CBS originally broadcast The Late Show with David Letterman.
The program premiered on August 30, 1993, after David Letterman left NBC. His move created a major late-night rivalry with The Tonight Show, then hosted by Jay Leno. CBS placed Letterman in the network’s long-running late-night slot and used the show to build a direct competitor to NBC.
The series was recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Its format included Letterman’s monologue, comedy pieces, celebrity interviews, musical performances, and recurring bits such as viewer mail and Top Ten lists.
A frequent mix-up concerns Letterman’s earlier program. Late Night with David Letterman was an NBC show that premiered in 1982, whereas The Late Show with David Letterman was his CBS program beginning in 1993. Stephen Colbert later succeeded Letterman as host of CBS’s Late Show.