The recent talk of the comedic community features the famous host of the “Late Show,” David Letterman, and his return to viewers’ flat screens in “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” Last time David Letterman was on television, he was visiting with Jimmy Kimmel and discussing the Late Show, which ran from 1993-2015. Basically, in classic Letterman style, he spent most of the time joking that he still wasn’t sure whether he was fired or retired. In light of the interview, viewers can only wonder whether Letterman wanted to leave in the first place.

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The truth is, he did. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Letterman said that he’d rather be an active participant in the life of his 13 year-old son. Additionally, ever since his presence in the world of late night began, Letterman expressed a very present distaste for his television persona. There have been multiple instances where Letterman would criticize himself on the show, and depreciate himself in front of employees. When people would ask him to create a highlight reel of his best moments, he would abstain. He’d protest that he didn’t have good moments. Or, sometimes, he would put his hand over his eyes and watch the rerun clips through his fingers.

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So the real question is, why is he back?

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There is a whole plethora of speculation, but in reality, no one really knows why the former Late Show host is back on the big screen.

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What the world does know, however, is that he is taking a more serious turn. Back in the day, Letterman was the type of host to take something serious and make it silly. He would turn little projects and statements inside out. But he still managed to keep the show real, the interactions tangible and the people around him involved.

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Now, his new show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” focuses on this approach. A recent review of the show by Hollywood Reporter suggests that Letterman is not here to deliver a few quick quips and be on his way.

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Now, his show has a deeper purpose. In fact, the first episode features president Obama, a shock to many guests who flocked to New York for the famous host’s return. One of the show’s main features is that the live audience has no idea who will be appearing. So the presence of Obama as the first guest was, of course, almost groundbreaking.

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What would have made the show truly extraordinary according to some critics, beyond the fact that David Letterman was hosting it, would have been a commentary on the Trump presidency. Instead of delivering this, however, Letterman focused on the civil rights movement in a few clips. He made small, conservative comments about the presidency, if any at all.

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But what is very interesting is the way Letterman delivers his message to the audience. Instead of old jokes rearing their heads, Letterman details a very intriguing narrative about current issues, and keeps his show true to reality-standards. There are no rollbacks of old Late Night trends, no false statements. Letterman keeps the show real.

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So, why has Letterman decided to come back?

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As far as the world knows, he’s back because he wants to be. He’s back because he knows he can create a real experience and real connections, with both interviewees and viewers. But whatever the real reason, viewers and critics alike can be glad that the legend is back in business.