Letterman Gives New 'Daily Show' Host Some Great Tips

Next week, seven-year "Daily Show" correspondent John Oliver will take over for Jon Stewart as host of the show for three months. The only problem is, he has no idea how to interview actors.

"It's an American institution, and I just have to try not to destroy it," Oliver joked on Tuesday night's "Late Show" where he sat down with David Letterman to talk about his daunting new gig.

Luckily, Letterman had some solid advice to offer Oliver on how to talk to actors without making fun of them. Watch the video above to hear exactly what Oliver will be asking his guests when he has no idea what to ask.

Oliver takes over "The Daily Show" next Monday, June 10.

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2.5 stars for "Two and a Half Men" cast's Letterman Top 10 (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Ashton Kutcher, Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones had the usual awkward interaction with David Letterman during a brief appearance on Thursday's "Late Show" -- but they didn't pay much attention to each other as they read a Top 10 List via satellite.

Anyone hoping to see how they gel together comedically will have to wait for "Two and a Half Men" to return. The three had the disadvantage of trying to play along with Letterman, in New York, from their set in Burbank. His unpredictability can make him hard enough for guests to deal with in person.

Letterman didn't make it easy Thursday. He said of Kutcher, "Why is John Fogelberg there?," a joke plenty of people would have missed even if he had gotten the name right: He was trying to point out that Kutcher's beard and long hair give him a slight resemblance to a mid-'80s Dan Fogelberg, the now-deceased singer-songwriter. Paul Shaffer at least helped Letterman out with the right name.

The trio didn't have the best material to work with, either: just a predictable Top 10 list titled "Reasons to Watch the New Season of 'Two and a Half Men.'" Cryer got to read the only item that made us laugh (No. 5), and reading a list didn't give them much opportunity to joke with each other.

It didn't help that Kutcher leaned off to his left throughout the bit, probably because he's much taller than his co-stars. But it added to their disconnect.

Letterman quipped at the end: "I think they were under the impression this was a rehearsal." The cast's laughter was delayed, suggesting how much they were hampered by the satellite relay.

We'll give the appearance 2.5 stars out of a possible 5 -- and not do any Fogelberg-era jokes about the metric system. You can see what we mean in the video here: http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/two-and-half-men-stars-get-just-25-stars-letterman-top-10-list-video-30834

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Ashton Kutcher teases Letterman about fatwa (AP)

NEW YORK – Like David Letterman, Ashton Kutcher isn't afraid of a little fatwa humor.

Kutcher taped an appearance for Letterman's talk show Wednesday, and the actor came on stage wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest printed with the phrase, "Not Dave."

Last week, a contributor to a jihadist website posted a threat of violence against Letterman because the comedian had made fun of al-Qaida leaders on a previous show. Letterman, back from vacation Monday, played the threat for monologue laughs.

During Wednesday's taping, Letterman asked Kutcher if his bowtie was bullet-proof. The actor replied that "you can't be too careful" sitting next to a guy facing a threat.

Kutcher joined CBS' "Two and a Half Men" after Charlie Sheen was fired. He and Letterman predicted success for the revamped sitcom.

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Letterman back at work after website death threat (AP)

NEW YORK – Even a fatwa is grist for comedy when you're David Letterman.

Back from two weeks' vacation and making his first TV appearance since a threat against his life was posted on a jihadist website, the "Late Show" host played it all for laughs during Monday's monologue.

Letterman began by thanking his studio audience for being there.

"Tonight," he said, "you people are more, to me, honestly, than an audience — you're more like a human shield."

Then he apologized for having been tardy coming out onstage.

"Backstage, I was talking to the guy from CBS," he explained. "We were going through the CBS life insurance policy to see if I was covered for jihad."

Until Letterman delivered his jokes, his situation seemed no laughing matter.

Last week, a frequent contributor to a jihadist website posted the threat against Letterman. He urged Muslim followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke and gesture the comic had made about al-Qaida leaders on a show that aired in June.

"A guy, a radical extremist threatened to cut my tongue out," Letterman marveled during Monday's monologue. Then, referring to his disastrous turn hosting the Oscars in 1995, he added: "I wish I had a nickel for every time a guy has threatened (that). I think the first time was during the Academy Awards."

"And so now," he continued, "State Department authorities are looking into this." But they could save themselves some trouble, he suggested: "Everybody knows it's (Jay) Leno."

Along with his monologue, Letterman mined the situation for his Top Ten List: "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through My Mind After Hearing about the Threat."

Among them:

• "Why is the staff in such a good mood?"

• "How can someone be so angry at a time when Kim Kardashian is so happy?"

• "Some people get Emmy nominations; some people get death threats."

One joke that may have helped spark the fatwa was one of several lampooning al-Qaida in Letterman's June 8 monologue. This was just days after the death of al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan. Though Kashmiri was rumored to be a long-shot choice to succeed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn't have worked out even had he lived, Letterman cracked, pointing to Kashmiri's "rocky start" as a front-runner: "He botched up the story of Paul Revere."

The real butt of that joke: Sarah Palin, potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, who in early June on her "One Nation" bus tour had claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn British soldiers as well as his fellow colonists.

The website contributor, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, railed in his post that Letterman had referred to both bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman, in discussing Kashmiri's death, had "put his hand on his neck and demonstrated the way of slaughter."

"Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" Al-Basrawi wrote, referring to El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted of the 1990 killing of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane. Letterman is not Jewish.

Al-Basrawi, considered likely to be an alias, has made some 1,200 postings to the Muslim website, according to Adam Raisman, an analyst for the Site Monitoring Service. The private firm, part of the Site Intelligence Group, provides information to government and commercial clients on what jihadists are saying on the Internet and in traditional media. Raisman said the online forum is often used by al-Qaida.

The FBI said last week that it was looking into the threat.

While Letterman and his writers were polishing their jokes Monday afternoon, outside on Broadway, a bomb-sniffing dog was led around the periphery of the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile, ticketholders queuing up along the sidewalk seemed relaxed about attending Letterman's first taping since the assassination threat. Some were even unaware that his life had been threatened.

"I'm not worried. They've got metal detectors," said Kendall Phillips, a 25-year-old from Houston, noting a standard provision in the TV world for screening audience members. "Plus, it's like really hard to get tickets."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.cbs.com

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Letterman back at work after website death threat (AP)

NEW YORK – Even a fatwa is grist for comedy when you're David Letterman.

Back from two weeks' vacation and making his first TV appearance since a threat against his life was posted on a jihadist website, the "Late Show" host played it all for laughs during Monday's monologue.

Letterman began by thanking his studio audience for being there.

"Tonight," he said, "you people are more, to me, honestly, than an audience — you're more like a human shield."

Then he apologized for having been tardy coming out onstage.

"Backstage, I was talking to the guy from CBS," he explained. "We were going through the CBS life insurance policy to see if I was covered for jihad."

Until Letterman delivered his jokes, his situation seemed no laughing matter.

Last week, a frequent contributor to a jihadist website posted the threat against Letterman. He urged Muslim followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke and gesture the comic had made about al-Qaida leaders on a show that aired in June.

"A guy, a radical extremist threatened to cut my tongue out," Letterman marveled during Monday's monologue. Then, referring to his disastrous turn hosting the Oscars in 1995, he added: "I wish I had a nickel for every time a guy has threatened (that). I think the first time was during the Academy Awards."

"And so now," he continued, "State Department authorities are looking into this." But they could save themselves some trouble, he suggested: "Everybody knows it's (Jay) Leno."

Along with his monologue, Letterman mined the situation for his Top Ten List: "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through My Mind After Hearing about the Threat."

Among them:

• "Why is the staff in such a good mood?"

• "How can someone be so angry at a time when Kim Kardashian is so happy?"

• "Some people get Emmy nominations; some people get death threats."

One joke that may have helped spark the fatwa was one of several lampooning al-Qaida in Letterman's June 8 monologue. This was just days after the death of al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan. Though Kashmiri was rumored to be a long-shot choice to succeed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn't have worked out even had he lived, Letterman cracked, pointing to Kashmiri's "rocky start" as a front-runner: "He botched up the story of Paul Revere."

The real butt of that joke: Sarah Palin, potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, who in early June on her "One Nation" bus tour had claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn British soldiers as well as his fellow colonists.

The website contributor, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, railed in his post that Letterman had referred to both bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman, in discussing Kashmiri's death, had "put his hand on his neck and demonstrated the way of slaughter."

"Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" Al-Basrawi wrote, referring to El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted of the 1990 killing of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane. Letterman is not Jewish.

Al-Basrawi, considered likely to be an alias, has made some 1,200 postings to the Muslim website, according to Adam Raisman, an analyst for the Site Monitoring Service. The private firm, part of the Site Intelligence Group, provides information to government and commercial clients on what jihadists are saying on the Internet and in traditional media. Raisman said the online forum is often used by al-Qaida.

The FBI said last week that it was looking into the threat.

While Letterman and his writers were polishing their jokes Monday afternoon, outside on Broadway, a bomb-sniffing dog was led around the periphery of the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile, ticketholders queuing up along the sidewalk seemed relaxed about attending Letterman's first taping since the assassination threat. Some were even unaware that his life had been threatened.

"I'm not worried. They've got metal detectors," said Kendall Phillips, a 25-year-old from Houston, noting a standard provision in the TV world for screening audience members. "Plus, it's like really hard to get tickets."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.cbs.com

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David Letterman jokes about militant death threat (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Late-night TV comedian David Letterman on Monday shrugged off a death threat made against him by a Muslim militant, joking on his show that his audience could "shield" him.

Last week, the U.S.-based SITE intelligence monitoring group said a death threat against Letterman was posted on a website used by militants.

The militant who made the threat, and was apparently angered by a joke Letterman made about the death of a leading member of al Qaeda killed in an air strike in Pakistan, called on Muslims in the United States to "cut the tongue" of the comedian and "shut it forever."

While taping an episode of CBS network's "Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday, the comedian addressed the threat during his opening monologue.

"Tonight, you people are more, to me, honestly, more than an audience ... you're more like a human shield," Letterman joked in front of audience members at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York where the show is produced.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a little late coming out. Backstage, I was talking to the guy from CBS. We were going through the CBS life insurance policy to see if I was covered for jihad," Letterman said.

Letterman went on to jokingly suggest the threat really originated from late night rival Jay Leno.

Letterman's comedic take on the death threat will air on the "Late Show" on Monday night.

An FBI spokesman said last week that the agency was looking into the militant threat against Letterman.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Peter Bohan)

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Militant makes death threat against David Letterman (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Muslim militant has urged American followers to assassinate talk show host David Letterman, saying his tongue deserved to be cut out, a U.S. intelligence monitoring group said on Wednesday.

The SITE intelligence group said the death threat was posted on an online website used by militants after the writer became upset by a joke Letterman made about the death of a leading member of al Qaeda killed in an air strike in Pakistan.

The militant called on Muslims in the United States to "cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever," the threat against Letterman said, according to a translation by SITE. The popular late-night television host is not Jewish.

The FBI said it was taking the threat seriously.

The writer was angered by watching Letterman on his show drawing his finger across his neck while talking about the June death of senior al Qaeda figure Ilyas Kashmiri.

The message was posted on the website Shumukh al-Islam. SITE analyst Adam Raisman told Entertainment Weekly the website was "a clearing house for al Qaeda material" and drew supporters of the group headed by the late Osama bin Laden.

Executives at broadcaster CBS and a spokesman for Letterman declined on Wednesday to comment on the threat.

Tim Flannelly, an FBI spokesman in New York, said the agency was looking into the matter.

"The FBI takes all threats seriously and we will run it down like we do all threats," Flannelly said.

A Muslim group in 2010 threatened the makers of "South Park" after the animated satirical show depicted the Prophet Mohammad in a bear suit. Most Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as offensive.

A 21-year old man from Virginia was sentenced in February to 25 years in prison for publishing the home addresses of the "South Park" creators and urging readers to pay them a visit, as well as trying to help a Somali militant group.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Peter Cooney)

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Threat to David Letterman on Muslim forum (AP)

NEW YORK – A frequent contributor to a jihadist website has threatened David Letterman, urging Muslim followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke the comic made on his CBS show.

The Site Monitoring Service, a private intelligence organization that watches online activity, said Wednesday that the threat was posted a day earlier on the Shumuka al-Islam forum, a popular Internet destination for radical Muslims.

The contributor, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, was reacting to what he said Letterman did after the U.S. military announced on June 5 that a drone strike in Pakistan had killed al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

Al-Basrawi wrote that Letterman had made reference to both Osama bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman had "put his hand on his neck and demonstrated the way of slaughter."

"Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" Al-Basrawi wrote, referring to El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted of the 1990 killing of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane. Letterman is not Jewish.

Al-Basrawi, which is likely to be an alias, has made some 1,200 postings to the Muslim website, said Adam Raisman, an analyst for the Site Monitoring Service. The private firm, part of the Site Intelligence Group, provides information to government and commercial clients on what jihadists are saying on the Internet and traditional media. Raisman said the online forum is often used by al-Qaida.

Muslim extremist groups in the past few months have increased calls for people to take violent action against certain targets in the West, he said.

"The concern is that there is someone who will read it, agree with it and say, `I want to be the Sayyid Nosair of 2011 and kill David Letterman,'" Raisman said.

The FBI is also looking into the threat, said Jim Margolin, spokesman for the bureau's New York office. "We take every potential threat seriously," he said.

Neither CBS nor a Letterman spokesman, Tom Keaney, would comment on the threat. CBS would not make available a transcript of Letterman's monologue on the killing of Kashmiri.

Letterman has been the target of criminal threats in the past. A former CBS News producer was jailed for trying to extort $2 million from Letterman in 2009 by threatening to expose the host's sexual dalliances with members of his staff. A former painter at Letterman's ranch in Montana was jailed following a 2005 plot to kidnap the TV funnyman's nanny and son.

A radical Muslim group last year warned the creators of "South Park" that they could face violent retribution for depicting the prophet Muhammad in a bear suit on the Comedy Central cartoon. Author Salman Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urged he be killed for blasphemy after writing the book "The Satanic Verses."

Filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed on an Amsterdam street in 2004 by a Dutch Muslim angered by his film "Submission," a fictional study of abused Muslim women.

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Man arrested after break-in at Letterman show theater (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York man was arrested on Sunday after allegedly breaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan, where David Letterman tapes his late night talk show, police said.

James Whittemore, 22, of Manhattan was arrested in the lobby of the theater, located on Broadway between 53rd and 54th streets, at about 7 a.m. and charged with burglary and criminal mischief, police said.

He was being held pending a court appearance later on Sunday.

The theater, where Letterman tapes CBS' "Late Show." was closed at the time. Whittemore was arrested after police received a 911 call.

The historic theater was home to "The Ed Sullivan Show," which featured such memorable appearances as the Beatles in 1964.

Letterman has been a more direct crime victim, notably when Margaret Mary Ray was arrested and charged several times for trespassing and stalking the talk show host starting in the late 1980s.

Police said they did not know whether Sunday's break-in had anything to do with Letterman in particular.

In 2009 Letterman was targeted for extortion by a former employee who threatened to expose his affair with a female staff member. He informed police and the man was arrested.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Ellen Wulfhorst)

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Lady Gaga to perform on Letterman in album media blitz (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Lady Gaga will perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman" next week on the day her much-awaited new album "Born This Way" is released, broadcaster CBS said on Monday.

The Grammy-winning New York singer and performance artist will also chat with Letterman on May 23, as part of a huge promotional effort behind the new release.

The title track "Born This Way" became the fastest selling single in iTunes history, selling one million copies in five days, when it was released in February.

Gaga, 25, is conducting a media blitz for the new album, her first since "The Fame Monster" in 2009.

"Hair" -- the fourth single from the new album -- is to be released later on Monday, following her other singles "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory" which have already been released.

Gaga performed briefly on the sidelines of the Cannes film festival last week, was the guest editor on Monday of the London-based global free newspaper Metro, and has teamed up with popular online social game Farmville to stream select songs six days ahead of the May 23 public release of "Born This Way."

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney)

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Eddie Murphy, David Letterman, Tina Fey Win Big at Star-Studded Comedy Awards

It was a night off this weekend for 'Saturday Night Live,' as nearly all the funniest folks in show business, 'SNL'-related and otherwise, were trading jokes and picking up prizes at the inaugural Comedy Awards. Producing network Comedy Central expects the awards to be an annual event. The ceremony this weekend was taped for broadcast April 10.

No joke: A wealth of comedy stars crowded the red carpet in New York City, including Garry Shandling, Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, Tracy Jordan, Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, Kristen Schaal, and 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Jon Cryer of 'Two and Half Men' performed a musical number with backup dancers, cracking wise about the Charlie Sheen debacle.

Eddie Murphy turned up to accept the Comedy Icon award, and Bill Murray presented the first Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence to David Letterman.

Tina Fey and Zach Galifianakis won awards for their movie work in 'Date Night' and 'Dinner for Schmucks,' respectively. Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin and Kristen Wiig were named best TV actor and actress.

'Toy Story 3' was named best animated comedy film, and 'South Park' won best animated comedy series. 'Louis C.K.: Hilarious' took the prize for best standup special. Daniel Tosh, of 'Tosh 2.0' was honored with the breakthrough performer award.

Perhaps least surprising among all the picks: 'Auto-Tune the News: Bed Intruder Song' was voted by fans as the best viral original video of the year. And what a year it was.

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