On the eve of the final “Late Show,” David Letterman heads to the end of his late-night career with the same guest that started it all: Bill Murray.
Murray will guest on Tuesday’s next-to-last “Late Show.” The finale is Wednesday and there are no scheduled guests.
The comedic actor was Letterman’s first guest in late night when he appeared with Letterman in 1982 on NBC’s “Late Night.” Murray did the same thing a decade later when he was the first guest on the “Late Show” after Letterman moved to CBS in 1993.
Through the years, Murray has been one of Letterman’s most outrageous and noteworthy guests.
Murray has flown into the show as Peter Pan, trained for the New York marathon by running outside the Ed Sullivan theater, and has appeared in many crazy costumes.
Most famously, Murray pulled up on stage in 2013 in a Rolls Royce, holding a dog and dressed as Liberace.
For many fans of the “Late Show,” Murray is the quintessential Letterman guest.
“Murray is not just a fitting last guest because he was Letterman’s first. He’s inextricably bound to Letterman because in many ways they’ve had the same career,” wrote Time TV critic James Poniewozik.
Poniewozik added that both became the “rare kind of performer: the comic who matures and learns to express a kind of wisdom without overturning the schmaltz barrel.”
Murray won’t be alone in saying goodbye to Letterman on Tuesday night with musician Bob Dylan also appearing to play the host off. It will be Dylan’s first TV appearance in more than 20 years.
As for the finale on Wednesday, CBS is keeping a lid on what to expect only saying that Letterman’s goodbye will include “surprises, memorable highlights, the show’s final Top Ten List and more.”
