I am David Letterman, I am an American retired television host, comedian, writer and producer. I hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC and ending with the May 20, 2015, broadcast of Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. In total, I hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show, surpassing my friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.