CBS has given ‘Late Night’ host David Letterman two thumbs up with a contract extension that will pit him against Jimmy Fallon when he takes over for Jay Leno after the Winter Olympics.
Letterman, 66, has inked a deal that will take him through 2015 despite strong suggestions that the network would bring in some new blood to compete against the ‘Tonight Show’ when 39-year-old Fallon slips behind the hosting desk.
Dave joked, “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.”
The CBS CEO said earlier this summer, “Outside of Johnny Carson, Letterman is the best that ever was in late night. We like the stability. Despite what people think, we don’t like drama at 11:30 p.m.”
After the contract extension news broke, Moonves said, “There is only one Dave, and we are extremely proud that he continues to call CBS ‘home.'”
The ‘Late Night’ host recently made history by surpassing Johnny’s record for years hosting and is now the reigning record holder with 31 years.
Carson retired at age 66 in 1992. Days before he died in 2005, The New York Times published a story revealing that in the years following his retirement, Johnny occasionally sent jokes to Letterman for use in his monologue. The former host reportedly got a kick out of hearing Letterman deliver his one-liners.
Photo: Facebook-Late Night