Anybody who’s conversant in Jay Leno (who lately cameoed on Shifting Gears) and David Letterman is nearly actually conscious of the drama that unfolded between the speak present hosts within the early Nineteen Nineties. After Johnny Carson retired from NBC’s The Tonight Present, Leno was tapped as his alternative even though Letterman had been internet hosting Late Night time within the following time slot, and Carson had thought he was his pure successor. Within the many years since, Leno and Letterman haven’t precisely been chummy, and although the previous lately shared why he thinks a reunion with the latter could be “awkward,” it’s truly making me hopeful that it’s going to truly occur.
Throughout an intensive interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the title host talked about that’d been talking with the manager producer for Jay Leno’s Storage, who mentioned it will “deliver him no better pleasure in life” then to see Leno and Letterman reunited. Right here’s what Leno needed to say to that:
Oh yeah. I want to try this. I believe I’ve no downside with it. I believe Dave is likely to be awkward… Dave’s a unusual man. I don’t imply that in a nasty means.
Jay Leno and David Letterman had been already effectively acquainted earlier than this Tonight Present saga unfolded, as Leno had appeared quite a few occasions on Late Night time with David Letterman. On the identical time, Leno began substitute internet hosting for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Present beginning in 1986, and evidently NBC felt Leno was the higher match to succeed Carson. However even wanting the turmoil that this choice spawned, Leno went on to share how he’s already had an ungainly encounter with Letterman: He recalled:
I bear in mind as soon as Will Shriner, one other comic, we’re using our bikes. ‘Hey, let’s cease in Malibu and see Letterman. Let’s simply shock him at his home. It was essentially the most awkward day. Dave’s like, ‘Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, come on in.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, it is a mistake,’ It was simply so awkward. ‘So, uh, you need a glass of orange juice?’ ‘No, I’m okay. Yeah. We gotta get going.’ It was simply so awkward… as a result of actually, you don’t have anything else in widespread aside from comedy actually. Dave’s a sports activities man. I’m not a sports activities man…
Yeah, that’s virtually the textbook definition of awkward, and whenever you throw of their differing views, that doesn’t make the strongest argument for pairing them again up. That’s to not say Jay Leno would refuse the chance if it got here alongside, however he’s additionally received’t exit of his technique to make it occur. As he put it:
However I imply, imagine me, in the event that they need to do one thing, I might do it. However I’m not gonna… I are inclined to get my hand bitten once I instigate these form of issues.
Look, I’m not saying we have to see them appearing like the most effective of associates, however I might sincerely prefer it if Jay Leno and David Letterman sat down collectively for some form of TV particular. It’s been over 30 years because the battle between these two regarding The Tonight Present, which was coated within the Invoice Carter-penned e book The Late Shift, and that in flip was tailored right into a TV film that may be seen with a Max subscription. I’d prefer to assume sufficient time has handed that in the correct atmosphere, they may have a considerate and compelling dialogue for others to take pleasure in.
New episodes of Jay Leno’s Storage may be discovered on YouTube, whereas David Letterman’s present speak present, My Subsequent Visitor Wants No Introduction, may be streamed with a Netflix subscription. And hey, if by some probability Leno and Letterman do reunite onscreen, possibly that may assist with getting Leno and Conan O’Brien in a room collectively… or is that asking an excessive amount of?