Jimmy Kimmel meets David Letterman, and discusses what he has learned from him

Jimmy Kimmel idolizes David Letterman. Still does. When Kimmel grew up in Las Vegas, he celebrated a birthday party in a Late Night varsity jacket; the license plate on his car as a teen in Nevada read: “L8 NITE.”

Last night, Kimmel finally had the opportunity to sit down with Letterman, and it all happened on Kimmel’s ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel Live — on the second of four (five had been planned, but post-tropical storm Sandy knocked out transit to all of NYC on Monday) nights broadcasting from Brooklyn.

But a few hours before that, Kimmel talked to The Comic’s Comic about the influence Letterman has had on him, and what he’s learned in the first 10 years from him in terms of hosting his own late-night talk show. For Kimmel, the life-and-career lesson wasn’t so much as how he treated the guests, as much as how he treated the staff around him, involving them into the nightly fabric of the show. Roll that clip, would you please?

You hear that, Guillermo? As for his sit-down with Dave, Jimmy definitely didn’t hold back his feelings about holding his TV idol in such high regard. This despite several attempts by Letterman throughout the segments to put himself down as an entertainer and as a person deserving of such worship. Ah, the art of self-deprecation.

Things became less awkward after a commercial break:

Letterman spoke about life as father of a nine-year-old…

Here, we learn what Letterman enjoys about fly-fishing in Montana. That’s something he and Kimmel have in common, too!

“Why can’t we be friends?” the band plays. You get it? You get it. Fun fact: Did you know Letterman lives seven miles from BAM? Place your guesses after the beep.

Man, Letterman is so hard on himself. All the time. Is he on Facebook? Does he use email? Can you email him? All of these questions answered and more.

It may or may not happen again. Probably will. You’d think so, right? Especially after Letterman essentially gave Kimmel his blessing for entering the 11:35 p.m. competition come 2013, when Kimmel’s show moves a half-hour earlier in direct competition with Letterman. Sounds like a passing of the mantle, almost. Which makes you wonder…what does this mean for CBS whenever Letterman does retire?

No. Really. What will this mean???

In the meantime, for Jimmy Kimmel, you can cross this off of his bucket list.