Top 10 list
Encyclopedia
The Late Show Top Ten List is a regular segment of the television program
Late Show with David Letterman
. It is adapted from Letterman's
NBC
show Late Night
. The list is compiled by the show's writing staff.
The CBS website also conducts a weekly "Top Ten Contest" on a particular topic (similar to the show), where viewers can submit their jokes and the top ten responses get posted on the Web site. These Top Ten lists, however, are not read on air. The contests continued through the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike while the show was on hiatus.
magazine, which routinely featured such lists (as well as 'Worst 10' lists). Letterman had once made an off-hand remark on the show that he found the People lists to be annoying, and began his own lists as a way of ridiculing what had by then become an increasingly recurring trend in other periodicals and magazines.
While Letterman may have been mocking People and other publications (such as The New York Post) which published these top ten lists, those lists themselves as well as the format used by Letterman may well have been inspired by The Dick Clark Show
, which aired on Saturday nights from February 1958 until September 1960 on the ABC network. At the end of each show, Clark would unveil the "Top Ten" records of the coming week, with a great deal of fanfare, similar to that used by Letterman.
Letterman's top ten skit was thought of by Steve O'Donnell
while he was head writer of the Late Night Letterman show. O'Donnell had also seen top ten lists in the magazines that looked like they had been written by comedy writers. What set him off was a list of top 10 eligible bachelors list in Cosmopolitan
magazine including widower 80-year-old CBS boss William S. Paley
.
On September 18, 1985, the very first list, "The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme With Peas" was broadcast.
of the network, and demanded that it not be used on his new show. A loose compromise was reached where it would be renamed the "Late Show Top Ten," although Letterman would soon simply refer to it once again as the "Top Ten List," with no repercussions.
The only significant modifications in the Late Show years have been the elimination of mentioning a "home office" (such as Wahoo, Nebraska
), and the addition of a computer-animated introduction and closing as well as background graphics.
performed by CBS Orchestra
drummer Anton Fig
. There are five montages: the pyramids, the athletes (usually used for a sports-themed top ten list), the taxi cabs, the water towers, and the sewer covers. The conclusion of the list is then followed by a brief performance by the band, usually a pop song relating to the topic of the list in some way.
Occasionally, the list is given by a guest presenter (such as John Malkovich
reading "Ten Things That Sound Creepy When Said by John Malkovich" or Casey Kasem
reading the recurring category "Top Ten Numbers Between One and Ten"). At times, the list has also been given by a series of presenters, with each providing one entry; for example, the list for "Ten Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave", presented was presented in 2000 by a group that included Rudolph Giuliani, Cindy Crawford
, and Dave's mom
.
Four animated characters have recited a Top Ten list on the show: Homer Simpson
(twice), Peter Griffin
, Stewie Griffin
and Optimus Prime.
Perhaps to break the monotony of daily list, the show will occasionally add a twist to the presentation, sometimes by altering the nature of the list itself. One notable example occurred on November 27, 2001. Introduced as "Top Ten Ways Osama bin Laden
Can Improve His Image," the list consisted of only one entry: "#10. There's no way he can improve his image. He's a murdering, soul-less asshole."
A common source of confusion regarding the Top Ten List is why the #1 entry is usually seen as the least funny. This even inspired the Late Show to run a pre-taped bit in 1998, humorously exploring the apparent mystery, and to mention it again on December 29, 1999, when the list "Top Ten Phrases That Were Not Spoken This Millennium," included the #1 entry of, "Why is the number one always so damn funny?" Writer Bill Scheft
confirmed this in a 2007 interview on Costas on the Radio
, stating that the writers use the three funniest entries on #10, to start the list strong, #6, which accompanies an on-screen slide change, and #2, which is the last opportunity for a laugh before the completion of the bit.
Sometimes the list would be long if video clips are incorporated such as "Top 10 Bush Moments" and the music store featuring Jack Black
, where number one simply has him reciting a verse for a minute.
for use the following morning. Following shows from which the list is omitted, or if Letterman is on vacation, the feature will utilize a list from the archives.
and the writers for The Late Show with David Letterman
. It contains lists of various things usually associated with the show. It was published simultaneously in the United States
and Canada
.
The book also contains a plan for an end table by Norm Abram
from This Old House
. It does not contain a recipe for chicken.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. It is adapted from Letterman's
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show Late Night
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
. The list is compiled by the show's writing staff.
Topics
The lists are usually given humorous topics such as Top Ten Signs Your Kid Had A Bad First Day At School or Top Ten Rejected James Bond Gadgets or based on current events.The CBS website also conducts a weekly "Top Ten Contest" on a particular topic (similar to the show), where viewers can submit their jokes and the top ten responses get posted on the Web site. These Top Ten lists, however, are not read on air. The contests continued through the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike while the show was on hiatus.
Background and origin
The Top Ten List was not originally a regular segment of Late Night, but was added as a way of mocking PeoplePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine, which routinely featured such lists (as well as 'Worst 10' lists). Letterman had once made an off-hand remark on the show that he found the People lists to be annoying, and began his own lists as a way of ridiculing what had by then become an increasingly recurring trend in other periodicals and magazines.
While Letterman may have been mocking People and other publications (such as The New York Post) which published these top ten lists, those lists themselves as well as the format used by Letterman may well have been inspired by The Dick Clark Show
The Dick Clark Show
The Dick Clark Show is an American musical variety show broadcast weekly in the United States on the ABC television network 7:30-8 PM on Saturdays from February 15, 1958 through September 10, 1960, sponsored by Beechnut Gum.- Summary :Given that the show ran...
, which aired on Saturday nights from February 1958 until September 1960 on the ABC network. At the end of each show, Clark would unveil the "Top Ten" records of the coming week, with a great deal of fanfare, similar to that used by Letterman.
Letterman's top ten skit was thought of by Steve O'Donnell
Steve O'Donnell (writer)
Steve O'Donnell is an American television writer. His credits include The Simpsons, Seinfeld, The Chris Rock Show and Late Night with David Letterman.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated with an A.B. degree from Harvard College in 1976...
while he was head writer of the Late Night Letterman show. O'Donnell had also seen top ten lists in the magazines that looked like they had been written by comedy writers. What set him off was a list of top 10 eligible bachelors list in Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
magazine including widower 80-year-old CBS boss William S. Paley
William S. Paley
William S. Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.-Early life:...
.
On September 18, 1985, the very first list, "The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme With Peas" was broadcast.
The switch from NBC to CBS
Before Letterman's departure for CBS, NBC had insisted that the "Top Ten List" was the intellectual propertyIntellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
of the network, and demanded that it not be used on his new show. A loose compromise was reached where it would be renamed the "Late Show Top Ten," although Letterman would soon simply refer to it once again as the "Top Ten List," with no repercussions.
The only significant modifications in the Late Show years have been the elimination of mentioning a "home office" (such as Wahoo, Nebraska
Wahoo, Nebraska
Wahoo is a city in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,508 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saunders County.-History:Wahoo was founded in 1870...
), and the addition of a computer-animated introduction and closing as well as background graphics.
Presentation
The entries are read by Letterman in reverse countdown order, and are accompanied by a drum rollDrum roll
A drum roll is a technique the percussionist employs to produce a sustained sound on a percussion instrument. Rolls are used by composers to sustain the sound and create other effects, the most common of which is using a roll to build anticipation.- Snare drum roll :The most common snare drum roll...
performed by CBS Orchestra
CBS Orchestra
The CBS Orchestra is the house band, led by Paul Shaffer, that plays for David Letterman's CBS late-night talk show, Late Show with David Letterman...
drummer Anton Fig
Anton Fig
Anton Fig , known as "The Thunder from Down Under" is a session drummer, noted for his work in David Letterman's house band, the CBS Orchestra. Letterman often refers to Fig as "Anton Zip"or "Buddy Rich Jr."...
. There are five montages: the pyramids, the athletes (usually used for a sports-themed top ten list), the taxi cabs, the water towers, and the sewer covers. The conclusion of the list is then followed by a brief performance by the band, usually a pop song relating to the topic of the list in some way.
Occasionally, the list is given by a guest presenter (such as John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
reading "Ten Things That Sound Creepy When Said by John Malkovich" or Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
reading the recurring category "Top Ten Numbers Between One and Ten"). At times, the list has also been given by a series of presenters, with each providing one entry; for example, the list for "Ten Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave", presented was presented in 2000 by a group that included Rudolph Giuliani, Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford
Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford is an American model. Known for her trademark mole just above her lip, Crawford has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. She was named #3 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90s...
, and Dave's mom
Dorothy Mengering
Dorothy Marie Mengering , better known to Late Show viewers as Dave's Mom, is the mother of late-night talk show host David Letterman and frequent guest on his show....
.
Four animated characters have recited a Top Ten list on the show: Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
(twice), Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
, Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
and Optimus Prime.
Perhaps to break the monotony of daily list, the show will occasionally add a twist to the presentation, sometimes by altering the nature of the list itself. One notable example occurred on November 27, 2001. Introduced as "Top Ten Ways Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
Can Improve His Image," the list consisted of only one entry: "#10. There's no way he can improve his image. He's a murdering, soul-less asshole."
A common source of confusion regarding the Top Ten List is why the #1 entry is usually seen as the least funny. This even inspired the Late Show to run a pre-taped bit in 1998, humorously exploring the apparent mystery, and to mention it again on December 29, 1999, when the list "Top Ten Phrases That Were Not Spoken This Millennium," included the #1 entry of, "Why is the number one always so damn funny?" Writer Bill Scheft
Bill Scheft
Bill Scheft is an American comedy writer and novelist. He is best known for being a staff writer for David Letterman since 1991, during which time he has been nominated for 15 Emmy awards. He ran a weekly humor column "The Show" in Sports Illustrated from 2002 to 2005...
confirmed this in a 2007 interview on Costas on the Radio
Costas on the Radio
Costas on the Radio was an American radio show hosted by Bob Costas. It aired weekly on Premiere Radio Networks...
, stating that the writers use the three funniest entries on #10, to start the list strong, #6, which accompanies an on-screen slide change, and #2, which is the last opportunity for a laugh before the completion of the bit.
Sometimes the list would be long if video clips are incorporated such as "Top 10 Bush Moments" and the music store featuring Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
, where number one simply has him reciting a verse for a minute.
Home offices
Cities that have been the supposed source of the Top 10 list include:- Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
- Lebanon, PennsylvaniaLebanon, PennsylvaniaLebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
- Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, NebraskaThe City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
- Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
- The first Late Night with David Letterman home office
- Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
- Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- Liverpool, England
- Used during David Letterman's London shows in 1995
- Oneonta, New YorkOneonta, New YorkOneonta is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, had a population of 13,901. Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language...
- The last office from the Late Night with David Letterman show
- Sioux City, IowaSioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
- Was a home office primarily to make fun of its CBS television station KMEGKMEGKMEG is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Southern Siouxland licensed to Sioux City, Iowa. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter in unincorporated Plymouth County, Iowa east of James and US 75 along the Woodbury county line...
, who refused to air Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
for months after it debuted in 1993.
- Was a home office primarily to make fun of its CBS television station KMEG
- Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
- Tahlequah, OklahomaTahlequah, OklahomaTahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
- Wahoo, NebraskaWahoo, NebraskaWahoo is a city in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,508 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saunders County.-History:Wahoo was founded in 1870...
- Became a home office after the town lobbied Letterman for the status for months after Letterman mentioned that he liked the word "Wahoo".
- Kankakee, IllinoisKankakee, IllinoisKankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
- Used during David Letterman's Chicago shows in 1994
Radio usage
Each Top Ten list is packaged into a nationally syndicated radio feature, distributed by Westwood OneWestwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
for use the following morning. Following shows from which the list is omitted, or if Letterman is on vacation, the feature will utilize a list from the archives.
Books
In 1995 a book entitled David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists and Zesty Lo-Cal Chicken Recipes was written by David LettermanDavid Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and the writers for The Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. It contains lists of various things usually associated with the show. It was published simultaneously in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The book also contains a plan for an end table by Norm Abram
Norm Abram
Norman L. Abram, or Norm Abram, is an American carpenter known for his work on the PBS television programs This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop. He is referred to on these shows as a "master carpenter".-Early life and education:Abram was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and raised in...
from This Old House
This Old House
This Old House is an American home improvement magazine and television series aired on the American television station Public Broadcasting Service which follows remodeling projects of houses over a number of weeks.-Overview:...
. It does not contain a recipe for chicken.