Jay Thomas Tells The Greatest Talk Show Story Ever | Letterman

Get herbed up and hear Jay's Lone Ranger story, now with re-enactments.
(From "Late Show," air date: 12/23/11)

#jaythomas #loneranger #letterman

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[KyleDavisMusic]

One of the greatest Christmas traditions. Period. RIP Jay.

[PIXPromosMore]

Heard the story many times over many years, NEVER saw the re-enactment version before...Bless you, Jay.

[martina]

Citizen, that story and re-enactment never gets old. Now Christmas can begin.🎄🎄🎄🎄

[kccountrykid]

One of the Christmas traditions that I miss the most is from hearing Jay tell this story, and Darlene Love sing. 😢

[johnpoffenbarger]

Oh this is my favorite. I used to wait for Jay to come on Dave's show and tell this story every year. It is so awesome.

[kearneydillon]

Cheers to the Letterman band for the background music being the icing on the cake.

[irenehoffman]

I LOVE THIS STORY. I LOVE JAY THOMAS. I LOVE DAVE'S LOVING HIM AND THE STORY. I talked to him outside the theater a day or so before LS's end, where he was doing his radio job on the street, and he kept asking the young crowd if anyone knew who he was. No one did. I inched forward and said, "I do." "Who am I?" "Jay Thomas. Mork and Mindy. Lone Ranger. Meatball target." He was delighted. (Perhaps we were on air, who knows?) Not long after, he was gone. Way too soon. I loved him, especially because Dave loved his Christmas tradition.

[tbx]

This was one of my favorite Christmas traditions: being at my grandparents house and waiting for Jay to tell the Lone Ranger story

[fredcrook]

I miss this guy and this tradition. After watching "Santa Clause 3" I looked up the story and showed the 2004 version to my aunt, who hadn't seen it. Awesome stuff.

[MsEpilady]

Now it officially feels like Christmas!!! Thanks for posting this! 🤗

[ChristopherDazey]

I can watch 25 different versions of this story and laugh every single time.

[scott]

Absolute classic! I miss this Christmas tradition every year. I recall when Jay had to cancel due to surgery in 2013, John McEnroe filled in, playing the part of Jay Thomas telling his Lone Ranger story. Even that was funny! Thank you for this!

[Writebrain]

Throwing the meatball/pizza on the tree, the Lone Ranger Story, Darlene Love singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)...Dave sure did have the greatest and weirdest holiday traditions. Nobody has ever come close to replacing any of them since he retired! :)

[andygonsalves]

Dave should have won an Emmy for that performance!

[kstepko]

I’d love to see a super cut of all of the different times that Jay told this story, all edited into one. It is indeed a great talk show story - and Jay was a great storyteller.

[tested]

boy do i miss that show. i watched from day one and really pound for pound he was the greatest. for me anyways.

[jfh]

That was the best talk show story, ever!

[lauraw]

Letterman's Christmas show was always a favorite tradition for me.

[david.mcmahan]

I loved the tradition of Jay telling this story. Living in Charlotte makes it even more fun.

[virginiabranum]

Dave was in a class to himself. And Jay Thomas was great, too!!! Those were the great tv days!!!❤❤❤