Is David Letterman retiring? ‘There’s [been] no discussion about his leaving,’ says producer Rob Burnett
Oh, CBS, how tricky you are: Though a clip of David Lettermanís Late Show interview with Howard Stern ó in which the shock jock dissed Leno ó has been running rampant throughout the Web today, it was cut short before Letterman told Stern that he would only be hosting the show for a couple more years. Before long, fans who watched the show live last night took the the Internets, wondering if that meant retirement was in Lettermanís future.
As Rob Burnett ó CEO of Worldwide Pants and executive producer of Late Show ó tells EW, donít count on it. ìI think the first time Dave said he was going to leave in two years was back in 1987,î Burnett says. ìHe was asked a question [last night]: ëHow much longer do you see yourself doing this?í And he said, ëI donít know, a couple of years.í It was kind of a tossed-off response. I think itís a response heís given multiple timesÖ. In no way was last nightís show any kind of actual announcement of any kind. I think when a guy ends a 30-plus career on television, itís not going to be guessing about whether heís leaving or not. It wonít be ambiguous.î
Though Burnett downplays rumors that Letterman will retire in 2013 after his contract expires in 2012, he himself says he has no idea when the talk show host plans to hang up his hat. (Or should we say pants?) ìHe says this periodically, [but] I donít want to rule it out,î says Burnett. ìI have no particular insight into when David Letterman is going to want to stop doing the show. Iím not being coy. I honestly donít know. I donít know that he knows. Maybe he does, but thereís [been] no discussion about his leaving.î
Of course, if youíre heading to Vegas, it wouldnít be a bad bet to put your money on 2013, especially when you consider that Lettermanís idol, Johnny Carson, retired from The Tonight Show when he was 66 ó the same age Letterman will be in 2013. Burnett, however, still insists that there are plenty more Late Shows ahead. ìDaveís as funny as heís ever been,î he says. ìFor athletes, there comes a time when you canít get around on the fastball anymore. [But] Dave is still knocking it out of the park.î
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