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David Letterman and CBS are “very close” to a deal that would extend Letterman’s contract through 2014, according to the New York Times. The network also has been authorized to negotiate with staff members of Letterman’s Worldwide Pants production company as well. The status of negotiations with Craig Ferguson, whose show follows Letterman’s isn’t clear. Reached for comment, CBS issued a statement, “As would be expected at this time, we’re having conversations with both Dave and Craig about future years. There are no further details to announce at this time.” Letterman’s current contract is up in August but a special provision would permit him to exit in May at the end of the regular network TV season.
Report: David Letterman-CBS Deal Imminent, Craig Ferguson Talks continue
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John Stewart for The Late Show please. Since his sex scandal Dave is just too creepy.
Of all the late night guys I prefer Craig Ferguson. He’s actually funny and charming unlike Letterman who has become smarmy and dumb. Leno’s OK and Jimmy Fallon is amusing but Ferguson has just the right amount of comedy and he talks with his guestsa and not at them.
ditto. Craig actually lets his guests answer instead of cutting ‘em off like others. I also like the dancing horse.
DL is an outdated relic of the past that is well beyond his good years. Ferguson is the best in the business at this point in time.
One gets the sense that without his show, he’d have no life. And with his show, he has no life. Late Night has been ossified for too long. Also, I don’t buy his attempts at enjoying himself on the air. It all seems premeditated. Whereas Johnny seemed to genuinely enjoy himself on the air. And also had a life.
Ferguson better stay there. I love that show.
Oh gawd, will Letterman & Leno eVER go away? THe ratings for both are miniscule compared to the glory days. At least Letterman is still watchable – Leno is not. It’s horrible. Leno is Just pathetic, with old references and atrocious comedy writing delivered by a codger. Dave isn’t that bad, and at least he’s finally winning the ratings. But please, please, just go away, dudes, your time is up.
Craig Ferguson is unwatchable. Never been able to sit through more than a minute.
Really don’t understand him, at all. People like this guy, apparently. He gets higher ratings than Conan O’Brien! Yeesh. Does Ferguson even have writers?
I’ll hold while someone comments that he’s a nice guy and that’s why he deserves all of his success and has clicked with audiences.
Finally, someone agrees with me on this. His antics every night are self-consciously silly/irreverant to me. Not something that easily goes down once, let alone five nights a week!
I like his style with guests. He’s a lot more watchable than Letterman/Leno (who both need to retire). I just can’t stand the stupid Geoff the Robot Skeleton crap. It started out OK when there were just a few, canned responses. But now, he spends over half the show interacting with it.
Nobody will tell you that Ferguson is a nice guy. His staff loathes him, mocks him behind his back, and all wish they were somewhere else.
He’s like your drunk uncle at a family gathering – mugging, frantic for a laugh, and puppets too! This would have gone over well in 1954.
There was an article in Variety today about people personalizing celebs too much, and INterested Observer’s short post is a huge example of that.
LOL @ “creepy.” Famous guy in showbiz gets laid, film at 11. What do I care if Dave had sex with an employee. Might I add he was single at the time? And she was cute? SMH
I’m old enough to remember CBS late night before Letterman and it was a wasteland. Dave should keep working as long as his health permits/he wants to stay.
CBS needs to dump Letterman as soon as they possibly can as his act is getting way too stale and old. Ferguson is funny, at times, but not overall.
Ferguson? Hacky, corny, unwatchable.
Dave is the only alternative at 11:30. I watched Leno’s monologue for the first time in a couple of years this week, and it was the worst thing I’ve seen – ever. It’s so bad, it was like an SNL spoof of a vaudeville performer. How old are Jay’s writers – 85?
If Dave re-ups for 3 years that only works out to nine months of work, with the rest being vacation days.
At this point, Ferguson is worth more to CBS than Letterman.
Oh gawd no….Letterman is downright painful to watch these days. He needs to be put out to pasture along with Leno and give Ferguson the opportunity to host Late Night.
I grew up with Letterman, from the beginning to his jump to CBS. He is responsible for the attitude shift in the late night talk show style, as Johnny Carson once was for his generation. I would be the last person to say Dave has had it, but unless he gets interested in the show again, he will be reduced to flashes of brilliance becoming farther and farther between. 2014 is a long way off when you’re disinterested. I’m afraid of what DL will be like then.
I was hesitant to accept Craig Ferguson at first, but he has grown on me. It’s a fun show to watch and I like the free form style of it.
NBC is the one in a dire situation with Leno, who was done years ago and Fallon, who I’d call a disappointment, but did anyone ever expect ANYTHING from him?
Don’t look for Dave to go anywhere until he’s ready to retire. Even if his contract expires August 2012, he will want to stay at least through the November election. By 2014, he’ll be 67 which is the same age Carson was when he retired from The Tonight Show. Since Dave idolized Carson, he may copy his lead and retire at the same age.
Ferguson is a breath of fresh air on CBS and the network needs to give him everything he asks for. Otherwise, he needs to go to HBO and be unleashed.
I hope CBS has the wisdom to treat Craig Ferguson like the rare gem he is. (translation: $$$ and Letterman’s spot.)
Craig – lang may your lum reek!
I discovered Craig Ferguson about 3 months ago. Before that, I hadn’t watched late night comics for years. I never miss Craig…he’s funny and unique. I like him.
Letterman changed the landscape of late night surveying what John Updike once referred to as “gratuitous inventions” and “negative improvements” hence why his interviews with politicians are so piercing (also under-rated.) He actively acknowledges his influences (Steve Allen, Carson); in doing so he became his own entertainer and man in the process. He has never pretended to be anyone else than who he is. A corrosive Will Rogers deeply annoyed by the folly of the times in which we live. Perhaps the very last of the Great American Network Broadcasters. I hope he sticks around for as long as he wants to.
Leno = kiss-ass apple polisher.
Ferguson = bottle the crazy all you want; for me it always feels contrived and over-the-top. I get uncomfortable watching him.
Conan = the best material who could also grow into a really great interviewer.
Kimmel = also knows who he is and who he isn’t. Understands who his audience is. Not going anywhere nor shouldn’t.
Fallon = forward thinking and a great monologue. A gracious and genuine demeanor. Surprisingly enough real style.
Should it ever come to pass it will be interesting to see if Stewart’s topicality will fly 11:30 network. But brilliant as is Colbert. At some point Tina Fey could do something like that as well if she wanted to but I’m of the opinion that she can do anything that she sets her mind and talents to.
LOVE Ferguson!!!
And the dancing horse too!
Maybe CBS will move Craig to 11:30 P.M. Eastern/Pacific and give Dave a nightly show at 10 P.M. ET/PT!
I think Craig and his side kick skeleton Robot are so funny. Wish the show would come on earlier ….staying up to watch it every night . In fact i just bought tickets to go see him in Shreveport ,La .this friday . Can not wait!!
David Letterman needs to retire this year. It’s getting painful to watch him stutter, forget his questions and endure his too frequent senior moments. Dave, get out while the party is still going…..
My vote is to have Jon Stewart move his show to CBS. Keep the political satire, add a monologue to the beginning, then have one interview and a musical performance at the end. Best show on television right there!
LOVE craig ferguson. makes my night. i love the awkwardness and the unrehearsed moments with guests. hope he stays on forever!! n the horse,robot too.
Letterman is still brilliant. He’s on the Mt. Rushmore of talk show hosts.