Editing David Letterman (section)

=== Popularity ===
The ''Late Show''<nowiki/>'s main competitor was NBC's ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', which [[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno|Jay Leno hosted]] for 22 years from 1992 to 2014<!--Letterman started after Leno-->, except from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, when Conan O'Brien hosted. In 1993 and 1994, the ''Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''The Tonight Show''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that [[Hugh Grant]] came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|title=Viewers still in Letterman's corner|publisher=CNN|author=Breeanna Hare|date=October 7, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618163831/https://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|archive-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref>

Leno typically attracted about five million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. The ''Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2009/05/31/conan_obriens_time_has_come__will_the_leno_faithful_follow/|title=11:35pm|author=Joanna Weiss|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=May 31, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million-viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''[[Nightline]]'' and the ''Late Show'' were virtually tied.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509141823/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-date=May 9, 2009|title=Jay Leno And Jimmy Fallon Win the Late-Night Week of April 27&nbsp;– May 1 – Ratings|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|date=May 7, 2009|access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', Letterman closed the gap in the ratings.<ref name="Roberts helps">{{cite web|title=David Letterman: Julia Roberts helps him beat Conan O'Brien for first time; Denzel Washington, Jonas Brothers visit Thursday|url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614175758/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|archive-date=June 14, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Roberts sides">{{cite web|title=Roberts sides with Letterman|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/roberts-sides-letterman-late-night-wbna31210920|author=Access Hollywood|publisher=Today|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Who's loyal">{{cite web|title=Who's loyal to Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman?|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=7797222&page=1|last=Fisher|first=Luchina|work=ABC News|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch the ''Late Show'' instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/media/06late.html|title='Tonight Show' Audience a Decade Younger|first=Bill |last=Carter|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2009|access-date=July 6, 2009}}</ref> After Leno returned to ''The Tonight Show'', Leno regained his lead.<ref name="Ratings 2011">{{cite web|title='Nightline' Up; 'Conan,' 'Late Show' Down; 'Tonight Show,' 'Daily Show' Even|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307090934/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-date=March 7, 2011| author=Late Night TV Ratings Week|publisher=Zap2it|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref>

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 [[Emmy Award]] nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993 to 2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]] of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times.<ref name="harris09"/> For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only [[Oprah Winfrey]], a year that Leno was ranked fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|title= For Third Year in a Row Oprah Retains Her Position as America's Favorite TV Personality|publisher= [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date= December 29, 2004|access-date= July 12, 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090813175930/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|archive-date= August 13, 2009}}</ref> Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.<ref name="harris09">{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|title=America's Favorite Television Personality|publisher= a [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date=January 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225170841/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|archive-date=February 25, 2009}}</ref>