Staff Favorite Moments: Merrill Markoe On Classic Remotes, Getting Censored, Dog Poetry | Letterman
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- The original "Late Night" head writer looks back at some of her favorite moments from the NBC show.
#merrillmarkoe #latenight #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman RUclips Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanly-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.
Merrill Markoe should win one of those Mark Twain Prizes for Comedy--her contributions to the early years of Letterman were truly seismic in their influence.
Yes!!!
You are correct
@@dennyzartman thanks Ed ;)
Seconded!
Amen, Amen!!!
That cut to the Just Shades storefront is one of the funniest Letterman moments ever.
Yes!
@@pashadyne hahaha idk? It's subjective. 🤷
@@pashadyne Nope he's right. I've seen it a million times now and it's solid comedy gold.
@@pashadyne Lighten up, Odibex.
@@pashadyne , that’s cool that 3-month old babies have told you that.
This may sound like a strange compliment, but the Letterman show had so much "humanity" about it. I loved it. Today's shows are too slick and polished and sterile, IMO. Thanks, Merrill, for all your genius and humanity.
Totally agree. And we still remember and laugh at Merrill and crew's stuff decades later, but don't necessarily recall a lot of today's packaged jokes.
On our show we talk about how he destroyed the forth wall and invited us all in to be part of the show too.
I use the word "homemade". The show felt very organic and tailored to Letterman's comedic sensibilities. He wasn't pandering, he was as authentic and raw as they come.
Thanks to those suits in the hall and upstairs offices who think they’re smart :)
The dog poetry bit had me on the floor. I still say "My empty bowl mocks me" after dinner.
Merrill explaining what a a phone book & yellow pages are is priceless.. Merrill is an excellent writer, researcher & author.. ty, mm
How else can the Interboob generation understand creativity?
"Have you ever seen the world's largest humidor?"
"No."
"Any interest in seeing the world's largest humidor?"
"None whatsoever."
Hahaha!
Merrill was a brilliant and irreverent writer. She made me laugh countless times. Her humor still connects with me all the years later! Love her!
"The host of the show was less than enthusiastic about it..." 😂😂😂
Merrill deserves a lot of credit for writing the perfect segments for Dave's comedy.
She deserves a lot of credit for almost everything we loved about Late Night.
Absolutely.
Even if she didn't get enough credit she got that fur coat at least.
With her education in the visual arts, Merrill Markoe was also responsible for the "look-and-feel" of the Late Night set -- an odd, ironic combination of minimalist, but with curios as well. Does anyone remember the bit where Dave "accidentally" spilled water on his desk, climbed up the spiral staircase in the back of the set, and then emerged into what was supposed to be Willard Scott's "Today Show" dressing room. Dave then found one of Willard's toupees, and, after returning to his desk, used the toupee to mop up the spill. (I'm guessing that was 90% Markoe.and 10% Ernie Kovacs.)
Does she refer to Letterman in the Third Person?)
@@brianrudin7880Yes, because it would be strange to refer to him as "I" or "you".
Respect to Merrill Markoe.
Very Happy to see this!! I Love Merrill's writing and comedy! Love your books!
Thank you for this!! More kudos to Merrill Markoe!!
The Just Shades and Just Bulbs segments STILL crack me up! So many moments of genius.
All the writers have had fantastic stories to tell, and it’s not a competition, but this video definitely wins.
Merrill Markoe has probably had a larger impact on my personality than any woman on earth outside of my mother. If just the remote segments alone didn't exist it would leave a gigantic void in my sense of humor that would be irreplaceable. There's no show without Merrill.
And another thing, if anyone out there has any footage of Dave and Merrill arguing about the show or anything else I would like to see that please.
@@lesterfreamon4554 I believe there’s a YT compilation of all of her guest appearances on Late Show.
@@dongiller Why that's right Don, that and many other meticulously compiled and edited compilations can be found here on RUclips, including the complete "my dog" series featured in this video. I would link to it, but that might be frowned upon here. Thank you for all your work Don. The day I found your channel I was sooooooo happy.
We could not agree more!
@@thelettermanpodcast What you mean “we,” paleface?
(An obscure reference for us oldies.)
Merrill, “Dickapalooza” can now be added to the long list of contributions you’ve given the world of comedy- humanity thanks you.
OMG! The Just Bulbs/Just Shades bit always killed me. The field trip to the GE headquarters that introduced the world to the GE Handshake...GENIUS!
Finally! So great to finally see the one person that had so much impact on the show.
That coat!
Ms Markoe,standing invitation for our show. You are a genius, a gem, and the mother of Late Night Television.
Oh my god Merrill. One of the greatest comedy minds in television history…. Thanks for doing this Merrill- I hope you remember your time there and you’re accomplishments with as much fondness as we have watching these clips.
These segments had so much influence on my developing sense of humour as a kid. It makes so much sense to me now that I hear Merrill talk of going through the Yellow Pages and finding things that were funny to *her*.
OMG!! This is a trip down memory lane. I am laughing as hard now as I did 30 years ago when I saw these as they originally aired. Priceless!!
This staff moment series is incredible! I love watching these. Thanks! I really miss the show. I’m really glad you are putting these together!! 🙌🙌🙌
Merrill's genius. I keep laughing out loud whenever I think of the dude talking about how Gandhi should have kicked people's asses.
Merrill, the wardrobe changes were fantastic, the fur with scarf killed! You still got it 😂
Merrill is looking great at 74, great comedy must have anti-aging properties 😅 her and Letterman made a great couple, glad they kept the comedy first and foremost
*Fun Fact :* Merrill Markoe should have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is responsible for so much of the off-the-wall style of the Letterman show.
"None, whatsoever." "Happy is six feet under." "He's got a bad case of hemorrhoids." "He was buried alive three times." This segment is littered with pure gold.
Love the dive below the surface. Dave made the show seem easy and careless, but so many layers of hard work went into creating and producing every episode.
I loved these clips. I'm reminded again why I never missed this show.
You know how the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inducts artists who are super influential? Merrill Markoe fits PERFECTLY into that category. The early Late Night remote spots are still being emulated to this day...hell, even that dumb Car Karaoke segment is ripped from the Dave playbook! (also- I completely remember Stan's Dog Poetry segment)
Can't help but notice that Merril goes out of her way to avoid saying Dave's name.
Still bitter after the breakup.
The just bulbs and just shades segment remains the funniest thing I have ever seen on tv. It was so simple and well produced. Just flat out funny.
This was when I was watching and taping the show all of the time-the classic era for me personally.
I occasionally taped the show, and I must have watched that guy who invented the coffin alarm hundreds of of times. I occasionally searched for it on RUclips. I never thought I'd see it again!
My fave limited review was the welder reviewing Flash Dance. I still remember his cutting remarks and his no nonsense delivery, spoken like a true welder.
Brilliant writer and her ever changing wardrobe.
I just want to throw this out; Dave hired Merrill Markoe as head writer nearly 20 years before Tina Fey was hired at SNL.
Like Edward Bernays was to Public Relations, time has proven Ms. Markoe to be the comedic 'gestalt' of the 'Letterman epoch; ' ergo - late night comedy as we know it today. An 'Important Writer,' indeed. It is high time the Television Academy recognizes this and acts accordingly. They could start, by having separate categories for late night shows (writers / creative shops) that produce content on a daily basis , versus content produced on a weekly basis. And offer Ms. Markoe, a lifetime achievement award . Unfortunately, no one is holding their breath, as today's Emmys, resembles more and more like The Golden Globes.
Writers are always the unsung heroines/heroes.
I can't believe that you actually wrote that poem for your dog! All these years I thought the dog wrote that poem himself!
i remember all of this when I was a kid, I loved it.
Merrill, you don't seem aging from your 80s self.
I remember 'dog poetry'; esp. the line 'my empty water dish mocks me'. good stuff that
3:51 Pour one out for Happy.
If I had to pick the one single, most brilliant piece of Comedy that Dave did in the early days… It was dog poetry. Thank you, Merrill!
That staff and top hat being thrown at Larry Bud was totally random. WTH? 😮😆
It looked more like Larry Bud forgot they were going to toss it to him for his dance number.
Favorite moments or fashion show. You decide.
True genius
Pure whatever! I loved every minute!
Letterman, and I mean this as a compliment, played such a great wiseass.
For example, towards the end of his career he had Martha Stewart on to show this and that and out of nowhere he asked her if she keep in touch with any of the other cons?
Oh my. The good ol days of NYC. Its 2022 now and I hope real comedy makes a return someday soon.
Am I the only person wondering, what's up with the guy who keeps getting buried alive?
Squirrels! best thing EVER! thank you!
Boy, I miss those early years of the Late Night show.
She and the show did such an excellent job with the remotes. Credit to the original concept has to go to Steve Alan and his show in the late 50s.
The fact that the Letterman show had the insane trend of “plumbers react to a movie” is really funny to me
Oh I'm so glad and thankful that Ms. Markoe returned for the "new season" of original clips!
The 2nd and 3rd coats are my favorites
"We just sell bulbs". So, what if I want a shade? "Go to a place called just shades I suppose". Naturally...
I know that New York is huge, but how “Just Bulbs” and “Just Shades” not be fully aware of each other’s existence?
I'd never seen the Lumber Boys one...that was hilarious.
3:54 -“Are you happy?” -“Nooo, I’m Eddie! 😂
So happy this stuff is watchable again. Please don't stop!
THE genius of the Late Night show.
Genius!
"...he was buried alive three times, and he got a little worried about it..." (7:06)
Hah! I wonder if the "Squirrel!" bit from the dog poetry is what influenced the dog doing it in the movie "Up"
There are so many memorable iconic segments and lines from Letterman and Carson shows. Would the same be said of Fallon and Colbert years from now? I think not.
Loved Merrill’s work. As much as I love Letterman, in retrospect, I wonder if he would have been so successful without her.
I've always wanted to see that inventors convention piece again since it first ran. There were some other interviews at that venue and if anyone knows a link to that whole segment, please list it here.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Merrill and of course Larry Bud!
That editing right after "But seriously - what can you get besides shades here?" - funniest thing ever 😆
I liked Merrill Markoe also on Not Necessarily the News. Anyone?
Merril Markoe, absolute comedy genius.
The self-defense instructor’s review of Gandhi had me howling! And the cut to Just Shades is one of the best comedic moments ever. Perfect timing. Give her some lifetime achievement awards already!
Kind of telling that she says "THE HOST" and not "Dave". A shame that she hasn't received more praise for her contribution to Late Night.
Really, is there anyone over age 15 that does not know what the yellow pages were ? Lol
Pretty sure it was Merrill's humour testing you.
17:20 "The host of the show" She sounds like a member of the Eagles (She and Dave were a couple back then).
I love watching this channel and pretending I'm back in the 20th century.
Solid television entertainment! Thanks Merrill and Dave.
I remember the Just Bulbs/Just Shades segment! Hilarious!
To me, the NBC years of Letterman were the best...by a wide margin.
Is the Dog Poetry bit the first instance of the dog/squirrel trope?
I was wondering if she was going to address the wardrobe changes.
I've been copying Letterman remotes in every funny home video I've ever tried to do.
Look at those daggers Dave is shooting at Larry Bud at 16:32.
40 years ago. man.
Right?! How in the blue hell can it be 4 decades ago? We just celebrated 29 years since the CBS move! CRAZY!
The dog poetry was funnier than I care to admit.
How many furs does she need. Turn on your heat for God’s sake !!
"Hey Gandhi, get off the sidewalk."
Imagine a time existed in our beloved city where Just Bulbs and Just Shades could occupy that much real estate successfully
Wait? She changed coats midstream! I adore this woman!!!
“Dog Poetry” was ground zero as far as my Late Night fandom goes (from when it was rerun on the 3rd Anniversary Show). I laughed so hard I nearly passed out.
early 80s dave was gorgeous!
I saw most of these back in the day, and loved the quirky humor. But I'm lol'ing all over again... Thanks!
These were the great days of the great show, and I’m still grateful for all of the laughs. Thanks!
The lead street tough who harassed Ghandi was played by Daniel Day Lewis in his first screen role.
Were you at the 1st Anniversary party at Radio City Music Hall? (downstairs) Dave had a grapefruit juice (I think) Open Bar: the band came back for more. And more. And more. Several of them became very wasted. Fun wasted. Not mean or annoying. I served Larry Bud Melman but forget what he drank.
Holy crap these clips are hilarious😂😂The buried alive guy🤣🌸
This was so good and I am so happy to know the name of Merrill Markoe.