Late Night with David Letterman premiered on NBC in 1982.
The first episode aired on February 1, 1982, with David Letterman as host. It followed The Tonight Show and gave Letterman room to develop an unconventional style built around unusual guests, absurd comedy segments, and playful interactions with the studio audience.
Letterman's program became a major influence on later late-night television. Its house band, led by Paul Shaffer, and its offbeat recurring features helped distinguish it from the more traditional variety format associated with The Tonight Show.
Letterman hosted Late Night until 1993, when he left NBC after Jay Leno became Johnny Carson's successor. Letterman then moved to CBS and launched Late Show with David Letterman in August 1993. Conan O'Brien inherited the NBC Late Night time slot.