TV: Late Show - Letterman retiring May 20; Colbert debuting Sept 8 (post: 248)

[ClassLessCoyote]

http://www.tmz.com/2014/04/03/david-letterman-retiring/

David Letterman, the longest-serving late-night talk show host in TV history, has just announced his retirement.

Letterman made the announcement during the taping of his show Thursday in New York, telling the audience his last show will take place in 2015.

Click to read more...

 

[Flukeshot]

End of an era... He definitely has been mailing it in for some time now, but in his prime he was the #1 influence in TV comedy.

 

[Teemu]

Wonder who will be tapped to replace him. Everyone will hope for Ferguson (as will I), but I just don't see his brand of humor being mainstream enough for the time period.

 

[canucksfan100]

Wonder who will be tapped to replace him. Everyone will hope for Ferguson (as will I), but I just don't see his brand of humor being mainstream enough for the time period.

theres no way Ferguson. Wish Conan...

 

[Z0S0]

theres no way Ferguson. Wish Conan...

I'm really hoping it is Conan

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

Leno has a better chance at getting back into the Late-Night Big Network scene than Conan and I don't see Leno coming back as much as I would like to.

 

[shello]

Really wouldn't be happy if it's Conan. Ferguson would be awesome.

 

[RockLobster]

Leno has a better chance at getting back into the Late-Night Big Network scene than Conan and I don't see Leno coming back as much as I would like to.

Not so sure about that to be honest...but Conan is given some pretty big leeway on TBS from everything I've read, but Conan could be on the shortlist already...but it's really hard to know.

I don't think Dave Chappelle would be a bad choice either...he'd have to hone his interviewing skills, but the comedy stuff would be really good I think.

 

[Megahab]

This will be sad. I grew up watching Letterman. I hope it's Conan replacing him. His contract with TBS expires in November 2015.

 

[aleshemsky83]

My favorite will always be him destroying bieber on national tv, I dot hate bieber, but it was just hilarious

 

[Power Man]

Well it was long overdue

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Kimmel?

 

[Reality Check]

Not so sure about that to be honest...but Conan is given some pretty big leeway on TBS from everything I've read, but Conan could be on the shortlist already...but it's really hard to know.

That, and I sincerely doubt that Conan would want to move all the way back to New York. Even though his humor is far more suited for it.

I think he is content where he is.

Craig Ferguson is probably the favorite with Stewart, Colbert and Wild Card after that.

You'll see Jay Leno host the Late Show before you'll ever see Dave Chappelle. He won't even do interviews anymore...unless you really believe the rumors of him being blackballed

 

[Ozz]

 

[JS19]

What I will forever miss on David Letterman's show "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches."

 

[Led Zappa]

Do it! Do it!

 

[Le Tricolore]

Letterman's the best of the bunch.

 

[Phileeguy]

Wonder who will be tapped to replace him. Everyone will hope for Ferguson (as will I), but I just don't see his brand of humor being mainstream enough for the time period.

theres no way Ferguson. Wish Conan...

Agreed on the Ferguson point in that it won't be mainstream enough for the 11:35 slot. Conan being brought up reminds me of how his replacing of Jay could provide a template for CBS of what not to do in this situation. Craig's got a more offbeat/peculiar brand of humor - which I love - and I don't think it'll translate to the more traditional audience watching at 11:35 (read: older). Conan was, IMO, a lot like that in he was doing his own thing that worked great at 12:35, but not so much an hour earlier. Granted, NBC was/still is a mess and they shot themselves in the foot by giving audiences Jay at 10PM, but I think executives at CBS will steer clear of putting Craig in an earlier slot based on what they've witnessed there.

Plus Craig is supposed to host his own game show coming up later in the year, so he'll be pretty busy with another show of his own.

 

[dukeofjive]

Man do i feel old, used to stay up and hide in my nedroom with a small tv under my blankets watching dave give here.

Going to miss him

Id vote for louis ck to take is spot

 

[RJ8812*]

Was just coming in here to post that!

 

[Sharpshooter]

Arsenio Hall

 

[Trap Jesus]

Yeah, don't think Ferguson is likely at all, even though he very well may be the best late night host. I remember Bill Maher coming onto the show and saying that Ferguson does some of the most abstract humor he's seen and that he couldn't believe that he was on the air. Obviously joking somewhat but there's definitely some truth to that.

Letterman is great. Him and Ferguson are easily the best when it comes to interviewing guests.

 

[John Price]

Conan gets virtually no ratings on TBS. He should become relevant again and get the gig.

Letterman was never that funny to me. His monologues were not funny and the Top Ten list was meh.

Letterman's the best of the bunch.

I thought you were a Fallon guy.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Considering how CBS got Letterman from NBC, it would be a real slap in the face to NBC if they tapped Conan to replace him.

 

[Megahab]

I'm watching some classic Letterman videos on YouTube. Does anyone remember the names of the two Indian guys that owned a shop (some kind of clothing or was it a furniture shop) down the street from the studio? I can't remember their names but they did funny bits with Letterman in the 90s and can't find them on YouTube.