David Letterman Announces His Retirement from the Late Show in 2015

[Plutonic Panda]

Will you miss him? Seems my favorite hosts have been stepping down lately. Larry King, Jay Leno, and now David Letterman..... whats next, Bill Maher?

David Letterman Announces His Retirement from the Late Show

Posted: Apr 03, 2014 5:19 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 03, 2014 5:21 PM CDT
By CBS News - email

David Letterman on the set of the “Late Show With David Letterman" in 2013. Credit Jeffrey Neira/CBS, via Associated Press
David Letterman on the set of the “Late Show With David Letterman" in 2013. Credit Jeffrey Neira/CBS, via Associated Press
NEW YORK - David Letterman, during a taping of tonight's Late Show, said that he informed Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corporation, that he will step down as the host of the show in 2015, which is when his current contract expires.
"The man who owns this network, Leslie Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. And I phoned him just before the program, and I said ‘Leslie, it's been great, you've been great, and the network has been great, but I'm retiring,'" said Letterman.

"I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much. What this means now, is that Paul and I can be married."

"We don't have the timetable for this precisely down – I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up," he added, to a standing ovation from the audience in the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Letterman's career as a late night broadcaster has spanned more than 32 years and nearly 6,000 episodes. He was the first host of Late Night at NBC from 1982-1992, and he has been the only host of Late Show, which he created on CBS in 1993. The two shows have been nominated for 108 Emmys, winning eight. Late Night received a Peabody in 1992, and Letterman became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2012.
- David Letterman Announces His Retirement from the Late Show - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Dennis Heaton]

I liked him when he first started. Too raunchy the last couple of years.

[kelroy55]

He's been doing it a long time and he doesn't need the money. I don't watch late night anymore so I wish him well.

[SoonerDave]

Had he retired when he was still really funny, yeah, I'd be disappointed. But I got so sick of the standard joke diatribe that I lost interest several years ago.

He used to do awesome, inventive stuff - velcro suits, the early/original top 10 lists, stuff that no one else was doing, and it just worked. Then, somewhere, he became the late night political joke jockey and when the politics trumped comedy nearly every night, I started realizing how much I enjoyed Frasier reruns.

[Dustin]

My least favorite late night host. Won't really be missed.

[Stew]

No.

[stratosphere]

He used to be great, the 5 story building act, other spontaneous stuff, etc.

While I still appreciate him I don't exactly watch him and haven't for years. Honestly think Leno was better. Though its sad to see an icon step down, I do wonder to whom they will pass the torch.

[GaryOKC6]

It is about time. I never really like Letterman.

[kevinpate]

Truth be told, I've liked the efforts of his bookers and writers far better than his contributions for a long, long time.

[RadicalModerate]

When David Letterman moved from Local Weatherman to Stand-Up Comedy, he was great.
When he had some nearly forgotten little comedy TV Show (sort of a bush-league Steve Allen sorta thing) he was even better.
When he moved on to Big Time Mainstream Network Television the first steps on The Road to TotalSuckdom were taken.
Have fun in your retirement, Dave.

[venture]

From what was put out there Craig has first right of refusal, but I don't think he wants it since he won't be able to do his show in that time slot.

[RadicalModerate]

From what was put out there Craig has first right of refusal, but I don't think he wants it since he won't be able to do his show in that time slot.

"Craig"? . . . Who is this Craig of which you speak?
(it ain't that Scottish guy is it? . . . If Scots are so friggin' frugal that they eat Haggis, Tatties and Neaps, and wear kilts instead of proper trousers, I think that Comedy might be lackin') (Robert Burns [paraphrased])

Plus I think they--Frugal Scotsmen--founded the Presbyterian Church.
Standing on some piles of rocks they called "Giants" . . .
And a couple of branches of the Masons.

(and those bagpipes . . . oy vey! =)

[Mel]

I haven't watched a late night show since JC left the air. Wish him a happy retirement.

[RadicalModerate]

I haven't watched a late night show since JC left the air. Wish him a happy retirement.

Me, too.

[mkjeeves]

I TIVO and then when I do get around to watching, fast forward past the monolog, top ten and whatever to interviews or special bits, like stupid pet tricks. I'll miss that but it's probably about time for him to retire. I wonder who will be up next?

[RadicalModerate]

I TIVO and then when I do get around to watching, fast forward past the monolog, top ten and whatever to interviews or special bits, like stupid pet tricks. I'll miss that but it's probably about time for him to retire. I wonder who will be up next?

TIVO is an "entry level" (accommodation) . . .
Akin to SOMA (c/o Aldous Huxley--(google it or whatever) =)

As far as "who will be up next" . . .
(i think back to Neil Young . . . "Wonderin'" =)



(take that with a grain of salt: Never Trust a Canadian. google it. )

What is this "Hipster" thing I keep hearing about? . . . =)

(sumbitch . . . it's late. I'm missin' some shows on TV . . . ........

[BBatesokc]

Kind of amazing that an individual such as Letterman, who has achieved so much more personally, professionally and financially than any of us here will probably ever achieve, is reduced to "nah, wasn't funny, good riddance."

Will I miss him? Probably not. I'm not a big fan of late night TV. Ranks up there with morning radio for me personally. Sure, I've watched him, Leno and Fallon here and there. They do what they do well, it just doesn't appeal to me - other than the occasional distraction when I happen to be up late.

That said, Letterman is so much more than just a guy who some of you think used to be funny and needs to quit.

The man has worked late night TV for over 30-years! He employees countless people and has brought us shows like Everybody Loves Raymond.

I'd image the late night hosts some of you do actually find funny were greatly inspired by Letterman and may not exist today if not for Letterman's influence (Fallon, Conan, Kimmel, etc.).

Will I personally miss Letterman? Probably not. Will Letterman be missed greatly? Yes. Will Letterman's effect be felt for generations to come? Absolutely.

[OKCretro]

only time I watched letterman was the five minutes before Seinfield would come on. Since they dropped the 11:35 Seinfield reruns haven't watched once. Why did KWTV drop those Seinfield re-runs? those were golden

[Bunty]

Probably his audience declined from Fallon. He looked at the ratings, said "holy cow" and decided he better announce his retirement before CBS does it for him.

[venture]

only time I watched letterman was the five minutes before Seinfield would come on. Since they dropped the 11:35 Seinfield reruns haven't watched once. Why did KWTV drop those Seinfield re-runs? those were golden

They were pre-empting network programming (Late Late Show) to do those re-runs. Network told them to cut it out.

Probably his audience declined from Fallon. He looked at the ratings, said "holy cow" and decided he better announce his retirement before CBS does it for him.

It hasn't. He's been pretty constant since Leno left, same with Kimmel. Fallon brought some new people to the time slot instead of stealing viewers.

[Plutonic Panda]

I liked him.

[bchris02]

I haven't watched him in years. I used to though back in the early 2000s and liked him pretty well. With Jay Leno stepping down and now Letterman, it definitely signals the end of an era.

[traxx]

Letterman was good on NBC. His first few years after the move to CBS were decent. But then he just became an old, cranky dude. He should change the name of his production company from World Wide Pants to Cranky Pants.

[trousers]

I was a big fan of Dave for a while. The Late shows (all of them) and I have grown apart however.

[Urbanized]

Letterman was good on NBC. His first few years after the move to CBS were decent. But then he just became an old, cranky dude. He should change the name of his production company from World Wide Pants to Cranky Pants.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Dave was a real innovator early on, and if you didn't see his Late Night show during the first few years it was on you missed some really good TV. That said, his crankiness and overt political tone has become pretty overbearing. That said, I count myself lucky that I was able to be in the audience for a taping a few years ago. Even got to see Jimmy Webb perform Wichita Lineman for no apparent reason (seriously, this was 2011). All told, he won't be viewed in the same way as Carson, but I think he did far more for the late night genre than Leno did.