Today is the
CBS TCA Summer Press Day and Chairman, CBS Entertainment, Nina Tassler was asked about the future of their network’s late night talk shows.
As we know, David Letterman is retiring some time next year and Stephen Colbert will be taking over the show. Not only is Dave leaving, but so is Craig Ferguson, who hosts The Late Late Show, at the end of the year.
Up until today that is all we knew. When it comes to The Late Show, as this point CBS does not have a start date for Colbert who’s still hosting his Comedy Central show. The network and him have had some discussions about what he wants to do with the show, but nothing is near being finalized. Tassler said that the two of them will start meeting next month to iron out the rough spots.
Now what about the show that airs at 12:35p? As of now everything is up in the air including the format of it. Tassler said, “There is certainly a knee-jerk reaction to go for a more traditional sort of behind-the-desk interview format, but who knows.” In fact, not only do they not know what type of show they want, they are also not sure what type of host they desire to fill the spot. She admitted not only are they looking at comedians, they are also looking at the political word for someone to sit in that hot seat.
At this point they are keeping a very open mind, and they want to make sure they make the right decision. They made the right decision with Colbert, and I hope they make the right decision for the show that will follow his show.
I tell you, I wouldn’t mind if they did a variety show at 12:35p. I just hope they keep it on the lighter side of things and don’t go political. That is what Jon Stewart is for. What would you like to see happen with that timeslot?
