David Letterman [1]'s final episode of Late Show was on Wednesday night, and Conan O'Brien [2] is the latest to speak out about what an enormous influence Letterman has been on television. Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden, and Jimmy Fallon [3] have all talked about the host's retirement and what a large impact he's had on TV. Take a look at what all the late-night hosts and Letterman's successor, Stephen Colbert [4], have said about the legendary host recently, and check out Letterman's final Top 10 List [5].
Conan O'Brien
O'Brien penned a letter [6] for Entertainment Weekly in early May calling Letterman a "comedic revolution." He described his first time seeing the host on TV and credited him for ushering in a new era for comedy. "Not one single writer/performer in the last 35 years has had Dave's seismic impact on comedy. Every day, I read that a new comic has 'changed the game,' and admittedly there is an absurd abundance of talent and creativity out there right now. But in today's world of 30 late night programs, it's tempting now to take Dave for granted. Do not. Dave was a true revolution."
Conan O'Brien (Part 2!)
O'Brien called Letterman the "North Star" of comedy for people of his generation during a tribute on his show. He also told a story about taking over the Late Show back in 1993, and how something like that would never happen today. It's really wonderful to watch O'Brien reflect back on his early days and how Letterman asked to appear as a guest to support him. "It was like the Beatles asking Maury Povich if they could stop by."
James Corden
The new host of The Late Late Show recently gave an interview about Letterman [7] to Variety, calling out some of his favorite Letterman moments and talking about what impresses him the most about the host. "He had this fearlessness, bordering on recklessness, that I thought was incredible," he said. "He managed to combine mainstream and alternative comedy. That's not easy, but he made it look very, very easy."
James Corden (Part 2)
Corden had several tributes to Letterman, including a watermelon send-off [8]. In this clip, he talks about how Late Show With David Letterman [9] became his routine and kept him company when he was alone in New York.
Jimmy Fallon
Fallon took some time out of his show on Monday night to pay tribute to Letterman. Among many anecdotes, he talked about how his eighth-grade teacher predicted he would take over for Letterman one day. He also talks about the first time he was a guest on Late Show. Though Fallon said he doesn't know how to describe him, he did a great job of summarizing Letterman's smart, yet stupid, brand of comedy.
Stephen Colbert
"Late Night debuted my first year in college," Colbert said when the news of Letterman's retirement was first announced. "I learned more from Dave than I did going to my classes — especially the ones I did not go to because I stayed up until 1:30 watching Dave." The future host of Late Show also took a jab at his upcoming gig, saying, "I do not envy whoever they try to put in that chair." Can't wait to see him try when Late Show With Stephen Colbert premieres on Sept. 8 [10]!
Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers is the fourth man to host Late Night on NBC. Can you guess who was the first? David Letterman [11]. Meyers told one of his favorite stories about hanging out with his predecessor on his show on Tuesday night. It involves a goat. That's all you need to know.
Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel dedicated part of his opening monologue to Letterman on Tuesday night. Kimmel has admitted that Letterman is his hero, and he could barely get through talking about him without crying. He even showed pictures of his "L8 NIGHT" birthday cake and vanity license plates from his old car before urging audiences not to watch the rerun of his own show on Wednesday night in favor of watching Letterman's final show.