Rants and Ramblings

IF YOU can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen, as they say, and for chat show host David Letterman the temperature concerning his on-air confessions was uncomfortably high at the weekend, but he appeared to be holding up.

Mr Letterman’s rival TV hosts didn’t waste a moment poking fun at his troubles, after a CBS newsman was charged with attempting to blackmail him.

The $2m (e1.4m) plot that forced the late-night comic to acknowledge having sex with some of the women who have worked for him has kept Americans glued to their screens.

But the case has also created a messy legal and professional problem for one of CBS’s most valuable personalities.

It remains to be seen whether Mr Letterman will suffer long-term damage just as his career appeared to be peaking.

The veteran showman had taken over as the late-night king in the ratings during the summer, and last week he beat NBC’s ‘Tonight’ show host Conan O’Brien for the first time among young viewers.

Last night commentators quickly accused Mr Letterman of hypocrisy because he has made a career of mocking politicians mercilessly, often for their sexual transgressions.

Robert J Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show ’48 Hours Mystery’, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court to one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, punishable by five to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Mr Halderman, who was released after posting $200,000 (e140,000) bail, was desperate and deep in debt.

Mr Halderman allegedly left an envelope in Mr Letterman’s car early on September 9.

According to authorities, he wrote that he needed money and said Mr Letterman’s world would “collapse around him” if damaging information about him were made public.

Mr Letterman acknowledged that the letter contained proof that the late-night host had sexual relationships with members of his staff.

Three meetings between Mr Letterman’s lawyer and Mr Halderman subsequently took place, the last two with the lawyer recording the conversations and prosecutors listening in, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.

At the last meeting, on Wednesday, the lawyer gave Mr Halderman a false cheque for $2m, Mr Morgenthau said.

Mr Halderman deposited the cheque on Thursday and was arrested that day, he said.

Rival

Jay Leno, Mr Letterman’s longtime late-night rival, kicked off his monologue on NBC: “If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you’ve got the wrong studio.”

Friday night’s ‘Late Show’ was taped in advance on Thursday, but it included a moment — coincidental in retrospect — when guest Larry David unwittingly suggested that he beat Mr Letterman’s record of having the fewest number of dates for someone with a TV show.

“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Mr Letterman, with a grin.

It was unclear how many women were involved with Mr Letterman (62) who married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March.

The couple began dating in 1986 and have a son, Harry, born in 2003.

All the affairs took place before Mr Letterman’s marriage, said Tom Keaney, spokesman for his production company, Worldwide Pants.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/letterman–keeps-cool-as-affair-scandal-hots-up—at-chat-show-hosts-cost-1904234.html