"David Letterman is the best late-night talk show host right now, hands down, and has been since he first took the desk"
About this Quote
The subtext is partly generational. Saying “right now” nods to the ever-shifting scoreboard of ratings and relevance, but “has been since he first took the desk” rejects the idea that greatness is seasonal. That line turns Letterman into a constant - not merely the best in the current lineup, but the benchmark against which everyone else has been auditioning for decades. It’s also a subtle swipe at the premise that late-night success is interchangeable, that any charming host can be swapped in with a new set and a better hair-and-makeup team.
Context matters: Lopez is both a peer and an outsider in the mainstream late-night hierarchy, someone who understands how narrow the gate can be. Endorsing Letterman isn’t strategic networking so much as cultural positioning. He’s declaring what kind of comedy deserves the throne: skeptical, oddball, unsentimental, and unafraid to let the moment get weird.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lopez, George. (2026, January 16). David Letterman is the best late-night talk show host right now, hands down, and has been since he first took the desk. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/david-letterman-is-the-best-late-night-talk-show-101209/
Chicago Style
Lopez, George. "David Letterman is the best late-night talk show host right now, hands down, and has been since he first took the desk." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/david-letterman-is-the-best-late-night-talk-show-101209/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"David Letterman is the best late-night talk show host right now, hands down, and has been since he first took the desk." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/david-letterman-is-the-best-late-night-talk-show-101209/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.




