David Letterman, Jay Leno to guest on rival shows

Tuesday October 16, 2012 4:30 PM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: AP | David Letterman hosts “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Talk show hosts don’t usually make it a point to promote their rivals’ shows. But that’s exactly what's happening this month, with North Salem resident David Letterman and New Rochelle native Jay Leno making appearances on talk shows by two young upstarts.

Jimmy Kimmel idolized Letterman since boyhood -- he even jokingly told The Hollywood Reporter that “I'd draw Dave's face on every book cover. I was like a teenage girl in love with him.” Kimmel asked the gap-toothed talk show host to be the first guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” when the show premiered in 2003, but Letterman declined.

So it must have been quite a coup for Kimmel to finally land his idol as a guest when “Jimmy Kimmel Live” comes to Brooklyn at the end of this month. Kimmel’s talk show will broadcast from the Brooklyn Academy of Music Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 and will feature appearances by Letterman as well Chris Rock, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. No word yet on when Letterman's apperance will air.

Meanwhile, Letterman’s rival Jay Leno is scheduled to appear on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” in October. What’s noteworthy about Leno’s appearance is that Ferguson’s talk show is produced by Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants. No doubt Leno will be asked about his prickly relationship with his Ferguson's boss, Letterman. 

Left out of the talk show shuffle? Former Saugerties resident Jimmy Fallon. Perhaps Fallon could land a guest spot on “Dr. Oz” or “LIVE with Kelly and Michael,” just to fit in with his fellow late-night hosts. 

Tags: North Salem , New Rochelle , Saugerties , David Letterman , Jimmy Kimmel , Jay Leno , Craig Ferguson , Jimmy Kimmel , talk shows , TV