All episodes Season 7 S07E16 1988-02-25 60 min 1980s NBC

Late Night with David Letterman

Show #0991

TV Flash files “Show #0991” as hour 204 of 1001 in the TV Flash guide — Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) on NBC, season 7, episode 16, aired 1988-02-25, 60 min.

From the desk

How this hour is filed

This leaf is S07E16: listed hour 204 of 1001 in the Late Night with David Letterman guide, hour 15 of 110 in season 7. It aired 1988-02-25 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Show #0990” (S07E15). Next is “Show #0992” (S07E17). Broadcast log — titles and dates, not a plot bible.

Late Night with David Letterman still
No original recap on file. TV Flash does not invent plots for missing hours. Title, airdate, and the hour filing above are the magazine record for this leaf.

Viewer FAQ

Where does Show #0991 sit in the Late Night with David Letterman guide?

S07E16 is listed hour 204 of 1001 — hour 15 of 110 in season 7, season 7 episode 16.

When did Late Night with David Letterman S07E16 air?

Show #0991 aired 1988-02-25 and is listed at 60 minutes.

NBC Late Night or the later CBS Late Show?

These NBC years (1982–1993) are the laboratory. CBS is the empire after the Tonight Show succession fight. If you care how talk shows learned to mock themselves, start at 12:30.

In the series

Why this series still plays

The birth certificate of modern ironic late night — before everyone copied the shrug. Stupid Pet Tricks, Viewer Mail, Top Ten lists, Paul Shaffer as foil: NBC's 12:30 laboratory that invented post-Carson cool. Essential if you care how talk shows learned to mock themselves. The CBS years are the empire; these NBC hours are the cult scripture.

Irony moved to 12:30 and did not ask permission. NBC's Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) turned a gap-toothed host into the high priest of anti-talk-show talk: Stupid Pet Tricks, Viewer Mail, Top Ten lists, camera-walk mischief, interns as props. Paul Shaffer led the band; Calvert DeForest's Larry "Bud" Melman wandered through bits. **This was not a desk-and-couch variety hour being cute. This was the lab that invented the shrug.** The museum guard wants Carson catechism. The afterglow is a 12:30 that…

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Also in season 7

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