All episodes Season 12 S12E50 1993-05-12 60 min 1980s NBC

Late Night with David Letterman

Show #1792

TV Flash files “Show #1792” as hour 983 of 1001 in the TV Flash guide — Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) on NBC, season 12, episode 50, aired 1993-05-12, 60 min.

From the desk

How this hour is filed

This leaf is S12E50: listed hour 983 of 1001 in the Late Night with David Letterman guide, hour 50 of 68 in season 12. It aired 1993-05-12 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Show #1791” (S12E49). Next is “Show #1793” (S12E51). 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 #1792 sit in the Late Night with David Letterman guide?

S12E50 is listed hour 983 of 1001 — hour 50 of 68 in season 12, season 12 episode 50.

When did Late Night with David Letterman S12E50 air?

Show #1792 aired 1993-05-12 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…

Open the Late Night with David Letterman package · Season 12 hub

Filed against

Also in season 12

← Full episode guide · Show package · All shows