for The Simpsons at the time and a former writer for Michaels at Saturday Night Live, to fill Letterman's old seat directly after The Tonight Show. O'Brien began hosting a new show in Letterman's old timeslot, taking over the Late Night name.
source: From www.wikipedia.com
