Jessica Savitch on Letterman, 1982-83 

You can tell Jessica Savitch had a great sense of humor. Nice to know.

This reminded me of a couple things. One is just how much I miss Jessica Savitch. The other is how much I enjoyed Dave’s show during this period when it was new and I was in my teens. This show was so fresh, in many ways, and made staying up way too late a real pleasure. Great TV was had by all. 📺

My dad taught her at Atlantic City High School. He ran the language department and the school TV studio. She always stayed in touch with him until her passing and mentioned him in her book. I remember the Christmas cards she sent with her dog on it. Lovely woman.

We sure could use Jessica Savitch on the news these days!!!

She was ahead of her time extremely articulate and intelligent but most of all she was very passionate about her work RIP

Jessica Savitch how I wish you were on the airwaves in 2019.

This women was brilliant. A groundbreaker. A great anchor, and news person, ahead of her time.

Eerie when she says, "I thought I had died and no one had notified me about it."

I remember when she died. I used to catch those NBC News Update and News Digests with Jessica every night on Primetime TV early 1980's-1981-1983. . Not because I intentionally wanted to see them but because so many of my fave TV series aired on NBC. CHiPS, Different Strokes, Gangster Chronicles, Harper Valley...the first seasons of Family Ties, Cheers...Her voice always had a strange effect. Kinda fear because she announced many deaths of famous people in those News Digests. She probably would've been retired by now. Primetime News and news breaks was a huge deal then. They were respected. I usually caught the 5 and 11 PM news on the 3 networks and I was only a teenager.

That was upsetting. The dog in the art she showed was surely the dog that drowned along with her and the guy she was dating at the time. I'm glad I saw that. Thanks, Don. 33 years. Wow.

I worshipped Jessica at a young age.A VERY young young age. Depression.Didnt eat for days.Didnt sleep either.Was devastated too.l cried myself to sleep for weeks too.

RIP Jessica & Chewy.

Rip Jessica and Chewy 🥺 passing together in a car accident.

No one can compare to her today. Nobody.

In the early 1980s she put together an enthralling and spectacular documentary on NFL football, gambling, possible game fixing and the outlaw line. One of the best things I've ever seen on the internet. It's extremely difficult to find online. I've seen it on RU-vid only to disappear then reappear then disappear, etc.

I remember her so well as a reporter, she had an air of professionalism and intelligence. She was all personality on this segment. RIP

Tremendous Woman - loved her book & nightly updates Well missed! We All miss you Jessica💥❤❤

I think that Jessica Savitch was beautiful and had a great voice. She is much better than the anchor women these days.

Thank you for posting this. I forgot how hard it was being a woman and breaking into an all men's field. I was in law school when she was on the air. Some men could be really rotten, but not all men. The key is to have a sense of humor.

She was one smart lady! I'm impressed with her charisma and cleverness.

To add to that, I understand , and it's sad . Rest in peace, with your dog. Sad.

Thank you for posting this🦋

What a voice! I'd let Jessica tell me the world is ending all night long!

this is only six months later? She seems to have aged at least 10 years in the August segment. Must be different lighting, makeup, even her teeth seem different. WTH?? The February1983 segment later seems better, her makeup and hair more like before. She was a terrific news anchor, unique voice and demeanor. Wow.

Beautiful voice

This was aired, I think, within one year of her death. She seemed quite bright and intelligent here. Her history is less than perfect, but she handled this interview well. Very unfortunate that such a talented person died way too soon.

Never ceases to amaze when the episode is up here when I search. The official YT for Dave has a Feb 22 show today which references this one. Thanks, Don. You are a keeper of the flame. Also seeing as Huntz Hall was on, Gilbert Gottfried would have been glued to his set.

In the early clips of David Letterman's show he was much less snide and sarcastic than he was in later years. He's nice to Ms. Savitch. Probably helped that she like Letterman both worked for NBC and that his show was still in its infancy. It also helped that Savitch was America's Sweetheart so he didn't want to be mean like he could be to other guests. Watch his interview with Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran and you'll see what I mean.

I was in my early teens when I saw Jessica on NBC News, and even then I could tell she had a gravitas that rivaled any of the great male news anchors. Being young and impressionable at the time, when she would report some serious breaking news story, I remember finding it almost jarring, as if everyone, everywhere should stop and listen to what she was saying. I had never heard that she had died until recently. Such a shame.

I still miss Jessica...

At 04:51 Ms. Savitch shows a picture/art rendition of her dog "Chewy". Sadly when Ms. Savitch passed away in a tragic drowning accident in 1983 her dog died with her

From this tape Miss Savitch seems like a fine and funny woman. That she had problems doesn’t surprise me; if she was facing such a dilemma involving substance abuse today, I believe she would have been able to get help without the stigma. Her horrendous and untimely death was a tragedy I wouldn’t want any human being to have to suffer. For this I have great sympathy for her.

She was amazing, so ahead of her time. But the powers that be chewed her up. Sad love life, too. Peace, Jessica, peaceful memories. . . . .

I had a crush on her back when I was 8. When she was on KYW in Philadelphia.

She seems intently serious.

This woman is an icon of broadcast for women and pioneer. Not only was this woman brilliant. She was

She had the cutest laugh!

I'd take her a million times over compared to the crap anchors that's on today. RIP Jessica.

she was so charismatic

2017 women aren't going to believe the "dress" thing. But, believe it.

So sad indeed. Women were still relatively a minority as newscasters back in Jessica's day. She might not have been a pioneer in the trade but she really paved the path to get more women on the air and today's newscasters owe Jessica for it. Gosh a fine looking women she was.

Thank you for this, Don Giller.

I Love the Little Kids Expression at the End When They Hand Him the Sticker and Pen. His Face says, “This Cannot Be Happening, Where Are The Toys”!

She was a friend, I'm so proud to say. The kids in school cut me up about my name Jessica.. o, you name it.." Jessaqueer" seemed to be the favorite. I mean it..I went thru hell. So..being from philly and liking her as everyone else did..I wrote to her..the letter began; Dear Jessica. Hi Jessica . Can I ask you a question? Do you HATE your name"?? I explained, at 12..no one had seem to have ever heard the name yet. Well, Jessica not only answered my letter, but asked me to call and leave my phone number...so I did. One night after dinner..the phone rang. My mother says," yes she is, may I tell her whose calling"? " oh, yes, shes right here. And my mom looked at me..and smiling...said" Jessica? ..JESSICA SAVITCH". We talked and talked, invited me down to the studio where I met and saw everyone I'd always known..then we went out for lunch. Cheeseburgers!! I bought her a gift..I knew she liked tennis..and I said..mom..I'll know it when I see it...meaning her gift. Then..there it was. The small gold tennis racket pin..." "that's it...", I said. At lunch, I said.." Oh! I almost forgot...here. " She just stared at the little box. " for me?" " yes, it's a gift...for you." " oh, wow..I...wow..ok...I better open it ,huh?" " yeah!" She opened the box, and held the tiny ,gold tennis racket..looking at it as if it were...I dont know..." do you like it Jessica?" " yes. I cant remember receiving a gift I've loved quite as much...in a very long time. Thankyou Miss Bernstein" " You're welcome, Miss Savitch". We ended our lunch..and stayed in touch til the very early end. I cried. I'm crying now. She had so much. So much to give ..but it seemed , sometimes...that no body wanted it. Sge had no one to give it to...she was warm..kind..and Chewie..her wonderful dog. I was so lucky to have reached for her hand in a very confusing time in my life. I loved her. If she was your friend. .she really was.

there's two of the best. thx

Such a nice laugh...

She was a great journalist, period. She did have personal demons. Her caliber and standards of broadcasting are sorely missed.

wow, she was only 35-36 here (born 1947). She seemed like a classy 55 year old lady by today's standards, did everybody just look/act older back then?

Interesting as the third interview occured some 8 months before her death in a car accident.

Great smile

Jessica Savitch looked very thin in this clip - thinner even than many of her successors, who are also slender. Rumor has it that she was anorexic; at 5'5" and 100 lbs, she was far below her ideal weight. Still, Jessica had the ideal charisma and professionalism for news broadcasting. Her love of animals is a plus to me.

Great.

I recently walked past where Jessica tragically died as its close to where i live. It is kind of baffling when u see the spot.. not too far of a drop and it makes u wonder how someone would accidentally veer into that part of the canal. Although it was raining hard that night and visibility was low. Jessica seemed like one of a kind and was very much a trailblazer for female news anchors. Supposedly Christina Applegate's character in Anchorman was largely based off of her persona

She's so charming in the first segment. In the second segment she constantly looks at the monitor to see herself. And she looks drastically different a year later. The book came out after her husband's suicide so she was speaking form the heart when talked about how a personal life is hard even if you are successful in your career. Maybe the appearance was after her nose job? Sweet she has the portrait of Chewy who was killed in the car accident with her.

I liked her wish she could have lived on she was the best

She’s beautiful and intelligent. And she really talks fast.

Chewy died with her in that car. She lit up showing his picture

Thank you for posting. Jessica was the ultimate news anchor. Forever. Period.

@13:50 she speaks on her mortality

Anchorman's Veronica Corningstone was based on Jessica, you can see it.

Wow---where did the concept of objective newscasters go?? I loved the 80s.

She looks much older than 36 in this video. It's obvious that she had lived a hard, demanding life up to that point.

The Dog Chewy drowned with Jessica sadly

Mary Hart reminds me of Jessica Savitch.

18:46 34 is HELLA young now

20:13 Spot on.

I'm somewhat of chauvinistic dude. But I always thought she was great news anchor. Sad day when she died so unexpectedly.

don't mind me, just bookmarking some stuff for class 6:00 7:16 14:07 17:29

18:45. Fibber. She was 35

people looked so much older in the 80s

They don't make 'em like that anymore.

Jessica Savitch was a news reader--er, uh, "anchor." These vain, egotistical people think the world revolves around them. Savitch was no exception. Years ago, I read "Almost Golden: Jessica Savitch and the Selling of Television News" by Gwenda Blair. Savitch was an unstable personality. She was given to temper tantrums. She demanded things nobody else had, or asked for. She had an on-again, off-again, years-long relationship with Ron Kershaw (who often beat her up). She wasn't much of a reporter. When she got to NBC in 1977, she was assigned to cover the U.S. Senate. She couldn't hack it. In fact, Reuven Frank--one of the pioneers of broadcast journalism--said that he wouldn't trust Savitch to cover a fire.

Letterman presents a much better show than today's late night. Fallon, Colbert and Kimmel are not all that good. Kimmel and Colbert start every show with political propaganda. Horrible and tiresome. Jessica was excellent at her job. So sad she turned to drugs to numb her pain. Her tragic death seems like yesterday. Hard to believe it's so long ago.

Man, she talks so fast.

Chey the dog and they never talked about her book,,

She seems rather nervous and uncomfortable here

She has a lisp ?

cocaine is a powerful drug.

im surprised at how terribly nervous she is and Dave has to try to wrangle that nervous energy(cocaine😬) all in in and make it ...."entertaining".... WOW 😟🥴

sounds like dentures

I remember the week she died very well. She passed away close to Halloween. I went to Backstreet in Detroit for a Halloween party. A guy was dressed as a woman, in blue suit, skirt, white bow tie blouse, he had a mangled New York license plate hanging around his neck by a small chain. His makeup was stark white, then a regular makeup job over that. I was stumped as to who he was supposed to be. Finally I got close enough to get a better look. On the lapel of the jacket was a pin in the shape of the NBC logo. It said Jessica Savitch. He won the costume contest that night.

WOW she was thin. Very rough-looking. Yikes.

I liked her when she was doing the news but with David Letterman she is either very uncomfortable or made of plastic. She comes across as very fake to me. Wish I had not watched this.

She is so thin in this interview. I remember her in Texas & thought she was a lesbian from the way she spoke & carried herself. I don't understand why people think she was "gorgeous". I thought she was quite plain. Her life (from 12 onwards) was so sad & ended horrifically.

I wish I could remember all of the dark jokes afterwards, they were pretty freakin' funny. I still remember telling them to my dad, even he smiled and laughed, which was a monumental achievement in itself. I can only remember two: Why did Jessica Savitch drown? A: Because she was an anchorwoman. Who could have saved her? A: Roger Mudd.