Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel will have to deal with David Letterman for another year: Letterman has agreed to host Late Show With David Letterman through 2015. CBS CEO Les Moonves said, "There is only one Dave, and we are extremely proud that he continues to call CBS ‘home.'"
Letterman's deal originally ended at the end of 2014, but CBS apparently wanted to keep things stable while NBC will be introducing Fallon as the new Tonight Show host next February. However, Letterman's producer Rob Burnett denied that, telling the Times, "At this point in Dave’s career he operates completely independently of these other guys."
He added that Mr. Letterman remains open about a decision to continue further on the show. Mr. Burnett said he had recently seen interviews with Mr. Carson when he was winding up his years at NBC in which he said he was unsure about when he would step aside and kept making short term deals. “I think Dave is in the same position,” Mr. Burnett said.
Mr. Letterman, though, will be 68 at the end of this contract; Mr. Carson retired at 66.
Letterman, 66, said, "Les [Moonves] and I had a lengthy discussion, and we both agreed that I needed a little more time to fully run the show into the ground."
Last year, Letterman celebrated 30 years in late night television. Drew Barrymore 4-eva!
