When David Letterman became a late-night host in 1982, it was Johnny Carson's world.
More than three decades later, in a much more competitive world, Letterman has survived and thrived, leaving on his own terms next year. He announced the news on his "Late Show with David Letterman" taping today, which will air at 11;35 p.m. tonight on CBS Atlanta.
The 66 year-old TV host didn't say exactly when his final show will be. But he is clearly is giving CBS plenty of time to find a replacement. Even in this splintered media landscape of YouTube, Netflix and a dozen late-night show slots, CBS still draws enough eyeballs that the spot will be highly coveted.
Letterman's quirky, sarcastic approach to hosting was in deep contrast to the straight-laced Carson, catering to a much younger audience that stayed up at 12:30 a.m.. He toyed with the conventions of the talk-show format, influencing the current crew of hosts such as Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
So who will take over the CBS slot?
Craig Ferguson, who is on after Letterman, has made it clear he doesn't care for the 11:35 p.m. slot and is not angling for it.
Chelsea Handler is planning to leave her E! show at the end of 2014. She is certainly a possibility.
Conan O'Brien's contract with TBS is up in 2015 so you never know there.
Another site suggested Neil Patrick Harris.
Arsenio Hall is already making a comeback in syndication.
And would Jay Leno dare take on Fallon on a different network?
How about Ellen DeGeneres? She could easily transfer her sensibility from daytime to night.
Throw out your suggestions.
Letterman's top 10 lists and stupid pet tricks defined him. His on-the-street antics - throwing watermelons off buildings, visiting local stores and mocking the owners - were replicated by others. In his early years, his physical antics included the infamous velcro suit. He would sometimes antagonize his celebrity guests. Cher once called him a name that required bleeping.
Around 1992, he ended up losing out to Jay Leno for the Tonight Show spot, a spot he deeply desired. But he was seen by management at the time as less mainstream appealing as Leno. So Letterman moved to CBS, where has has been a fixture for 22 years competing against Leno (twice), O'Brien and now Fallon. While Leno usually brought in more eyeballs, Letterman brought in more respect and more admiration.
In his later years, Letterman cut back on the absurdist bits of his early years as he became an elder statesman more than a radicalist but always maintained his sharp sense of humor. He even weathered the time in 2009 when a man tried to extort him over evidence of extramarital affairs with staffers, which he admitted on air, diffusing the controversy.
In 2014, he is not nearly as socially media savvy as his younger brethren (let Fallon and Kimmel battle for click-bait videos) and his viewership has aged along with him. But he will always be seen as a groundbreaking comic who left a deep mark on an entire generation of comics and TV hosts.
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