Netflix announced on Aug. 8 that David Letterman will return to television next year with a six-part series for the streaming giant, marking his first TV hosting gig since leaving CBS’ “The Late Show” in 2015. Each hour-long episode will include a “long-form” interview with a “singular guest,” according to a release, and the comedian will step away from the studio for “in-the-field” segments as well.
“David Letterman is a true television icon, and I can’t wait to see him out in the wild, out from behind the desk and interviewing the people he finds most interesting,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, in the release. “We’ll have to see if he keeps the beard.”
Letterman is the latest in a string of former talk show hosts to find his way back to television. Jay Leno’s CNBC web series “Jay Leno’s Garage” delves into his love of cars and motorcycles. HBO announced last month that it will premiere a new Jon Stewart stand-up special, after initially developing his animated shorts project, which was eventually canceled.
Letterman was the longest-running late-night host in television history, spending 11 years on NBC’s “Late Night” and 22 on “The Late Show,” which, together, totaled 6,028 episodes. After announcing his departure from the CBS series, Letterman told The New York Times in April 2015 that a return to television would depend “on the number of bridges I’ve burned.”
