Well, if all that's true, then I guess it just shows that ratings don't always equal the 'better' show. I can't stand Leno, even years before he fucked over Conan. Leno just isn't funny to me. And not only that, but the CBS live band was always a huge boon the Letterman's show as far as I was concerned! Dave's banter with Paul was always fun to listen to, as well. =)

Yep, I had lots of reasons that I loved Letterman's shows! And I can't think of a single musical guest band/performer on the CBS show that I didn't enjoy. It always felt like musical guests went extra big for Dave and Paul. At least, that's how I felt hehe. Not to say that Dave Letterman was a perfect human or anything. He definitely had his share of drama and missteps over the years but I still find myself missing that whole crew on TV late at night, even a few years now that they retired.

OH! And who could forget the years that Craig Ferguson was on immediately after Letterman?! I can't lie, I always loved Craig's show just as much as Letterman's slot. I miss both of those shows so much! Also, fun fact: Did you know that Craig Ferguson is only 59 years old? I remember always thinking that Craig was like 60 during his time at the Late Late Show. Lol. Who knows... maybe we'll once more be blessed with another hour long late show with Craig, someday! Probably not but it's fun to imagine. And I can't blame Craig if he didn't even want to do more of that. He's certainly put in his time and effort and earned the right to relax if he feels like it.