Your preference for Letterman's successor on "Late Night"

[Ken Burch]

Dave's out of there in '15. He'll be a tough act to follow

13 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Conan O'Brien
	5 (38%)
	Craig Ferguson(specify with or without "Geoff" and/or with or without a band)
	4 (31%)
	Chelsea Handler
	0 (0%)
	Anybody who hasn't quit "SNL" yet
	0 (0%)
	Space Ghost
	1 (8%)
	The national anthem, followed by a test pattern
	2 (15%)
	Oh...what the hell...Leno
	0 (0%)
	other
	1 (8%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[PoliticAverse]

1. Jay Leno's not a choice?... n/t

[Ken Burch]

2. Why would they go with somebody all Letterman, Kimmel, and "COCO" fans despise?

At the end, Leno was tanking in the ratings.

Do you think giving Jay the job would actually make any sense?

(on edit)

all right, all right, I've freaking added Leno as an option...since this is a Democratic board, it's hard to imagine anybody here would want the guy who let Arnold Schwarzenegger announce his candidacy for California governor on HIS show would get many votes.

[Jenoch]

44. I thought Leno was consistently leading in the ratings?

[Ken Burch]

46. Leno's ratings had been sliding for years.

If Leno was really ratings gold, NBC would never have canned him.

Plus, why would CBS hire somebody who'd deliberately driven NBC's own late-night ratings down(when CoCo still had TONIGHT!)by intentionally doing a show at ten o'clock that nobody would want to watch?

Why would they want a guy who had already proven that he couldn't be trusted not to sabotage other people on his own network?

[Jenoch]

47. What were the recent ratings Leno vs Letterman?

[Ken Burch]

58. Not sure...but not good enough for the NBC brass.

And we can pretty well assume that nobody who watched Dave would stick around to watch Jay...why would they switch to the guy they've seen as the comedy antichrist for twenty years?

[Jenoch]

61. Jay Leno had the highest late night talkshow ratings.

His demographics skewed to an older audience however.

I never suggested that Leno should replace Letterman. My point was that Leno beat Letterman in the number of viewers they each had.

[Ken Burch]

64. Not by much, though, and here's the calculation CBS would make, I think

(I realize you aren't arguing FOR Leno, but just wanted to finish my point)

Jay might bring his old audience to Dave's slot, but he'd pretty much lose all of Dave's audience, wouldn't gain any or Kimmel's, Fallon's, or O'brien's, and the viewers Jay would bring in wouldn't buy as much stuff as the people who watched Dave, or Jimmy, or the other Jimmy, or CoCo.

My guess is that, from here on in, Jay will be about club dates, Vegas, state fairs, and maybe "entertaining the troops&quot which would make sense, since it always looked like Jay's business plan was to become the next Bob Hope).

[Jenoch]

66. Why are you speculating to me about

Leno possibly replacing Letterman?

[Ken Burch]

67. Because this exchange we're having started with somebody asking why Leno wasn't a choice in my poll.

Your posts, initially, appeared to be part of the discussion on that.

But I'm going to drop it now.

[Jenoch]

68. I simply responed to your post where you

wrote that Leno was tankng in the ratings which was not the case. I never wrote anything or hinted that Leno should replace Letterman.

[Arugula Latte]

25. Ugh!

He needs the proverbial stake through his heart.

[Ken Burch]

34. ...WHAT heart?...

People with hearts don't backstab other people(like Jay did to CoCo).

[Arugula Latte]

56. Good *point* -- heh heh.

Stake through the chin then?

[Coventina]

3. I voted COCO but would be happy with Craig. With Geoff, of course.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

4. Other

I suggest Craig Ferguson followed by the Scottish national anthem, followed by 5 hours of Pict gibberish and classic mondo footage for those still awake and grooving on psychedelics.

[Ken Burch]

5. Could Geoff do the Pict gibberish? n/t.

[azurnoir]

6. Space Ghost with Brak as his co-host

[Tom Ripley]

20. +1000

[shenmue]

39. Zorak, can you help me?

"Why did you lie to me, Zorak?"

"'Cause I'm a liar."

[redwitch]

70. Yes!!!!

[mucifer]

7. It's time for a woman. How about Ellen or Wanda Sykes!

[davidpdx]

10. That's what I was thinking, a woman

I doubt Ellen would leave daytime. I know who Sykes is because I saw her in Mother-In-Law and the part fit her perfectly. I've seen a bit of her stand-up. Not sure if she'd be a fit or not.

I think it needs to be someone younger to match Jimmy Fallon. I'd say under 40 and a woman if possible.

[eShirl]

11. Queen Latifah would be great

if she could be lured from her daytime gig

[Ken Burch]

33. Couple of other possibilities along that line:

1)Amy Schumer.

2)Abby Jacobson and Illana Glazer(the "Broad City" team...watch that show if you haven't, btw)in the "Late Late" time slot if Craig moves to "The Late Show".

[GoCubsGo]

35. I didn't even think of Wanda...

She is one of my favorite comedians. I really like Ellen, too. But, if I had to choose between them, I'd go with Wanda.

[eShirl]

8. CraigyFerg

[davidpdx]

9. That one is tough

I like Craig Ferguson and use to watch his show when I lived in the US (and I occasionally watch clips on Youtube). However I don't think he'd be the right pick.

I think they need to think outside the box with someone younger.

Had Conan not already switched over to where he is now, I think it may have been his to lose. I strongly doubt he's going to leave so soon after moving.

Choosing a woman would be a good idea. It would shake up the idea that late night is not just a men's thing.

On Edit:

I just came across this. Apparently Ferguson's contract for the Late Late Show is up next year. If he opts out they could have to replace both of them.

CBS Approached John Oliver for Late Night Show as Major Shuffle Looms (Exclusive)

In the weeks after John Oliver successfully filled in for Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's The Daily Show last summer, CBS executives initiated talks with Oliver's representatives about launching a show on their network, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The pitch was for Oliver potentially to occupy the 12:30 time slot currently filled by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in the event Ferguson does not re-up his contract at the end of 2014, or possibly for Oliver to launch a different show that would be syndicated by CBS, according to sources.

snip

Still, replacing Letterman and potentially Ferguson will be a much more difficult task than it might have been two decades ago, when Letterman defected from NBC's Late Night to launch his CBS show. As evidenced by Oliver's decision to host a Sunday HBO show, cable networks have emerged as a plum perch for late-night comics. That's a far cry from the broadcast-dominated world Letterman joined with Late Show.

snip

Names ranging from Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris to Chris Rock and Conan O'Brien (still doing a broadcast-style show despite a cable platform on TBS) have already surfaced as potential Letterman replacements, with multiple sources agreeing Ferguson is not seriously in the running. Female-skewing Chelsea Handler surely will put her hat in the ring too, after THR reported earlier this week that she plans to leave E! at the conclusion of her contract this year.

snip

Given the challenge (and high cost) of recruiting a top talent to replace Letterman, CBS could go the route of placing an unknown or emerging talent in Letterman's chair. "Do they want a 20th Century show or do they want a 21st Century show?" asks one source familiar with the late-night TV wars, referring to the viral videos and stunts that have helped Fallon and Kimmel lure younger viewers and increase relevance in the digital era. "ABC and NBC have both shifted to 21st Century shows."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-approached-john-oliver-late-693587

There you have it, Ferguson is probably not going to be replacing Letterman.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

21. interesting, thanks for posting it. n/t

[B Calm]

12. I like for them to bring back the late movie.

[First Speaker]

13. Hear, hear! Let's begin by rerunning all of Richard Chamberlain's TV miniseries...

...and go from there...

[B Calm]

32. The Thorn Birds!

[LynneSin]

14. I'm going to toss a wild card into the Fray - Jon Stewart

Stewart has done a great job giving us the fake news for over a decade. He does great interviews but I think it's time for him to move on to bigger and better things.

Let's give him a late show on one of the major networks.

I'd give more cowbell if it was Stephen Corbert too!

[KamaAina]

31. These days, TDS and the Report are almost like Letterman anyway.

Every time either one gets an interview with someone important, it takes up two-thirds of the show.

[Midwestern Democrat]

49. That ship may have sailed. For years, everyone talked about Stewart as being the most likely next

network late night host, but somehow it never happened - he was up for the 11:30 ABC show but they went with Jimmy Kimmell because the ABC executives worried that Stewart's humor might be too smart for the broad audience and that Kimmell had more of an "everyman" appeal.

I certainly thought he was going to get the 12:30 CBS show when CBS forced out Tom Snyder, but Letterman's company shockingly went with Craig Kilborn instead - and to add to the irony, Stewart, in turn, replaced Kilborn on "The Daily Show" - a clear case of Comedy Central getting the diamond and CBS getting the shaft.

[charlie and algernon]

15. I think Neil Patrick Harris or Ellen DeGeneres would be good.

Change things up a bit and especially NPH could do more music skits to counter Jimmy Fallon.

[Raffi Ella]

16. Tina Fey or

Amy Poehler.

[Agschmid]

17. +1

[Ken Burch]

29. Why not BOTH?

After all, they do a killer "team" act hosting those award shoes.

Taylor Swift would never be a guest but...well, so what?

[Raffi Ella]

52. haha, Poor Taylor.

I think Hollywood would be shaking in their boots with the two of them at the Letterman helm...

[Lex]

18. I read that it was already in Craig Ferguson's contract that he takes over

Dave's show.

[pokerfan]

27. Do you have a link?

While Craig an hour earlier would be nice, I'm not sure how well his brand of off-the-wall humor would translate to 11:30.

[Lex]

28. No link. Posted on Facebook

by a friend who follows these things, but that's fwiw.

[Lex]

41. I found a link

In this article it discusses it, near the end:

http://splitsider.com/2014/04/david-letterman-announced-hes-retiring-in-2015/

[pokerfan]

43. Thanks

I hope he stays where he is, where CBS doesn't know/care what he's doing.

[Midwestern Democrat]

48. I believe it's a very toothless clause - unless it contains a massive penalty payment (like the $30

million penalty clause Conan O'Brien got as part of his 2004 deal to take over "The Tonight Show" in 2009), it's not going to affect CBS's decision making one bit.

[Lex]

55. Actually Dave Letterman has probably retained the absolute ability to choose his replacement

given the fiasco with NBC/Johnny Carson and Letterman. Letterman pretty much wrote his own terms the last few times he went in negotiations for staying on at CBS. He wouldn't have overlooked that.

[OmahaBlueDog]

54. He may not want to, however

He's got a good thing going where he is now, and the slightly later hour gives him a bit more creative freedom.

[geardaddy]

19. Other

Louis CK.

[Raffi Ella]

22. He was hilarious on SNL last weekend.

[geardaddy]

23. Do you watch "Louie"?

Did you see the episode where he's supposed to take over for Letterman after he retires? It was a good episode.

[Raffi Ella]

24. No, you know

I have heard his name and I'm sure I've seen him before but SNL was my first real listen to him. I was very impressed. I will have to check that show out.

[geardaddy]

26. You can get the first three seasons on Netflix.

He's a very thoughtful writer. Some poignant stories in his show.

[Raffi Ella]

53. I meant to look him up last weekend and forgot all about it.

Gonna do it this weekend for sure, thanks

[KamaAina]

30. Other: KamaAina

Trust me, y'all would be staying up for that.

[GoCubsGo]

36. Dave Chappelle.

Or, any one (or two) of the women already mentioned in this thread. I'd be happy with Stephen Colbert, too.

[graywarrior]

37. I just read that Colbert is on the top of the list for Letterman's replacement

[Lex]

42. Craig Ferguson gets first dibs

per this article:

http://splitsider.com/2014/04/david-letterman-announced-hes-retiring-in-2015/

[pokerfan]

38. Stephen Colbert Is CBS's #1 Choice and He Wants to Do It:

Interesting....

As you've probably heard, David Letterman announced he's retiring from late night in 2015, and succession talk started the second that was announced. Mashable reports today that Stephen Colbert is CBS's top choice to take over Late Show in 2015 and that he is interested in the job, according to their anonymous sources in both Colbert's camp and at CBS. The report says that Colbert hasn't had any formal negotiations with the network and has no agreement in place but that he had engaged with CBS execs about the job prior to Letterman announcing his retirement. "We’re not commenting on any rumors or speculation about succession," a CBS spokesman said, and Comedy Central had no comment. Entertainment blogger Nikki Finke has also cited anonymous sources that Colbert is the top choice.

Mashable's report adds that, although Craig Ferguson has a stipulation in his contract guaranteeing him to inherit Letterman's show (something CBS can buy him out of if they want), Ferguson has "never been seen as the heir apparent" by the network. According to the report, Stephen Colbert's Comedy Central counterpart Jon Stewart was at one point considered to be a candidate, but Stewart, who just took some time off from The Daily Show to direct his first movie, is said to be more interested in pursuing that project and other non-late night show stuff, rather than moving to CBS.

More: http://splitsider.com/2014/04/report-stephen-colbert-is-cbss-top-choice-to-take-over-for-letterman-and-he-wants-to-do-it/

[applegrove]

45. +1

[NightWatcher]

63. IF Colbert gets it will he do it in character like on his Comedy Central show?

If so, I don't think I can watch it. I get that it's a character based on satire of those idiots on rw tv, but I don't want to watch it on late night. I found Colbert funny for about a week before the schtick got old.

[pokerfan]

74. According to the article I linked

Stephen Colbert's contract with Comedy Central runs out at the end of 2014, leaving him wide open for the job. A date for Letterman's last show has yet to be set, but Letterman has said that it will be at least a year out from yesterday, sometime in 2015. If Colbert is selected for the job (and accepts it), he'll have to leave his faux-conservative pundit character behind and do five one-hour shows a week instead of four half-hour ones, but it sounds like he's up to the challenge. A year's a long time, and these anonymous sources could be wrong and things could change, but all intel right now points to Colbert being the number one contender to become the second host of CBS's Late Show.

Which I think would be a wise choice.

[Demoiselle]

40. I never watch Leno. I seldom watch Conan.

…But I really like Ferguson. And his weird sidekick. Ferg has a certain warmth about him. And he's nicely goofy. And I have a soft spot for the British Isles.

[UrbScotty]

59. I don't watch Leno either. No one does anymore.

Because he retired a couple months ago.

[grasswire]

50. Neil Patrick Harris

...he would be hilarious.

[progressoid]

51. Well I hadn't thought of him but I like that idea!

[UrbScotty]

57. Anyone but Conan O'Boredom - I'd tell you why, but I'm getting sleepy just thinking of him (nt)

[UTUSN]

62. Well, I've never "gotten" what the FALLON hype is all about. n/t

[Liberalynn]

60. Aisha Tyler

[doxydad]

65. Chelsea Handler...here's why..

They'll look overall possibilities, and realize that a woman needs this slot, and...as a big fat bonus she'll bring her 'Ed McMahon sidekick' L'il Chuy (sp) with her. Whaddyathink?

[Chan790]

69. Other: Nobody.

At long last, I feel that late-night comedy and talk programming is dead. Every year, the audience for this kind of programming gets smaller and smaller, the revenues shrink, the programming becomes more and more about hyping their own network/studio's content which creates a feedback loop that is killing the genre.

Kill it and move to other formats. One of the mentions out there is that CBS is looking possibly as Stephen Colbert as a replacement. I think that's half a bad idea...don't hire Colbert to host a late show, kill the late show and hire Colbert to do what he does best: scripted satire news programming.

Otherwise, let's just use it for a national news show, an evening wrap-up or to replay episodes of comedies and dramas that you're trying to scrap-up ratings for.

[mulsh]

71. Create a completely new show. Create something unlike what is currently on TV

If a host is needed please think about doing something radically different. Find an erudite, funny person and provide them with a similar group of people as support staff. Devise an entirely new concept in late night entertainment. I know I'm asking for the world from CBS. but someone did it before when they developed the Tonight Show.

[mulsh]

72. Create a completely new show. Create something unlike what is currently on TV

If a host is needed please think about doing something radically different. Find an erudite, funny person and provide them with a similar group of people as support staff. Devise an entirely new concept in late night entertainment. I know I'm asking for the world from CBS. but someone did it before when they developed the Tonight Show.

[brooklynboy49]

73. No one alive can replace Dave

I've been a Letterman fan since he had an afternoon show on my local NBC affiliate 40 years or so ago. His most memorable show was his last, when he almost burned the set down!

The only comedian who would be up to the job would be Carlin.

Among the living (and young), I think Amy Schumer would make for a lot of fun evenings. Sure, she's vulgar. I like vulgar!!