Conan Tells Viewers “Dave Saved Me” and Urged Everyone to Switch to CBS

Tonight Conan will take the stage and gave an incredibly sincere and touching tribute to David Letterman at the start of his show, and end it by telling his viewers that at 11:35 they need to switch over and watch David Letterman’s final show.  It’s a historic move, one also made by Jimmy Kimmel earlier this week, letting viewers know they should be watching Letterman.

“This is no ordinary night,” he told his audience during today’s taping of the show. “As everybody here knows, and anybody watching knows, in about 35 minutes David Letterman is going to air his last episode of Late Night television, and its a huge deal. Everybody this last week has been struggling to explain what this man has meant, what his leaving television means to us personally but lets face it, there simply are no words that can encapsulate the sheer magnitude of what Dave has achieved these past 32 years. It cannot be done. He’s been the north star for me and for every comic of my generation.”

He then proceeded to tell an amazing story about how 22 years ago, Dave saved Conan’s show, and possibly Conan’s career. He said, “some of you may be too young to know this but way back in 1993, I took over David Letterman’s iconic late night television show. I was a complete unknown with absolutely no experience performing on television I was utterly and totally unprepared for that enormous job.” His ratings, he said, were terrible. “I got the shit kicked out of me. Critics despised me, the ratings were bad, my skin broke out. And my network started to make it clear that I probably wouldn’t be around very long.”

But it was Letterman who changed everything for him. “After four really dreary months, out of the blue, we got a message at the show that David Letterman wanted to come on the program as a guest. Now understand, Dave wasn’t just the biggest late night star at the time. He was the biggest thing on television. He didn’t go on other people’s shows.”

Conan thought it was a prank, but then on February 28, 1994, “David Letterman walked onto my set and he blew the doors off of the place” changing the course of his career forever. So in thanks, and in tribute to Letterman, Conan urged anyone watching, to switch over to watch and honor David Letterman. In fact, he said, he would let everyone know the exact moment when the show begins, so that they can switch over.

Record my show, he said, and watch the commercials a few times, but watch Dave live, because, he said, “I promise you we will not see a man of his talents, or comedic integrity again in our lifetime. You can not miss out. Have a great show Dave.”

Read more comedy news.