Well, now this is an interesting development.
Last week David Letterman announced that he'd be retiring, leaving behind his long-running Late Show on CBS. Letterman is the longest-serving late night TV host and has had a hell of a run, so he's certainly going out on top. For Colbert, it's a surprising, albeit inspired, choice. The host of The Colbert Show has signed a five-year contract for The Late Show, which he will begin hosting sometime in 2015.
“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves said. “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 has been the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report for almost 20 years, having started on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a correspondent. He then branched off into his own show, which has been a tremendous success.
“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” Colbert said. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead. 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.”
While this may leave a lot of fans up in arms over Colbert's sudden departure, it's to note that Colbert has informed his staff of the show, who he intends to bring along with him to The Late Show. Comedy Central issues their own statement about the sudden change, saying:
“Comedy Central is proud that the incredibly talented Stephen Colbert has been part of our family for nearly two decades. We look forward to the next eight months of the ground-breaking Colbert Report and wish Stephen the very best.”
The changeover will take place sometime in 2015.
What do you think? Is Colbert a good choice for The Late Show or should he just stay where he is at Comedy Central?
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