Dave Letterman to retire 2015/Final Episode Thread

[Patience 4 Axl]

Used to love watching Letterman years ago, especially given the fact that he was in NYC and I'd pass by his studio often. I always felt he was a bit more cutting edge with his monologues and interviews than Leno, who always seemed to try too hard to act like everyone's friend.. I lost interest in most late night shows, unless someone I was really interested in was appearing. Last time I watched a full Letterman show was the night he addressed his cheating scandal and apologized. That whole thing really turned me off to him.

Rumor has it that Craig Ferguson stands to gain 8-12 million if he doesn't take Letterman's place as host due to some clause in his contract. Imagine that.

[dalsh327]

Even if the money's good, there is a lot riding on replacing Dave, but CBS didn't always have a late night talk show. They could just go "fuck it" and not replace him.

Howard Stern and Conan O' Brien's contracts end next year. Do I think Howard will replace Dave? Maybe in a short term situation.

[Facekicker]

Graham Norton beats all these guys hands down.

Can't imagine any US hosts dealing with a shitfaced Mark Wahlberg

[Gia]

Off the subject, but what anime is your avatar from?

It's not an anime, there's one but it's not where my avatar is from. It's called Gantz and it's a manga. It's crazy, you should read it.

It looks really good! Thanks!

Graham Norton beats all these guys hands down.

Can't imagine any US hosts dealing with a shitfaced Mark Wahlberg

I love him... he's so funny!

[Crazyman]

Louie CK and Jerry Seinfeld should duke it out for the role.

Speaking of which, Louie is back soon

[Guest Len B'stard]

[dalsh327]

Louie CK and Jerry Seinfeld should duke it out for the role.

Speaking of which, Louie is back soon

No fucking way Seinfeld would ever do it. If you made close to a billion dollars, would you want to work for anyone? He does his standup here and there, indulges in rare cars, and life's good.

[Bards]

Dave was the best late night host of his generation for my money. Carson hand-picked him to be his successor, talk about praise from Caesar. I've even liked him into his grumpy old man years, I thought he was on fire around the time of the Leno-Conan fiasco.

But like Carson, he's become the elder statesman of the field and the game has changed. It's time for him to ride into the sunset and get the goodbye he deserves. While some have called his interview style "standoffish" (not a term I agree with) he has a lot more respect among his peers than Leno, who I rarely hear a good word about.

I didn't realize Conan's contract was up next year, I wonder if that was a conscious decision from Dave to retire at that time and hand the reins off, as he's a big Conan fan. I think O'Brien would be great replacing Dave, and gives CBS a great hook to have the guy who got screwed out of The Tonight Show taking on Fallon head to head.

Last but not least. I'm not sure why people are hating on the Oliver Reed interview. Reed was being a shitfaced shithead. I think if the roles were reversed and it was a yank on an english show acting like that, there would be a different view from certain people.

[Crazyman]

Louie CK and Jerry Seinfeld should duke it out for the role.

Speaking of which, Louie is back soon

No fucking way Seinfeld would ever do it. If you made close to a billion dollars, would you want to work for anyone? He does his standup here and there, indulges in rare cars, and life's good.

I know he wouldn't do it in real life, that was a reference to the show Louie.

I saw someone else say Ellen Degeneres. That would be interesting.

[arnold layne]

Louie CK and Jerry Seinfeld should duke it out for the role.

Speaking of which, Louie is back soon

I fuckin' love Louis CK but he doesn't belong in the role here.

[gunsguy]

There will be a press release out shortly but here is the headline I just got on my phone

Stephen Colbert will succeed David Letterman as host of "the late show"

Details to follow

[Guest Len B'stard]

Last but not least. I'm not sure why people are hating on the Oliver Reed interview. Reed was being a shitfaced shithead. I think if the roles were reversed and it was a yank on an english show acting like that, there would be a different view from certain people.

No ones going 'oh poor Oliver Reed, look what Letterman did to him!' they're going 'Look at Oliver Reed, the fucking nutbag, Letterman looks like he's about to shit his pants!' Letterman is not worth the drippings off the end of Ollys dick.

Edited April 10, 2014 by sugaraylen

[downzy]

Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman on Late Show

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2014/04/10/stephen_colbert_to_replace_david_letterman_on_late_show.html

CBS has named Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, to replace David Letterman as host of The Late Show.

The five-year agreement was announced Thursday by CBS Corp. in an e-mailed statement. Colbert will take over when Letterman steps down next year.

With the announcement, CBS is moving quickly to fill a looming hole in its entertainment schedule with a cable TV personality who is popular with younger viewers and able to challenge Jimmy Fallon at NBC.

“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” CBS Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in a statement. “David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

Colbert on replacing Dave:

“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” said Colbert. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”

Adding, “I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”

[Powerage5]

Bummed we're gonna lose the Colbert Report

[downzy]

Yeah, me too. Love that show. But good for Colbert. I'm sure he's going to be great.

[Powerage5]

Yeah, I'm definitely happy for him, he's a great late night host, and deserves all the success in the world. I just absolutely love the Colbert Report. At least we've still got The Daily Show!

[downzy]

For those wondering if Colbert will be a good fit for Late Night, here's an article from a guy who worked for him for several years. Based on his opinion, I think CBS picked the right guy to replace Dave:

Yes, Stephen Colbert Will Be Great as Host of CBS’s ‘Late Night’

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/07/yes-stephen-colbert-would-be-great-as-host-of-cbs-s-late-night.html

Whenever a late-night TV host announces his retirement, there’s inevitably speculation about who will be crowned the next king of the 11:30 time slot. This in turn has created tremendous interest in a response from me. OK, nobody asked, but it seems appropriate for me to weigh in on one of the few issues I can actually be considered an expert on.

I know Stephen Colbert, and I’ve known most of his staff—because I was part of it. For more than six years and well over 1,000 episodes, I entertained the live studio audience of The Colbert Report. Every night, I went out in front of the most devout members of the “Colbert Nation” and entertained them with a mix of stand-up and improv. It was the best job in comedy I’ve ever had.

Now, with sources reporting that CBS is eyeing Colbert to replace David Letterman, speculation is in overdrive—about whether Colbert would take the job and whether he could slip the skin of a character he’s been playing so successfully on Comedy Central. Here’s what matters in evaluating the prospects.

Is Colbert interested in the Late Show? Why wouldn’t he be? Even if he isn’t, he is too smart to let on. Contract negotiations are far more lucrative when you can demand every last penny from your current gig by letting the sides sweat or fight it out. So don’t expect him to indicate which way he’s leaning.

Would it work? That, of course, is the most important question everyone is asking, so that is where the fun starts.

Colbert is perhaps the greatest comedian of our generation of comics. He can do it all: improv, sketch, stand-up. He can dance, act, and conduct hilarious interviews.

What viewers don’t see is how integral Colbert is to the writing process. Only the writing staff knows whose contributions end up making the show, but you can be sure Colbert has the last say.

The most impressive feat I saw him pull off in my six years at the Report was when he did the show with no writers at all during the writers’ strike of 2007-08. He and his executive producer and former head writer Allison Silverman wrote the show themselves, and in case that doesn’t seem impossible enough, union rules didn’t allow scripts to be loaded in the teleprompter. He wrote the show, then somehow remembered it. I’ll never forget standing backstage and watching him pull that off almost flawlessly night after night.

Colbert has always taken huge risks. He is as fearless as any entertainer of our time, and that is where he gets the most respect from the comedy community.

The greatest measure of his talent, however, is how well he has been able to play the “Stephen Colbert” of The Colbert Report. One can and should argue that playing a character like the one he invented is difficult, even in a five-minute sketch. His ability to sustain this character for so long is what ultimately blows us away. This is a feat he has admitted he was concerned about in the beginning.

Colbert has done this by constantly surprising his fans and audiences. He has reinvented the character so often that he’s never become stale or predictable. He has taken his “Colbert Nation” on a journey that brought us to the Iraq War, the Vancouver Olympics, and the deck of the Intrepid aircraft carrier, to name a few. He has performed with legendary musicians such as Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Michael Stipe, and Brian Eno.

Some of Colbert’s best work has actually taken place on other stages and networks. Every night before the show, he does a Q&A with the studio audience. For years, the most frequently asked question was about the 2006 White House correspondents’ dinner, where he infamously “entertained” the president of the United States. They usually wanted to know what President Bush said to him afterward. (If you want to know the answer, you can go to a taping of the Report and ask him.)

Also amazing was his speech/act at the 2012 Time 100 gala, where he gave his friend and fellow Catholic Cardinal Dolan a beautiful ribbing.

Colbert and Jon Stewart even took us to the D.C. mall for a live, outdoor theatrical experience for a “Rally to Restore Sanity” to the place. Colbert has deftly hosted benefits and other shows and given hilarious and poignant commencement speeches. He’s won almost every award, including numerous prized Emmys, some as a writer on The Daily Show and now breaking that show’s streak to win two for The Colbert Report.

Can Colbert drop the character and still succeed? Of course. Hosting the Report has always been far more difficult than a late night network-style talk show. But can he just be himself and be a success? Inside his slick suits, Colbert possesses every weapon and trick a comedian can utilize. As long as it’s the same guy in the same suits, Colbert will more than hold his own on CBS.

More than anything else, a talk show host needs to be “likable” the way Jay Leno always was. More sophisticated fans of comedy will want to demand an “edge” to the material and performance as well. Having both is tough, but not at all impossible. There are quite a few who do that well, including Jimmy Kimmel, Howard Stern, and of course Jon Stewart.

Colbert’s comedic integrity has never been questioned, and he has been able to make us laugh and think every night for years while not only liking but loving him at every moment.
Would he win the ratings game? I bet he would.

But will we let him leave the Colbert of the Report behind? He has developed a unique brand, accompanied by loyalty reserved for fewer and fewer entertainers these days. His current fans will follow him anywhere, and a more accessible variety format will attract new legions.

Colbert and his class of late night hosts have collaborated and appeared on each other’s shows often, sometimes even as a running bit. Some have suggested Letterman needed Leno as competition to bring his A-game night after night. Kimmel, Stewart, and Colbert all share a manager and a comradely respect for each other. Colbert and Kimmel have collaborated for hilarious bits quite a few times, along with Conan O’Brien.

At the end of Jimmy Fallon’s first Tonight Show episode, he did a hilarious bit pretending he’d won a bet with some of the most recognizable faces in entertainment. They marched onstage and paid the new host off. Not for nothing, Fallon ended his impressive parade of stars that night with none other than Stephen Colbert.

[bacardimayne]

Not sure what to think. Good for him, but I'll miss the Colbert report.

[WhazUp]

This is awesome! Colbert will be great, he is a comedic genius

[dalsh327]

It should be good for Comedy Central over the next year as far as ratings go. I think he'll be a good replacement for Dave.

[Powerage5]

It should be good for Comedy Central over the next year as far as ratings go. I think he'll be a good replacement for Dave.

I'm interested to see what Comedy replaces Colbert with. They'll certainly want to have a heavy hitter between The Daily Show and @Midnight.

[downzy]

It should be good for Comedy Central over the next year as far as ratings go. I think he'll be a good replacement for Dave.

I'm interested to see what Comedy replaces Colbert with. They'll certainly want to have a heavy hitter between The Daily Show and @Midnight.

It's too bad they let John Oliver go to HBO. Man, the timing just didn't work out for them on this. Had all of this happened last year, you could have had Oliver follow Stewart. Perhaps someone else from the Daily Show will be considered. I could see them going with Samantha Bee. There's been a lot of criticism lately that late night is too male dominated.

[Jakey Styley]

Louie CK and Jerry Seinfeld should duke it out for the role.

Speaking of which, Louie is back soon

I fuckin' love Louis CK but he doesn't belong in the role here.

Have you ever seen the actual Louie episode about this very subject? It kinda made me wish it would happen.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Jakey Styley

[Powerage5]

It should be good for Comedy Central over the next year as far as ratings go. I think he'll be a good replacement for Dave.

I'm interested to see what Comedy replaces Colbert with. They'll certainly want to have a heavy hitter between The Daily Show and @Midnight.

It's too bad they let John Oliver go to HBO. Man, the timing just didn't work out for them on this. Had all of this happened last year, you could have had Oliver follow Stewart. Perhaps someone else from the Daily Show will be considered. I could see them going with Samantha Bee. There's been a lot of criticism lately that late night is too male dominated.

Yeah, I would've loved Oliver to have his own show in Comedy. Happy for him that he got it on HBO, but I won't be able to watch it. Frankly, I'm not overly impressed with any of the current correspondents on the Daily Show. I guess Samantha is my favorite, but even then she's very hit or miss. I think she's had some awful segments over the last couple months, but then she knocked it out of the park with the Brooklyn segment last night.

[bran]

It should be good for Comedy Central over the next year as far as ratings go. I think he'll be a good replacement for Dave.

I'm interested to see what Comedy replaces Colbert with. They'll certainly want to have a heavy hitter between The Daily Show and @Midnight.

It's too bad they let John Oliver go to HBO. Man, the timing just didn't work out for them on this. Had all of this happened last year, you could have had Oliver follow Stewart. Perhaps someone else from the Daily Show will be considered. I could see them going with Samantha Bee. There's been a lot of criticism lately that late night is too male dominated.

oliver killed it on the daily show when stewart was gone, it would have been awesome having him replace colbert.