The Most Iconic (and Cringeworthy) Moments in Talk Show History

By the end of the episode, Madonna had literally refused to leave the set, even though audience members were telling her to leave. Instead, she just sat there, puffing on a cigar. The episode was a disaster, but it drew the highest ratings Letterman had ever had.

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The More You Know

  • The first commercial aired in 1941
  • The word “Television” was coined in 1900 by Russian scientist Constantin Perskyi.
  • Seinfeld: The show's composer slightly tweaked the opening theme music for every new episode.
  • The Jeffersons: For two years, Marla Gibbs, who played Florence, kept her job at United Airlines in customer service while simultaneously filming for the show. Sometimes people would recognize her voice over the phone.
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