A lot of people list Bill Hicks among the great stand-up comedians of all time…and if that name isn't familiar to you, it's probably because he died way too young — in 1994 at the age of 33. It may also be because he didn't get a lot of television exposure when he was around.
One place he wasn't seen was on Late Show with David Letterman on October 9, 1993. Hicks taped what would have been his twelfth appearance with Dave for that telecast…a rambling rant on topics including Easter, pro-lifers, smoking and some celebrities he wanted to kill. You didn't see it, even if you were watching that night. The entire routine was edited out of the show before broadcast and replaced with a routine by another comedian. The whole incident from Hicks's point of view was summarized in this article by John Lahr. As you'll note, there was some question as to whether the decision to clip the spot was made by CBS Standards and Practices or if it was decided by the folks running the Letterman show…which would basically mean Dave.
Like I said, you didn't see it…but you can on Friday. Already taped (Letterman tapes his Friday shows on Monday) is an episode with Mary Hicks, Bill's mother, as a guest…and they run the once-excised routine. Perhaps we'll hear more about who made the decision to cut it.