WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.099 --> 00:00:08.308
He is the longest-running late-night TV host in the United States, known for his signature mix of sarcasm and just plain strangeness.

2
00:00:08.355 --> 00:00:14.398
But David Letterman, he dropped a bombshell on his audience on Thursday. The comedian says he's calling it quits.

3
00:00:14.904 --> 00:00:15.965
Nischelle Turner has more.

4
00:00:17.931 --> 00:00:21.957
It's been great. You've been great. The network has been great, but I'm retiring.

5
00:00:21.971 --> 00:00:22.899
This is... really?

6
00:00:23.030 --> 00:00:23.224
Yep.

7
00:00:23.376 --> 00:00:26.176
This is true... this is... you actually did this?

8
00:00:26.222 --> 00:00:26.940
Yes, I did.

9
00:00:27.213 --> 00:00:29.205
The latest late-night shake-up.

10
00:00:29.652 --> 00:00:38.667
David Letterman, late-night television's longest-running host, surprised his audience Thursday night by announcing he's signing off next year.

11
00:00:39.004 --> 00:00:45.674
After 33 years, the 66-year-old host is retiring when his contract expires in 2015.

12
00:00:46.120 --> 00:00:47.813
Thank you. Thanks to everybody.

13
00:00:48.467 --> 00:00:56.324
The surprise announcement comes less than two months after his new top-rated competitor, Jimmy Fallon, took the reins of NBC's Tonight Show,

14
00:00:56.605 --> 00:00:59.994
at times nearly doubling the late-night veteran in ratings.

15
00:01:00.050 --> 00:01:03.045
I'm Jimmy Fallon and I'll be your host for now.

16
00:01:04.166 --> 00:01:07.518
Letterman still had an impressive audience every night at CBS.

17
00:01:07.884 --> 00:01:12.432
But he wasn't creating lots of new fans all the time the way that somebody like Jimmy Fallon is.

18
00:01:12.712 --> 00:01:16.424
Portions of Indiana at one time yesterday were under a flash flood warning.

19
00:01:16.454 --> 00:01:20.105
Letterman started off as a weatherman in Indianapolis.

20
00:01:20.516 --> 00:01:28.666
He launched Late Night with David Letterman on NBC in 1982, following The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson -- Letterman's idol.

21
00:01:32.612 --> 00:01:35.589
Always the heir apparent for when Carson retired,

22
00:01:35.989 --> 00:01:43.324
Letterman was stunned when NBC instead chose Jay Leno, sparking a rivalry that spanned more than two decades.

23
00:01:43.494 --> 00:01:45.649
They never told Dave that they had made this deal with Jay,

24
00:01:46.087 --> 00:01:50.004
and it was a huge blowup because Letterman felt like they'd stabbed him in the back.

25
00:01:51.764 --> 00:01:58.478
Letterman's heated departure from NBC led to the creation of The Late Show on CBS in 1993,

26
00:01:58.867 --> 00:02:00.391
taking Leno head-on.

27
00:02:00.676 --> 00:02:02.250
How are things at the White House? OK?

28
00:02:03.245 --> 00:02:09.895
For 21 years, he's been hosting stupid humans, pet tricks, singers and some of the biggest stars...

29
00:02:10.024 --> 00:02:10.950
You thought I was a...

30
00:02:11.112 --> 00:02:12.144
An (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

31
00:02:13.585 --> 00:02:16.701
...and delivering his signature top-ten list.

32
00:02:16.706 --> 00:02:18.713
Look at [this]. It's the top-ten list. Let's go.

33
00:02:19.130 --> 00:02:24.616
But it hasn't been all jokes. He took us through life-changing heart surgery in 2000.

34
00:02:25.043 --> 00:02:31.125
His first show after the 9/11 attacks serving as a key moment to help Americans move forward.

35
00:02:31.422 --> 00:02:35.179
If you didn't believe it before, you can absolutely believe it now.

36
00:02:35.499 --> 00:02:37.875
New York City is the greatest city in the world.

37
00:02:39.771 --> 00:02:43.485
Through all the ups and downs, Letterman continued to do what he loved.

38
00:02:43.895 --> 00:02:48.566
His run behind the desk eclipsing Johnny Carson's 30-year reign on late night --

39
00:02:49.016 --> 00:02:50.801
truly an end of an era.

40
00:02:50.869 --> 00:02:58.484
I said when this show stops being fun, I will retire ten years later.