Late Show Writer's Favorite Moments

 Late Show writer Rodney Rothman recalls his favorite moments on the Late Show:

The thumbnail tells the story.

This video comes with a regret. I absolutely regret not remembering all the fake bands/musical guests. As a religious viewer, I know I saw most of them but I only remember Fresh Step. I have a theory as to why. I don't think there's any way I would determine a bad musical from a real musical. Even the real ones feel like parodies to me. I mean, look at the clips, would you do any better? I also don't remember Fresh Step being on more than once.

And Now My Fresh Step Story...

I'm watching the Late Show and their musical guest is a boy band "Fresh Step." I'm horrified but boy bands were not a new thing on the Late Show so "it is what it is." When the performance is over it's the time when Dave goes over and shakes hands with the guests and says "that was great," "thanks for coming," etc. Except he doesn't, he stays at his desk. At his desk he says "Fresh Step, everyone" or something and it goes to commercial. Dave ALWAYS walks over to greet the guest - always. Sometimes it gets edited out for time but that's what happens every time.

As the kind of viewer that obsessed over every detail of the Late Show, I sensed something was wrong behind the scenes. Dave stayed far away from them like they were the plague. I thought it was pretty obvious he must have hated them. One theory I came up with was that he didn't want to have them on at all but got overruled and was mad about it. 

I always remembered that moment as one of the interesting behind-the-scenes mysteries until many years later I found out the band was fake and... well, I can't explain why Dave wouldn't shake their hands to sell the bit completely... but at least he wasn't being rude and there wasn't some power struggle.