Editing David Letterman (section)

== CBS ==
=== ''Late Show with David Letterman'' ===
{{Main|Late Show with David Letterman}}
[[File:Ed Sullivan Theater - Late Show With David Letterman (3619184146).jpg|thumb|The [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], where ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' was recorded]]
In 1992, [[Johnny Carson]] retired, and many fans, and Carson himself, believed that Letterman would become the new host of ''The Tonight Show''. When NBC instead gave the job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host his own late-night show on CBS, opposite ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' at 11:30&nbsp;p.m., called the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. The new show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where [[Ed Sullivan]] broadcast his [[The Ed Sullivan Show|eponymous variety series]] from 1948 to 1971. For Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-31-9503310282-story.html|title=Letterman's Neighbors Discover Spotlight's Chilly Side|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|author=Mark Albright |date=March 31, 1995|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> CBS also signed Letterman to a three-year, $14 million/year contract,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/01/29/david-lettermans-contract/|title=David Letterman's contract|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|author=Mark Harris|date=January 29, 1993|access-date=May 31, 2022|archive-date=January 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113042850/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305416,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> doubling his ''Late Night'' salary.

But while the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique style and sense of humor with the move, ''Late Show'' was not an exact replica of his old NBC program. The monologue was lengthened. [[Paul Shaffer]] and the [[World's Most Dangerous Band]] followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section and were [[rebranded]] the [[CBS Orchestra]] (at Shaffer's request); a small band had been mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Additionally, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many of his ''Late Night'' segments verbatim,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.oocities.org/davidletterman82/TimeAugust1993Article.html|magazine=Time|title=Stupid Talk Show Tricks| author=Richard Corliss |date=August 2, 1993|access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.). ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine wrote, "Letterman's innovation ... gained power from its rigorous formalism"; as his biographer [[Jason Zinoman]] puts it, he was "a fascinatingly disgruntled eccentric trapped inside a more traditional talk show".<ref>[https://time.com/4728313/david-letterman-jason-zinoman/ "Letterman: A TV Traditionalist With a Weird Streak"] by Daniel D'Addario, ''Time'',  April 17, 2017, p.&nbsp;56</ref>

=== Popularity ===
The ''Late Show''<nowiki/>'s main competitor was NBC's ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', which [[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno|Jay Leno hosted]] for 22 years from 1992 to 2014<!--Letterman started after Leno-->, except from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, when Conan O'Brien hosted. In 1993 and 1994, the ''Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''The Tonight Show''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that [[Hugh Grant]] came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|title=Viewers still in Letterman's corner|publisher=CNN|author=Breeanna Hare|date=October 7, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618163831/https://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|archive-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref>

Leno typically attracted about five million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. The ''Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2009/05/31/conan_obriens_time_has_come__will_the_leno_faithful_follow/|title=11:35pm|author=Joanna Weiss|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=May 31, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million-viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''[[Nightline]]'' and the ''Late Show'' were virtually tied.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509141823/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-date=May 9, 2009|title=Jay Leno And Jimmy Fallon Win the Late-Night Week of April 27&nbsp;– May 1 – Ratings|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|date=May 7, 2009|access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', Letterman closed the gap in the ratings.<ref name="Roberts helps">{{cite web|title=David Letterman: Julia Roberts helps him beat Conan O'Brien for first time; Denzel Washington, Jonas Brothers visit Thursday|url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614175758/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|archive-date=June 14, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Roberts sides">{{cite web|title=Roberts sides with Letterman|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/roberts-sides-letterman-late-night-wbna31210920|author=Access Hollywood|publisher=Today|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Who's loyal">{{cite web|title=Who's loyal to Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman?|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=7797222&page=1|last=Fisher|first=Luchina|work=ABC News|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch the ''Late Show'' instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/media/06late.html|title='Tonight Show' Audience a Decade Younger|first=Bill |last=Carter|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2009|access-date=July 6, 2009}}</ref> After Leno returned to ''The Tonight Show'', Leno regained his lead.<ref name="Ratings 2011">{{cite web|title='Nightline' Up; 'Conan,' 'Late Show' Down; 'Tonight Show,' 'Daily Show' Even|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307090934/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-date=March 7, 2011| author=Late Night TV Ratings Week|publisher=Zap2it|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref>

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 [[Emmy Award]] nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993 to 2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]] of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times.<ref name="harris09"/> For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only [[Oprah Winfrey]], a year that Leno was ranked fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|title= For Third Year in a Row Oprah Retains Her Position as America's Favorite TV Personality|publisher= [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date= December 29, 2004|access-date= July 12, 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090813175930/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|archive-date= August 13, 2009}}</ref> Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.<ref name="harris09">{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|title=America's Favorite Television Personality|publisher= a [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date=January 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225170841/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|archive-date=February 25, 2009}}</ref>

=== Hosting the Academy Awards ===
On March 27, 1995, Letterman hosted the [[67th Academy Awards]] ceremony. Critics blasted what they deemed his poor performance, noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event.<ref name="John O'Connor">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/29/movies/critic-s-notebook-the-winner-isn-t-david-letterman.html|title=The Winner Isn't David Letterman|work=The New York Times|author=John O'Connor|date=March 29, 1995|access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> In a joke about their unusual names (inspired by a celebrated comic essay in ''The New Yorker'', "Yma Dream" by Thomas Meehan), he started off by introducing [[Uma Thurman]] to Oprah Winfrey, and then both of them to [[Keanu Reeves]]: "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids met Keanu?" This and many of his other jokes fell flat.<ref name="John O'Connor" /> Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity he generated caused a decline in the ''Late Show''{{'s}} ratings.<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|first=Fred|last=Schruers|title= Dave vs. Dave: Forget Leno & Koppel&nbsp;— Letterman May Be His Own Worst Enemy|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 30, 1996|url=http://www.geocities.com/davidletterman82/RollingStone1996Interview.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127145433/http://www.geocities.com/davidletterman82/RollingStone1996Interview.html|archive-date=November 27, 2007}}</ref>

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint two years later, during [[Billy Crystal]]'s opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, ''[[The English Patient (film)|The English Patient]]''.

For years afterward, Letterman recounted his hosting the Oscars, although the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] continued to hold Letterman in high regard and invited him to host the Oscars again.<ref name="NF">{{cite news|first=Nikki|last=Finke|title= The 411 about David Letterman & Oscar|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 25, 2008|url=https://deadline.com/2008/02/the-411-about-david-letterman-oscar-4968/|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Bruce>{{cite web|last=Keller|first=Joel|work=The A.V. Club|url=https://www.avclub.com/bruce-vilanch-1798224491|title=Interview: Bruce Vilanch|access-date=May 31, 2022|date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premiere of the 14th season of ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]'', and confirmed that he had been considered for hosting again.

=== Heart surgery hiatus ===
On January 14, 2000, a routine checkup revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was rushed to [[New York Presbyterian Hospital]] for emergency [[coronary artery bypass surgery|quintuple bypass]] surgery.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/15/nyregion/artery-blocked-letterman-has-heart-bypass-surgery.html|title = Artery Blocked, Letterman Has Heart Bypass Surgery| work = The New York Times| date = January 15, 2000| access-date = March 23, 2009 | first=Tina | last=Kelley}}</ref> During the first weeks of his recovery, reruns of the ''Late Show'' were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman, including [[Norm Macdonald]], [[Drew Barrymore]],<ref name="Who's loyal" /> [[Ray Romano]], [[Robin Williams]], [[Bonnie Hunt]], [[Megan Mullally]], [[Bill Murray]], [[Regis Philbin]], [[Charles Grodin]], [[Nathan Lane]], [[Julia Roberts]],<ref name="Who's loyal" /> [[Bruce Willis]], [[Jerry Seinfeld]], [[Martin Short]], [[Steven Seagal]], [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Danny DeVito]], [[Steve Martin]], [[Tom Snyder]], and [[Sarah Jessica Parker]].

Later, while still recovering from surgery, Letterman revived the late-night talk show tradition of "guest hosts" that had virtually disappeared on network television during the 1990s, allowing [[Bill Cosby]], [[Kathie Lee Gifford]], [[Dana Carvey]], [[Janeane Garofalo]], and others to host new episodes of the ''Late Show''. Upon his return to the show on February 21, 2000, Letterman brought all but one of the doctors and nurses on stage who had participated in his surgery and recovery (with extra teasing of a nurse who had given him bed baths—"This woman gave me a bath!"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popstarsplus.com/celebrities_davidletterman.htm |title=David Letterman biography |publisher=Popstarsplus.com |access-date=2021-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061118051312/http://www.popstarsplus.com/celebrities_davidletterman.htm|archive-date=2006-11-18}}</ref> including Drs. O. Wayne Isom and [[Louis Aronne]], who frequently appeared on the show.

For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying: "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get ''The Tonight Show!'' It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag, he lobbied Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis ([[Interstate 465|I-465]]) "The David Letterman Bypass". He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, including a clip of Letterman's heart for sale on the [[Home Shopping Network]]. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote: <blockquote>He hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. "These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest," he says. "And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends."<ref name="rs2008" /></blockquote> Additionally, Letterman invited the band [[Foo Fighters]] to play "[[Everlong]]",<ref name="mtvfoo">{{cite web|title=Foo Fighters To Welcome Letterman Back To ''Late Show''|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1429027/foo-fighters-to-welcome-letterman-back-to-late-show/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019013418/http://www.mtv.com/news/1429027/foo-fighters-to-welcome-letterman-back-to-late-show/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 19, 2014|last=Basham|first=David|publisher=MTV|date=February 16, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song."<ref name="salonfoo">{{cite web|title=The top 10 reasons David Letterman's heart bypass operation was a good thing|url=https://www.salon.com/2000/03/20/letterman_3/|last=Millman|first=Joyce|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]|date=March 20, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313030417/https://www.salon.com/2000/03/20/letterman_3/|archive-date=March 13, 2022}}</ref> 

In February 2003, Letterman again handed the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including [[Bill Cosby]], [[Brad Garrett]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[John McEnroe]], [[Vince Vaughn]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Bonnie Hunt]], [[Luke Wilson]], and bandleader Paul Shaffer) when he was diagnosed with a severe case of [[shingles]].<ref>{{cite news | title=David Letterman suffering from shingles | date=February 28, 2003 | url=https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/2003/03/01/david-letterman-suffering-from-shingles/19919309007/ | work=record-courier.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Dave's cure for shingles: duct tape | date=April 2, 2003 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/04/02/dave-s-cure-for-shingles-duct-tape/ | work=tampabay.com }}</ref><ref name=EW2003>{{cite magazine | last=Susman | first=Gary | date=March 10, 2003 | title="Late Show" returns, with guest hosts for still-ill Dave | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | url=https://www.ew.com/article/2003/03/10/late-show-returns-guest-hosts-still-ill-dave | access-date=July 3, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including [[Tom Arnold (actor)|Tom Arnold]] and [[Kelsey Grammer]]—for shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, [[Adam Sandler]], who had been scheduled to be the lead guest, served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/arts/television/20cnd-letterman.html|title = Letterman is Ill, so Guest Takes Over Late Show| work = The New York Times|date = March 20, 2007| access-date = March 29, 2007 | first=Bill | last=Carter}}</ref>

===Second signing with CBS ===
[[File:President Barack Obama with David Letterman 09-21-09.jpg|thumb|Letterman interviewing President [[Barack Obama]] in 2009]]
In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''[[Nightline]]'' with [[Ted Koppel]]. Letterman was interested, as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker [[lead-in]]s from CBS's [[11 O'Clock News|late local news]] programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel.<ref name="battle">{{cite news|last = Harris|first = R.|date = 2015-05-15|title = Remembering the Ted Koppel interview when his mask came off|url = https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511|work = Variety|access-date = 2019-07-04|archive-date = 2019-07-04|df = mdy-all|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190704000022/https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511}}</ref> He addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/12/8/19989757/scott-d-pierce-dave-will-outlast-jay| title=Dave will outlast Jay| date= December 8, 2006| first=Scott D.| last= Pierce| newspaper= Deseret News|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said [[Leslie Moonves]], president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"<ref>{{cite web |title=CBS Signs David Letterman as Host of the "Late Show" Through Fall 2010 |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20061204cbs04 |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=December 4, 2006}}</ref>

According to a 2007 article in ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html|title = #17 David Letterman|work = Forbes|date = June 14, 2007|access-date = August 26, 2017|archive-date = March 2, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180302225717/https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html}}</ref> A 2009 article in ''[[The New York Times]]'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million.<ref name="nyt09carter" /> In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached an agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension was shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past.<ref name="nyt09carter">{{cite news| last=Carter |first=Bill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/arts/television/10letterman.html |title=Letterman Reaches a Deal With CBS to Extend 'Late Show' |work= The New York Times |date=June 6, 2009 |access-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref> Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.<ref name="nyt09carter" />

On the February 3, 2011 edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with [[Howard Stern]], Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |title=Is David Letterman Ready to be Done with the Late Show? |first=Seth |last=Abramovitch |date=February 4, 2011 |publisher=[[TV.com]] |quote=Dave tried valiantly to change the subject to Stern's new Sirius deal, rumored to be worth even more than the $500 million contract he signed with them in 2005. But once again, Stern (now 57) turned the tables on Dave (now 63), asking the host, "How much longer are you doing this?" To which Letterman replied: "Maybe two years, I think?" |access-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416021903/http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |archive-date=April 16, 2011 }}</ref> In April 2012, CBS announced it had extended its contract with Letterman through 2014.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304023504577321670048071482 |title=CBS Extends Letterman Contract Through 2014 | author= Christopher S. Stewart | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date= April 3, 2012 | access-date=September 21, 2012}}</ref> His contract was subsequently extended to 2015.<ref name="New Contract">{{cite press release |url=http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=871 |title= CBS announces new contract extensions with late night stars David Letterman and Craig Ferguson through 2015 |publisher=CBS Corporation | date= April 3, 2012 |access-date= October 19, 2012}}</ref>

=== Retirement from ''Late Show'' ===
During the taping of his show on April 3, 2014, Letterman announced that he had informed CBS president [[Les Moonves|Leslie Moonves]] that he would retire from hosting ''Late Show'' by May 20, 2015.<ref name=retire>{{cite news|title=David Letterman to Retire From CBS' 'Late Show' in 2015 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/david-letterman-retire-cbs-late-693420/ |access-date=May 31, 2022|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 3, 2014 |first=Lesley|last=Goldberg}}</ref> Later in his retirement Letterman occasionally stated, in jest,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sorokach |first1=Josh |title=So Was David Letterman Fired Or What? |url=https://decider.com/2018/01/12/so-was-david-letterman-fired-or-what/ |website=Decider |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> that he had been fired.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Conversation:David Letterman|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/david-letterman-in-conversation.html|website=Vulture|date=March 5, 2017 |access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> It was announced soon after that comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert would succeed Letterman.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stephen Colbert Next Host of 'The Late Show'|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/news/1002302/|publisher=CBS |access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref> Letterman's last episode aired on May 20, 2015, and opened with a presidential sendoff featuring four of the five living American presidents, [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], [[George W. Bush]], and Barack Obama, each mimicking the late president [[Gerald Ford]]'s statement "Our long national nightmare is over." It also featured cameos from ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' (the latter with a puzzle saying "Good riddance to David Letterman"), a Top Ten List of "things I wish I could have said to David Letterman" performed by regular guests including [[Alec Baldwin]], [[Barbara Walters]], [[Steve Martin]], Jerry Seinfeld, [[Jim Carrey]], [[Chris Rock]], [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]], [[Peyton Manning]], [[Tina Fey]], and [[Bill Murray]], and closed with a montage of scenes from both his CBS and NBC series set to a live performance of "[[Everlong]]" by Foo Fighters.

The final episode of ''Late Show with David Letterman'' was watched by 13.76 million viewers in the United States with an audience share of 9.3/24, earning the show its highest ratings since following the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] on February 25, 1994, and the show's highest demo numbers (4.1 in adults 25–54 and 3.1 in adults 18–49) since Oprah Winfrey's first ''Late Show'' appearance following the ending of her feud with Letterman on December 1, 2005. Bill Murray, who had been his first guest on ''Late Night'', was his final guest on ''Late Show''. In a rarity for a late-night show, it was also the highest-rated program on network television that night, beating out all prime-time shows.<ref>Nededog, Jethro (May 21, 2015).  [http://www.businessinsider.com/david-letterman-late-show-finale-early-ratings-2015-5 "David Letterman's farewell episode nabs biggest audience in over 2 decades"]. ''[[Business Insider]]''.</ref> In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of ''Late Night'' and ''Late Show'',<ref name=YahooNews/><ref name=TVGuide/> surpassing friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.<ref name=HollywoodReporter/>