Late Night with David Letterman was an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman. It premiered on NBC on February 1, 1982. Letterman’s persona was that of a wise-ass little brother. He invented, or at least personified, a generation of ironic comedy that commented on the media, even as his show was a part of it. He developed signature goofy segments like “Stupid Pet Tricks” and often found comedy in the mundane, just by being himself in unexpected situations. He hosted Late Night on NBC for 11 years and then lost out to Jay Leno in the bitter battle to ascend to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show chair. On CBS, though, he was expected to turn into a grown-up, but Letterman stayed goofy. He also became more serious. Politicians came to visit. He became known as a great interviewer, but remained a comedian and a true king of late night TV.