Jeffrey R. Staab/AP
On Feb. 1, 1982, late-night television — and comedy, in general — changed forever with the debut of ‘‘Late Night With David Letterman’’ on NBC. For me, it was momentous. As great as Dave’s failed morning show was, this was even more amazing because it broke the mold of the tired ‘‘Tonight Show.’’ As much as Dave loved Johnny Carson, he managed to find a new form of comedy by not being Johnny.