Letterman Tapes His Monday Return

Host Brought On His Surgical Team

Denise Felder, Staff Writer
It was snowing on the streets of New York the morning David Letterman was to tape his first show since undergoing heart surgery last month. By Friday evening, it was raining -- and then it was just plain cold.

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    • But hundreds of fans still lined the streets hoping to personally welcome back the late night funnyman.

    Just five weeks after Letterman underwent emergency quintuple bypass surgery, the host is returning to television this Monday. The Feb. 21 program was taped this Friday.

    Letterman, who is easing slowly back into his hosting duties, will lead one more show next week, on Feb. 23. The rest of the week's show will be taped with "Late Night's" first-ever guest hosts. Bill Cosby will enter the Ed Sullivan Theater Feb. 22 and Kathie Lee Gifford -- who is substituting for Regis Philbin, who originally agreed to guest host -- will be in later in the week.

    LettermanDespite the hoards of fans and almost equal number of media crews on the streets, CBS News reports Letterman entered his Ed Sullivan Theater studios unnoticed.

    "He walked in the front door on Broadway, one of the most populous, most busy streets in the world," said one person who saw him.

    "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" host Philbin was the last guest to sit next to Letterman Jan. 14. The two joked about Letterman's doctor's appointment later that day. Tests taken during that checkup lead to the emergency surgery.

    Philbin is Letterman's first guest for Monday's show followed by Robin Williams. CBS News reports Jerry Seinfeld also made a surprise appearance. Letterman also introduced the whole surgical team that operated on him.

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