For a 65-year-old guy with a gap-toothed grin and knack for pairing white socks with suits, David Letterman is an unlikely TV icon. In fact, in the sexy age of Jersey Shore, The Bachelorette and Ice Loves Coco, he seems like a downright odd duck.
But as the former heir apparent of Johnny Carson and a late-night staple in his own right, the goofball from Indiana has more than got his comeuppance 鈥� he鈥檚 one of the recipients on tonight鈥檚 airing of The 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
Guess all those stupid pet tricks paid off.
Taped earlier this month at the Kennedy Center Opera House, the broadcast will be packed with more stars than a book of horoscopes. U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife will also be on hand, lending even more of an austere air.
Letterman is among a handful of honourees tonight; the others are bluesman Buddy Guy, actor Dustin Hoffman, ballerina Natalia Makarova and rock band Led Zeppelin.
The late-night funnyman 鈥� whose son is just a couple years older than Honey Boo Boo 鈥� has been making some pretty serious appearances lately.
Last week on CBS鈥檚 This Morning, he told Charlie Rose about his long battle with depression.
鈥淚t鈥檚 different than, 鈥�;Oh, I don鈥檛 feel good today,鈥櫶�� the Late Show host said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different than feeling sad. It鈥檚 different than feeling blue. It鈥檚 really, like a friend of mine says, it鈥檚 the world with 20/20 vision.鈥�
He鈥檒l also pull up a cushy armchair opposite Oprah Winfrey for the Jan. 6 episode of Oprah鈥檚 Next Chapter on OWN.
If you鈥檙e keeping track, the two made amends in 2005 after a long feud 鈥� he claims it鈥檚 because he once made her pay for his lunch when they didn鈥檛 know each other.
Now they鈥檒l talk in solemn tones about his affairs with Late Show staffers, almost being extorted for $2 million in 2009 and his once-troubled marriage.
Also up for discussion is his rivalry with Tonight Show host Jay Leno, as well as his depression.
His appearance as one of the paragraphs on Next Chapter comes a month after Winfrey travelled to Letterman鈥檚 alma mater, Ball State University, for an intimate discussion about her life.
Gee, next thing you know, they鈥檒l be braiding each other鈥檚 hair and watching the 1995 movie Clueless on repeat. Full disclosure: That鈥檚 pretty much my idea of a dream slumber party. Well, as long as Letterman didn鈥檛 wear those infernal white socks.
9 p.m., CBS
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Three to see:
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n In a repeat Chicago Fire episode from Nov. 21, it鈥檚 Thanksgiving for the firefighters and paramedics as they go on the scene of a meth lab, a gang shooting and a 10-car pileup. How festive.
10 p.m., NBC
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n Forget the Mayan apocalypse 鈥� on to more important matters, such as 鈥� fashion! The half-hour special 2012: The Year in Style features E! host Leah Miller, Jay Manuel, formerly of America鈥檚 Next Top Model, FashionTelevision鈥檚 Jeanne Beker and Project Runway alumnus Christian Siriano.
5 p.m., E!
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n Guilty pleasure time: In the leadup to the Jan. 8 return of Pretty Little Liars, MuchMusic airs a 13-hour marathon of episodes packed with tense music, raised eyebrows and super-spooky text messages.
Starts 1 p.m., MuchMusic
