Stephen Colbert is the new face of late night television.
CBS announced that Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of “The Colbert Report,” has been handed the torch to host “The Late Show.”
Colbert will take over for Letterman when he retires from the show, after 21 years, in 2015.
“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” said Les Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. “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.”
“We welcome Stephen to CBS with great pride and excitement, and look forward to introducing him to our network television viewers in late night,” said Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment.
In a statement following the announcement, Colbert shared his excitement. “Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career.” He continued, “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”
The Late Show airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on CBS
