Martin Short on Letterman, August 14, 1984

Marty's fourth appearance. The other fellow next to him was Ken Stricker, who was in the stand-by audience and selected to be the show's co-host.

[@fineneighborhood]

That was thoroughly entertaining. Nowadays, people feel the need to come on with one pre-planned joke after another. This seemed more natural and was much funnier than joke after joke. I just love this guy. So talented.

[@daveidmarx8296]

Marty's Paul Shaffer impersonation was so dead on!

[@algee8415]

Martin Short is the best talk show guest ever. Every time.

[@macbethpkyiv]

My favorite bit is when Martin seems to realize for the first time that he's not actually related to Andrea Martin---that subtle little expression cracks me up every time.

[@edgold9277]

Don, you just made my day and when Ken Stricker wakes up tomorrow, I bet you will have made his day too! I work with Ken and he told me about being selected to appear on Letterman, but he has never seen the video! He had no idea he would be on the show and had nobody back home to record it . We have been looking for any recording of the episode and tonight I happened across yours.

[@dongiller]

I'll put up the whole show for him, then. Thanks for letting me know!

[@edgold9277]

Thanks Don! I can't wait to see it!

[@dongiller]

It's up -- ua-cam.com/video/jwU0jlStsSg/v-deo.html

[@dongiller]

Sorry for screwing up his name. I had "Airplane!" on the brain. Fixed.

[@edgold9277]

Thanks Don! That was really a great episode, and it brought back great memories of how great the show was when they were still on NBC!
I think Letterman was a masterful innovator and that show broke ground in so many ways. I don't think anybody had ever before just pulled someone off the street and made him a guest host. Letterman, Paul Shaffer, Graham Nash, and Martin Short all treated him with respect and made the show far better for it! They could have just as easily made subtle jokes about the patsy and gotten laughs that way too, but instead they took the high road and gave us some really great entertainment. I put this show up there with the one where Paul got stuck in the dream machine as being one of my all time favorites. Thanks so much for making it available!

[@Moonfire121]

That little compilation at the beginning is my favorite one out of the others they've shown on Late Night so far.

[@iadorenewyork1]

Martin was at his very cutest back then.

[@MM-rr1kp]

Martin does great impressions but those SCTV clips were not even a little funny