In David Letterman’s second or third life as a talk show host, he has delivered candid conversations with high-profile comedians, celebrities and political activists for four seasons on Netflix. Letterman also went on tour for a pair of specials, first in 2019 venturing to Mumbai to meet and speak with Shah Rukh Khan; then, in 2022, to Ukraine to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; and now to Chicago to get nostalgic with comedian John Mulaney. Will this be clever or revealing? How about both!
MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION WITH DAVID LETTERMAN AND JOHN MULANEY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The essence: For this bonus episode, Letterman spends almost as much time with Mulaney outside of the live studio audience they had assembled for their interview in Chicago as they do in the more traditional talk show format.
We see Letterman accompanying Mulaney through the halls of his alma mater, Saint Ignatius College Prep, standing on the stage of the high school theater to reflect on how far Mulaney has come since his teenage years and answering questions from current St. Ignatius College students. .Ignatius. Letterman also travels to Biloxi, Mississippi, to see Mulaney’s new hour in progress on tour over the winter, and sits down to chat over dinner with Mulaney and his father.
What comedy specials will it remind you of?:are the previous ones My next guest… episodes and specials, but if you’re somehow not familiar with them, then think of something like the old Inside the acting studio sessions on Bravo, except it is less formulaic with deeper knowledge of both the interviewee and the interviewer
Memorable jokes: Although Letterman presents Mulaney as perhaps the funniest comedian around, this clip demonstrates how Mulaney himself is quick to admit it as a former writer for Saturday night livehe knew he couldn’t deliver his sketches like the cast members he was writing for at the time.
Our opinion: But you’re not watching this special or Letterman’s series for the jokes. You’re streaming this in hopes of learning something about Letterman’s guest, whether it’s his comedic process or his life offstage. And with Mulaney there’s certainly a lot to wonder about after his intervention, porce, and subsequently becoming the father of a child with actress Olivia Munn.
Separated from the limitations and pressures of broadcast television, Letterman doesn’t dig too deep for hot gossip, but rather asks candid, probing questions about how Mulaney has navigated the last few years of his life.
And they share some interesting insights into the current state of comedy that cut through much of the garbage that has clogged online discussions in recent years.
For example, Letterman asks: “Do you share my impression that the State, the art of monologue, is better now than at any other time in the history of…?”
To which Mulaney replies: “I don’t know any other time.”
“Oh, without a doubt,” Letterman responds.
“I love comedy from so many different eras,” Mulaney says, “that I mean that more than saying this isn’t it. This is an incredible moment. The comics you can see in a week on tour now are legendary.”
Later, when Letterman and Mulaney sit down with high school students, one of the kids asks Mulaney, “How do you come up with jokes that are funny but don’t get canceled?” To which Mulaney replies: “Oh, that’s a good question. I don’t really think about the second part. I don’t want to say that I… I think I have a barometer for determining what would be offensive or objectionable, but that’s something that journalists discuss a lot. You know, I know a lot of people who get criticized for the things they’ve done, but still have great careers. So they are just negative comments and that is a lot of life.”
It’s so true and so refreshing to hear a famous comedian say this out loud.
It’s also really special to hear Letterman get Mulaney to open up even more about his drug addictions and rehab experiences by telling his own story about how he gave up alcohol because Letterman was too afraid of losing his NBC. Late at night Job. Letterman even helps lead a pause of applause just to get Mulaney to say, “I’m an alcoholic and a drug addict.” And then he confronts Mulaney’s father about the unbearable emotions of not knowing if his son is going to succumb to addiction. The camera pans to zoom in on Mulaney’s face. It’s the kind of touching moment you won’t get on other comedian-on-comedian talk shows.
It’s safe to assume that Mulaney’s father is much more on board with him becoming the “best-case scenario” next Steve Martin.
Our call: TRANSMIT IT. At one point, Mulaney says John Mulaney and the sack lunch group It was his pet project, but he hinted that Netflix would prefer him to stick to stand-up. This special with Letterman only makes comedy fans even more eager to see Mulaney’s upcoming variety specials this week during Netflix’s Joke Fest, as well as whatever Letterman does next!
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