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Who Should Replace Letterman? — Troy Senik
After David Letterman made the announcement yesterday that he’ll be stepping down from the Late Show next year, Twitter was abuzz with both tributes to Dave’s reign and speculation about his successor.
I’ll demur somewhat on the former point. I have extremely fond memories of Dave during his Late Night days at NBC and the earlier years of his CBS gig, but, on the occasions when I’ve watched in recent years, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the man’s famous penchant for misery has infected the entire show. The Late Show seems increasingly like a chore. (By contrast, I’d recommend Letterman’s recent appearance on Jerry Seinfeld’s web series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” where he came off as surprisingly loose and funny).
As for successors, the #LettermanReplacements hashtag got quite a workout yesterday. A few of the names that caught my eye:
Craig Ferguson — The idea of promoting the guy in the 12:30 timeslot is too obvious to be overlooked. For my money, Ferguson has the most innovative late night show on network TV. Whether that’ll play with an 11:30 audience, however, is an open question (paging Conan O’Brien). Ferguson’s show is essentially one big satire of late night conventions that might prove a little too much for a broader audience to swallow. Getting the big chair would be a step up, but there’s no going back if it doesn’t work.
Tina Fey — While I’m second to no one in my admiration of her abilities (those of you who have hangups with her because of her political inclinations are doing yourself a disservice — she’s one of the sharpest writers out there and she can actually be quite biting about conventional liberal wisdom), the groundswell behind Fey confuses me a bit.
She’s almost never worked alone. She shared Weekend Update at Saturday Night Live with Jimmy Fallon and then Amy Poehler (who’s also been her awards show partner). Even the magnificent 30 Rock often had her playing straight against the likes of Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan.
Yes, I’m sure there’s an appeal to the idea of having the first female late night host on network television, but I’ve always suspected that Fey, as a former SNL head writer, might be well-positioned to take over for Lorne Michaels when he inevitably leaves (SNL turns 40 next year).
Neil Patrick Harris — He’s already demonstrated his chops as a variety show type, turning in an impressive hosting stint at SNL, helming the Emmys and the Tonys, and being perhaps the most impressive of the guest hosts who sat alongside Kelly Ripa during the search for Regis Philbin’s replacement. Now that How I Met Your Mother is off the air, he also has the benefit of being available. If you care about diversity picks, this would also mark the first time that there’d be a gay late night host on network TV.
Norm MacDonald — I saw this suggestion in a few places and had to laugh. I love Norm, but the guy’s reputation for self-sabotage is unparalleled. Give him a 12:30 timeslot where he’s free to indulge his bull in a china shop ethos (seriously, HBO, have you considered this?). Giving him the Letterman chair, however, would be asking for trouble.
Joel McHale — I’m a big fan of McHale (even apart from his being a fellow Seattle Seahawks devotee). One’s got to imagine that his ambitions go beyond hosting The Soup on E! forever, and Community, long past its creative prime, is probably facing a denouement sooner rather than later. But isn’t the late night zone already somewhat flooded with wiseass young white guys? If you’ve got Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers out there, do you really need McHale?
Right now, my inclination would be towards Harris, who I’ve been saying for years deserves this kind of platform.
Who would you like to see replace Dave?
Troy Senik. Smarter than Letterman, more common sense, better segues and cultural references.
Really though, Craig Ferguson is by far my favorite of the network comedians. He’s goofy and self-deprecating, and doesn’t have that sardonic streak that shows up in Letterman’s work from time to time.
I suggest this.
A block of concrete?
By 2015, the market for a late-night network talk show will be so miniscule and fractured that they will need to hire someone with experience putting on a quality show night after night on almost no budget.
The only choice, going by that criteria, is Craig Ferguson.
Jay Leno
Comedy is important, but so is the ability to carry on an interesting interview. I’d nominate Jerry Seinfeld, whose “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” shows that he can get humor out of other people too.
Or how about Adam Carolla? Not my cup of tea, but then, I don’t watch late night TV either.
Any one of these.
Upon further review, Sarah Palin. That would be fun.
Seinfeld is funny in short doses and with the benefit of editing.
There is little to suggest that his talents would translate to a nightly, hour-long, live-to-tape tv show.
Someone other than the usual suspects … at this point, we need something different.
I’d love to see a new version of the Benny Hill show. If only the host of the original wasn’t so quiet these days … (yes, I know…)
I would love to see Mark Steyn do it. Can you imagine? A Conservative late night host?
Dennis Miller already had a show. It was cancelled.
Letterman should have retired long ago before he turned from the earnest midwesterner into the bitter, cranky old man who still thinks “John McCain is old” jokes are funny in 2014.
I like the Craig Ferguson idea. Quirky, but not too, and a guy who’s had enough life experience to be interesting (unlike some of the current 1130 hosts who all seem to have been produced by the same incubator).
Fey? Meh. Her schtick is already tired.
I personally would rather watch Graham Norton than any of the proposed substitutes for Letterman (except Ferguson).
Tom Shillue. Unique sense of humor and deceptivly quick.
Greg Gutfeld? He’s everywhere else.
Drew Klavin
Rob Long – I’m not just sucking up, I think he could be good. He knows a lot about a wide rage of stuff and it seems he can make most people comfortable. And he’s already a squish – so no rough edges.
I second the Mark Steyn vote, but he is too busy taking on “The Stick”.
Craig Ferguson is hilarious, but the show is weird. A talking robot/skeleton as side kick and a horse costume as a regular pointless aside, does not translate to a mass audience appeal.
I might not be surprised by Jay Leno. Jimmy Fallon moved the Tonight Show to New York, so CBS could start up again in LA.
I’ll see Norm MacDonald and raise to Dave Chappelle.
I have fond memories of the early to mid-days of Letterman also. My stepdaughter had bounced out of the Ohio State Masters program in Classics (through no fault of her own) and was living with us, as she’d sublet her apartment in Pittsburgh for a year. And sometimes we’d sit up and watch the Late Show.
But somewhere along the way Letterman began to suffer from what I call GKD, or “Garrison Keillor Disease,” and watching him ceased to be entertaining, or even the slightest bit amusing.
Who should replace him?
I understand Piers Morgan is out of a job . . . .
Don’t personally care on the choice, I don’t watch TV, and haven’t in years.
BUT: Seeing Letterman go is good. What little I’ve caught of him has not been fun, instead he’s just turned cranky and mean over the years.
The snarky rebelious tone works when you’re up and coming, it’s grumpy old man when you’re his age.
I don’t see them going for another white guy even though I think Chevy Chase deserves a second chance. Chris Rock hasn’t done much the last few years. He’s not really leading man material in movies. I can see him jumping to late night. Tina Fey seems like a solid bet as well. Possible dark horse could be Howard Stern.
There’s a story that Stephen Colbert is being considered. At least that would allow him to break with the “liberal pretending to act like what a liberal thinks a conservative acts like” schtick and just be another liberal 0.1%er.
Five years ago, I would have said Ferguson. He was creative, his interviews were interesting if offbeat, and he would intermix the comedy with personal anecdotes of his life and journey to citizenship. The last several years, though, he seems bored of it all. His show has become so repetitive it’s often difficult to tell one from the other. He seems more interested in making gay sex jokes and talking over his guests than in engaging with and entertaining his audience.
I watched him every night for eight years when he started out, but he lost me over the last few. If we could get the old Ferguson back, he’d be top notch especially if he took a break from the format and did an occasional show in the Tom Snyder mold like he did with Stephen Fry. If we’re getting the stale guy who seems burned out, clean house entirely and go with new hosts on both of CBS’ late night shows. Please no ex-SNL man-children though.
I feel that’s a symptom of the low budget. There’s simply a limit to what he can do on the budget at his disposal.
I’m not sure. Definitely low budget and zero promotion by CBS, but he’s made open remarks that they know they’re doing the same show every night. He and Thompson (who voices the robot sidekick Geoff) have been almost antogonistic with people who bring it up on social media. I’m not sure if they just don’t care about the show anymore, or if it was an experiment in deconstructing the late night show form that has passed its expiration date. Whatever it is, it hasn’t been funny for a while now, and it’s a shame because the stuff Ferguson was doing was hilarious the first five or so years of the show. This was a grown man that made lip sync videos and dialogues with puppets to open his show, and it worked.
Here is a second for Adam Corolla…..a little late night Libertarian-ish love.
I’d like to see re runs of the old Tonight Show with Steve Allen or Johnny Carson reruns. THE BEST!!!
All the more reason to shake up his routine.
Seems like the title of this thread says it all…
Troy Senik.