October 21, 2020
A favourite of mine David Letterman returned to Australian screens on Netflix with season 3 of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The show has proven a mixed bag, fans of Letterman’s acerbic wit don’t know what to make of him fawning over Kim Kardashian, the gentle kinder and yes older Dave make you miss that smart alec Hoosier but what remains is someone with a fervent curiosity who wants you to see the whole individual. I also enjoy watching Dave now in his 70s find ways to relate to people younger than him simply through curiosity and common ground. Maybe some interviews go on too long but I still think this is a good show, that David Letterman is a national treasure and has a way of getting to things in an interview that others may have missed.
There were four episodes, the weakest is Kim Kardashian, she’s enjoying being at the height of her powers, the audience is packed with her crowd and she’s maybe ready to have one over Letterman but she gets him to open up and talk about the time she was robbed and show that there is always a human being at the centre of a headline and lest we forget it. His goal and her vulnerability is admirable.
The interview with Robert Downey Jr is polished with some Hollywood flair. RDJ is on and ready to have a laugh but also talk about his past. It’s the closest to what we might have expected, The Late Show but longer and on location with an entertaining star.
The one with Lizzo is great in watching how the two connect to each other and talk careers and families. A highlight is Lizzo telling Dave not to be so hard on himself with his rapping.
But the greatest episode is easily the one with Dave Chappelle. an artistic and witty figure who is arguably the greatest stand-up comedian working today. Dave probes him here but it is Chappelle who makes the show so special in light of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter. I absolutely agree with everything he says about community, about how we are all victims of prejudice but some more often than others and how we have to all come together to fix our problems. The people of Yellow Springs, Ohio should be proud of themselves too. They take care of each other, such communities are special.
-Lloyd Marken
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 
According to the BBC today, 519 deaths were reported in England from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. It doesn’t sound as if much is improving at the moment. I hope they are not relying too heavily on the vaccine as a miracle cure. I saw one scientist speculating that the virus may ‘mutate’ once many more people are vaccinated. Not hopeful for 2021 so far.
Best wishes, Pete.
I am sorry to hear of the loss of life. When I hear about the restrictions in place in comparison to what happens in Australia im quite frankly shocked and appalled. I have often wondered about the disease mutating to neutralise the vaccine. If the vaccine does not make an impact and people continue to die i expect people to become more volatile. Could get messy. But I believe you have to have faith, if not in a vaccine then just in the human spirit and the promise of tomorrow. We’ve often said this will be an ongoing ordeal but i do hope one day the end comes and we get to have some normality again. Best wishes Pete. I’m racing to catch up and cover Christmas before we’re in January, wish me luck. 😉