David Letterman has announced his retirement.
The gap-toothed comic, a favorite of Johnny Carson, will hang up his Top Ten list and Stupid Pet Tricks in 2015, he shared with the audience at the taping of tonight’s Late Show.
David Letterman said his first call was to CBS chief, Les 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 David 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.”
David Letterman added, “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.
Mike Mills, bassist for tonight’s musical guest REM, broke the news on Twitter.
David Letterman is the longest-serving late-night host in TV history, last year surpassing his friend and mentor Johnny Carson at the 31-year mark. His version of NBC‚ “Late Show” debuted in 1982.
As the last of the late night talk show host greats, David Letterman will leave the field open for Jimmy Kimmel to become the next great late night king.
Our prediction is that Jimmy Fallon won’t be around much longer. He is dreadful.
No word yet on who will replace David Letterman. But don’t count out Craig Ferguson, who currently hosts the late night show right after David Letterman, and who is universally liked, by both TV brass and audiences, alike.
