On May 20, 2015, Dave said, "Thank you and goodnight." The Foo Fighters sang "Everlong," and Late Show with David Letterman ended its run. The final six weeks of the series had guests like Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and the Obamas. All names you have heard many times. But it was the people behind the scenes who pulled off these twenty-eight unforgettable episodes of late-night television.

Author Scott Ryan conducted over twenty interviews with the staffers of David Letterman. Most of the participants had never given interviews before. The writers, directors, producers, and stage managers offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on these shows. Find out what it takes to write a Top Ten list, book a president for a guest spot, and what it was like working at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Long time Letterman writer Bill Scheft penned the foreword for the book. Included are over 100 color photos from staffers' personal collections, as well as publicity photos from the show. Get the first truly inside look at creating an episode of Late Show.

Interviews with:

Barbara Gaines - Executive Producer; Sheila Rogers - Supervising Producer/ Talent Executive; Randi Grossack - Associate Director; Kathy Mavrikakis, Supervising Producer; Rick Sheckman, Associate Producer; Brian Teta - Supervising Producer/Segment Producer; Sheryl Zelikson - Music Producer; Jay Johnson - Creative Director, Digital Media; Jerry Foley - Director; Michael Barrie - Writer; Lee Ellenberg - Writer; Jim Mulholland - Writer; Joe Grossman - Writer; Jeremy Weiner - Writer; Steve Young - Writer; Vincent Favale - Executive of Late Night Programing; Eddie Valk - Stage Manager; Bill Scheft - Writer; Janice Penino - Vice President, Human Resources; Jill Goodwin - Writer; and Mike Buczkiewicz - Senior Producer/Segment Producer; Rupert Jee - Hello Deli Owner.

About the Author
Scott Ryan was elected as a Senator for Victoria at the 2007 federal election and re-elected in 2013 and 2016. He served in the Abbott ministry as parliamentary secretary for education, and in the Turnbull ministries as minister for vocational education, special minister of state, and minister assisting the prime minister for Cabinet. In 2017 he was elected the twenty-fifth President of the Senate, the youngest person to ever hold the position. Prior to entering parliament, Scott was a consultant in the health and insurance sectors and in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as working as a speechwriter and political adviser, a tutor in politics, and serving as a research fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne. Scott was born in Brisbane in 1973 and raised and educated in Melbourne, where he lives with his wife Helen and two sons. Novelist, columnist, television writer. During the last three decades, Bill Scheft has established himself as a versatile, singular and influential comedic voice. After twelve years touring as a stand-up comedian, Scheft was hired as a monologue writer for Late Night with David Letterman where he remained until the show's conclusion in May, 2015. During his 24 years with Letterman, he was nominated for 16 Emmys. Which, ah, means he never won. A frequent creative presence on award shows, roasts and television specials, Scheft wrote for the 1995 and 2005 Academy Awards, was the head writer for three ESPY Awards and has contributed special material to the Emmys, Tonys and Grammys.

Reviews
"The last six weeks at The Late Show were undoubtably the highlight of my career; it was also the end of my thirty-five years in television. A bittersweet time. I'm delighted that Scott Ryan has decided to immortalize those days with abook." - Barbara Gaines, Executive Producer of The Late Show and Late Night for 33 years. -- Ryan, Scott -- Barbara Gaines
"The monologue chapter is a must-read for people who work in that strange craft and I think the general public will get a lot of insight about the unsung heroes of late night TV" - Jim Mulholland, The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, writer. -- Interview



Book Information
ISBN 9781949024005
Author Scott Ryan
Format Paperback
Page Count 300
Imprint Fayetteville Mafia Press
Publisher Fayetteville Mafia Press
Weight(grams) 539g
Dimensions(mm) 226mm * 152mm * 20mm