Letterman returns with Netflix

David Letterman fronting The Late Show

Veteran US chat show host David Letterman is returning to the screen with a new chat show on global streaming giant Netflix.

Letterman announced his retirement after 20 years fronting CBS’ The Late Show in 2015 but will now return with a six-part programme next year.

The as-yet-untitled show will combine Letterman’s in-depth conversation with segments “exploring his curiosity and humour” across hour-long episodes, the streamer announced today.

The project is being produced by Radical Media, the prodco behind fellow Netflix shows What Happened, Miss Simone?, Oh Hello on Broadway and Abstract: The Art of Design, as well as Letterman’s Worldwide Pants.

In 33 years on late-night television, Letterman hosted 6,028 episodes of Late Night (NBC) and The Late Show (CBS), and is the longest-running late-night broadcaster in American history.

The commission forms part of a concerted push into unscripted originals announced by Netflix back in January.

Letterman said: “I feel excited and lucky to be working on this project for Netflix. Here’s what I have learned: if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first.”

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos added: “Just meeting David Letterman was a thrill; imagine how exciting it is for me to announce that we will be working together.

“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. We’ll have to see if he keeps the beard.”