by Jason Snell
David Letterman Returning to TV With Netflix Talk Show
Dave’s back. The Hollywood Reporter’s ace TV writer Lesley Goldberg has the details:
Two years after signing off CBS’ The Late Show, David Letterman is returning to the small screen. The longest-serving host in U.S. late-night TV history is set to topline a new talk show for Netflix. The untitled six-episode series will premiere in 2018.
“Here’s what I have learned, if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first,” Letterman said.
Since Letterman retired from Late Night, I’ve suspected that—unlike his idol Johnny Carson—he would find a way to return. His recent interview with Norm MacDonald only reinforced that belief.
I kept thinking that we’d see him do something on the Internet, something like Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” that indulged his own interests and gave him the flexibility to do as much as he wanted and no more. Six one-hour episodes on Netflix certainly fits that description.