# Letterman's Back Drop\[zombie thread\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700 "2001-10-01T02:22:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/1 "2001-10-01T02:22:56Z")
Does David Letterman’s studio really overlook the East River, or is it just a faux back drop? Besides the Brooklyn Bridge, what suspension bridge can be seen behind him? The only one I can picture would be the Verranzano-Narrows, but I don’t think it can be seen from that vantage point. Sorry, I don’t know Manhattan as well as I should… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/2 "2001-10-01T02:27:47Z")
It’s a model. Haven’t you seen him walk around back there? ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/3 "2001-10-01T03:42:24Z")
Also, haven’t you noticed the backdrop is in darkness and yet when they shoot outside it is in broad daylight? They don’t even try and pretend the show is live.u ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/4 "2001-10-01T04:09:08Z")
Maybe **Jinx** is asking whether or not that backdrop is accurate, not necessarily a real window. If you were at the point that Dave is sitting, is that the scene that you’d see? At least I hope that’s what he/she meant. ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/5 "2001-10-01T04:35:46Z")
I don’t think it would even be correct in that respect. The view seems to be from a high-rise perspective but I think the studio is actually closer to ground level. When the cameras follow people into and from the street, I don’t see them gouing up or down stairs or lifts.e ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/6 "2001-10-01T04:49:48Z")
You mean when he flings a card back there it doesn’t really fly over the river and lands in New Jersey as he says? I am shocked! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/7 "2001-10-01T04:59:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mersavets \* > **I don’t think it would even be correct in that respect. The view seems to be from a high-rise perspective but I think the studio is actually closer to ground level. When the cameras follow people into and from the street, I don’t see them gouing up or down stairs or lifts.** Well I know _that_. I just meant maybe the OP was wondering whether or not the buildings and bridges that are in his background represents what you’d actually see from Dave’s viewpoint. I.e., would the bridge that’s modeled behind dave be the same bridge you see if you were actually looking from the perspective of Dave- either in a plane, highrise, or whereever? It’s obviously a made up perspective, in a sense. I mean, you _could_ get that viewpoint in real life, but would it look exactly the same as the backdrop Dave uses? At least I hope that’s what he/she meant. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/8 "2001-10-01T05:21:07Z")
I think there are too many bridges there for any realistic view. If I’m IDing them correctly, you’ve got the Brooklyn, maybe the Manhattan, either the High Bridge or that one on the Henry Hudson Pkwy whose name escapes me, and the George Washington. And even if you were looking from Queens, the bridges are still too close together. Maybe if you were looking from Brooklyn up Manhattan, and all the buildings and hills were invisible. Couldn’t find a still, but you can see them in the Dan Rather clip [here](http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/dave_tv/ls_dtv_big_show_highlights.shtml#). ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/9 "2001-10-01T16:34:57Z")
Sorry, no, actually, I’m not a Letterman (nor Leno) fan. I only started watching in the last few week or so when his guests had more to say than mere celebrity babblings… The bridges seemed too many to me, too, as one posted as a reply. The backdrop does appear to exhibit the “long lens” effect which, in this case, makes the bridges appear to be almost one on top of the next. Just thought I asked. Didn’t realize the show isn’t live. Too bad. Actaully, my postings are taped, too… 😃 - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/10 "2001-10-01T16:40:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dqa \* > **…you’ve got the Brooklyn, maybe the Manhattan, either the High Bridge or that one on the Henry Hudson Pkwy whose name escapes me, and the George Washington…** Wait a second, Dave’s view is looking East. The Brooklyn Bridge is clearly seen. Thus, the GW bridge (to the West) could not be seen in the same view. However, I agree the bridge puzzling me the most appears to have the same characteristics as the GW bridge. I WAG they threw as many bridges onto this backdrop to make some BIG impression? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/11 "2001-10-01T16:59:23Z")
The show is taped in the former Ed Sullivan Theater, at 54th and Broadway, at ground level. Tapings are at about 4PM or so, with broad daylight outside. You’re looking at an artist’s conception, folks. The Manhattan Bridge looks very much like the nearly-adjacent Brooklyn Bridge. The Verrazano-Narrows and George Washington Bridges are both long suspension bridges and look similar from a distance. If you were looking from Queens, you might be seeing the Whitestone and Throg’s Neck, also nearly-identical suspension types, but the show’s ambience is Manhattan. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/12 "2001-10-01T18:28:32Z")
And the seats in the theater face **west** , Dave faces **east**. The theater is also in the northern part of Times Square, nowhere near either river. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/13 "2001-10-01T23:23:04Z")
You can see from a window with a good enough view in lower Manhattan: the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. The GWB is way to uptown. The Manhattan bridge looks like the Brooklyn Bridge only in as much as they are both suspension bridges. The Brooklyn Bridge towers are brick. The Manhattan, steel. The Williamsburg looks more like the Brooklyn because it is brick. [The Brooklyn Bridge](http://www.actionbowlers.com/Bowling/Bowlmor/Brooklyn%20Bridge.JPG) [The Manhattan Bridge](http://www.geodcorp.com/bridge.jpg) [The Williamsburg Bridge](http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/williamsburg/img5.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/14 "2001-10-01T23:25:23Z")
I’m sorry. The Williamsburg is not brick. It’s steel. ---
**Author:** ![bonogun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc348/32.png) [@bonogun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonogun)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/15 "2012-02-21T06:03:30Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I’m sorry. The Williamsburg is not brick. It’s steel. I live in NYC. The W.Burg bridge is steel. It was built after the Brooklyn Bridge. This has been something that’s confused me ever since moving to the area and becoming familiar with everything here…His view looks East from Manhattan towards Brooklyn across the East River. The order of bridges from South to North crossing the East River from Manhattan to both Brooklyn and Queens are: 1. Brooklyn Bridge 2. Manhattan Bridge 3. Williamsburg Bridge 4. Queensboro Bridge What’s effed up is that in his set, the Manhattan Bridge is first (to the right) followed by the Brooklyn Bridge! The two should be flipped, Brooklyn Bridge far right followed by Manhattan Bridge. All the other bridges going from right to left are in the correct sequence. This finally bothered me enough that I’d thought I would check online to see if anything was out there in cyberspace like some big discussion or news article saying that yes it was incorrect but nobody wanted to rebuild the set etc. I’m surprised the web is pretty quiet about this, because as a New York City based show, this is pretty glaring and huge as mistakes go. Since these posts are like a decade old I’d be surprised if I’m not wasting my time putting this out there, but you never know. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/16 "2012-02-21T12:25:43Z")
Moved the zombie thread to Cafe Society from General Questions. **samclem** Moderator ---
**Author:** ![woody10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e79b87/32.png) [@woody10](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woody10)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lettermans-back-drop-zombie-thread/84700/17 "2012-05-01T17:31:03Z")
Re: Letterman backdrop It was photoshopped (or similar). The Brooklyn Bridge is properly shown, usually behind Dave. The picture is taken from Manhattan toward Brooklyn (not much in the way of skyscrapers). To the left (over Dave’s right shoulder) is shown the Williamsburg Bridge. In that location should be the Manhattan Bridge, which in the photo has been relocated to the right of the photo, over Dave’s left shoulder. The real location of the Williamsburg bridge is up river a bit. Far in the background is the Verrazano Narrows bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island. So there’s been some horsing around with the location of the bridges, but it is a stunning backdrop.