In the 1980’s, David Letterman played around with the thermostat settings of the Late Show studio. He tried different temperatures on different shows. One night he set the temperature for 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). Success! The audience was really responsive and the jokes were a big hit. The theory is that the cool air made the jokes crisp and the audience alert.  55 degrees became the magic temperature for the duration of Letterman’s time on the Late Show.

Stagehands nicknamed the studio, “the refrigerator“. Guests and audience members were warned in advance so they could bring extra clothes.

Comedian Stephen Colbert, who is using the studio now, has increased the temperature to a relatively balmy 65 degrees.

Photo credit: m01229 via VisualHunt / CC BY