Comic Colbert to succeed US late-night icon Letterman

Agence France-Presse

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Comic Colbert to succeed US late-night icon Letterman
The 49-year-old comedian is set to move in to 'Late Show'

LOS ANGELES, California – Comic Stephen Colbert will succeed TV icon David Letterman as host of the “Late Show” next year, CBS said Thursday, the latest move in a changing of America’s late-night old guard.

The announcement came after Letterman said he will step down next year, and follows the departure of rival veteran Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show.”

Colbert, 49, who has presented the award-winning The Colbert Report satirical show since 2005, paid tribute to Letterman as a model that other late-night hosts look up to.

“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” he 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,” he said, referring to Letterman’s gap-toothed smile.

Letterman, 66, a pillar of American late-night TV talk shows, announced last week that he will leave his “Late Show” studio at CBS next year after a 22-year run.

Colbert – who got into hot water recently over offensive language about Asian Americans – has agreed to a five-year deal with CBS, starting after Letterman stands down some time in 2015.

“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” said CBS boss Leslie Moonves.

“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.”

Before launching The Colbert Report, Colbert spent eight years as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, which has won 19 Primetime Emmy awards.

On The Colbert Report, which has won four Primetime Emmys, Colbert plays a parody of an ultra-conservative talk show host, although he himself is widely perceived as liberal.

Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh lambasted CBS’s decision to put Colbert in charge of a US media-cultural institution.

“CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America,” he said. “No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values… Now it’s just wide out in the open.”

 

Merry-go-round

Letterman’s announcement last week was the latest in a merry-go-round of changes bringing a younger generation of hosts to the fore in the US late-night landscape.

In February, 39-year-old Jimmy Fallon took over at NBC’s “The Tonight Show” after Letterman’s long-time rival Leno, 63, announced his departure.

“Saturday Night Live” star Seth Meyers is NBC’s new talk-show hope at 12:30 am, inheriting Fallon’s old time slot.

The changes have also involved some geographical rivalry: Leno taped “The Tonight Show” in Los Angeles, but the show moved to New York with Fallon.

That left Jimmy Kimmel as the only major late-night host still on the West Coast. Letterman also tapes in New York.

But tellingly, CBS did not specify where the Colbert “Late Show” will be made, saying the location “will be determined and announced at a later date.”

Letterman’s “Late Show” is famous for Letterman’s witty repartee with A-list celebrity guests, his satirical top-10 lists and a raft of regular features including a segment dedicated to clever animals called Stupid Pet Tricks.

Colbert triggered a firestorm on social media last month after attacking the owner of the Washington Redskins, who refuses to change the American football team’s name, which is considered derogatory by many Native Americans.

Colbert stressed that his over-the-top jibes were meant as parody. – Rappler.com

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