Christmas (Baby Please Don’t Go)

Ah, shucks.

So I knew Dave (Letterman) was planning on retiring at the end of this season (his last show is, in fact, scheduled for next May 20).

And I knew that, with Christmas right around the corner, we soon would be seeing Darlene Love on his Late Show, singing – as it’s become a 28-year-old tradition – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” I swear I was just telling someone last week that I was so looking forward to this because it absolutely is one of my most joy-inducing traditions for the holidays.

But, like a doof, I did not connect the dots.

Dave leaving the late-night game means that this, 2014, will be the last year we see Love singing the song. On the telly. At Christmas. On Dave’s show.

:(

Click here to read what she had to say to EW.com about all of this...and about her plans not to retire the song just because Dave is retiring himself from his show.

And don’t forget to catch Love on Letterman one last time this Friday. I bet it’s going to be a special one....

Photo: CBS.com.

A Late Show for Stephen Colbert

That did not take long at all.

A week after David Letterman announced he is done with late-night TV, CBS has announced that Stephen Colbert will take over as host of the Late Show once Dave steps down and into retirement in 2015.

The Eye Network reportedly signed the Comedy Central staple to a five-year contract.

“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” said CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves of his new hire today. “David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

Said Dave of the man tapped to follow in his footsteps, “Stephen has always been a real friend to me. I’m very excited for him, and I’m flattered that CBS chose him. I also happen to know they wanted another guy with glasses.”

Ha!

For his part, Colbert said he was both thrilled and grateful CBS thought of him for the gig. “Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to grind a gap in my front teeth.”

Double-ha!

Photo: Deadline.com.

Dave Is Done

#ilovedave – and I am gonna be sad to see him go next year.

Which Dave? My, David Letterman, of course.

My favorite late-night firecracker reportedly began telling CBS brass today that he is retiring in 2015 once his contract is up.

I would publicly beg him to stay on forever, but the guy (pictured here on a selfie featuring Cobie Smulders from TV’s How I Met Your Mother) has been at it the longest of ’em all (31 years last year!).

It’s the end of an era, but the guy has earned his rest.

Photo: EW.com.

Update 1: Click here to watch Dave’s announcement, which will air tonight.

Update 2: Now click here to watch the Simpsons pay tribute to Dave.

Dave Until 2015

The powers that be at CBS have ensured that that late-night firecracker David Letterman will stay put on his Late Show for, at least, another couple of years.

Yay!

#ilovedave, yo.

The guy’s been at it for like, 20 years, and he still rocks it, so I’m quite the :) right now.

So, Dave fans, let us breathe easy through 2015 – and then let’s see what happens with our guy (pictured here with President Bill Clinton) next, OK.

Photo: TVByTheNumbers.Zap2It.com.

Is Derek Shepherd Running Off with Cristina Yang?

Somebody stop the bleeding over on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, please.

We’re already losing Sandra Oh at the end of next season, and although, no, Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd is not running off with Oh’s Cristina Yang – she wouldn’t do that to her person, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) – the actor might not stick around for a potential eleventh season.

“I think it depends on renegotiations, quite honestly,” Dempsey has told David Letterman. “I could stay, I may go, who knows?”

One issue that will inform his decision-making process? Whether producers work out a schedule that allows the guy to keep racing his cars (The Demps is a racing fiend).

“When you’ve been on a show for 200 episodes, it’s about surviving,” he told Dave. “It’s like being in a band – you’re given one specific note that you can play. I’m grateful I have the gig, but it’s not the same as being in a race car.”

You heard the guy, Shonda Rhimes. Let him have his speed (and surprise him with some exciting new notes to play; and, you know...tweet some support for Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, which is airing tomorrow night on Velocity by Discovery), he’ll let us have some more McDreamy.

Photo: SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com.

Chick on the Spotlight

OMG, you guys.

So there I was a week ago, in my dear Miami, prepping my bags to come back to Lima (which is dear, too – just...in a different way), with Letterman on, when Dave announced that his musical guest, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, was coming on in a moment.

Yes, solo. (Did we know this was happening?)

So I perked up, of course, and was transfixed when I heard her sing “Take It On Faith” off her first solo album, Mother.

The performance, featuring Ben Harper, was beyond. I was and continue to be moved to tears forming behind my eyes whenever I watch it.

My goodness, right?

Maines also has dropped a video, for another track, “Without You,” that I am feeling, too.

I heart this chick – and look forward to hearing more of her own stuff...and to the return of her band.

Photo: EW.com.

M and Dave, Sitting at a Pizza Place…

Madonna went on Letterman last night, and boy did she make an entrance:



On the show to do some promotion – finally! – for her Celebration, M and Dave had themselves one of the more at ease conversations they’ve ever had, I think. They talked about a lot of things, including the dissolution of her marriage, leaving England, their kids, her penchant for sportsmen, and, whaddya know, what she likes on her pie.

Update: Others agree: it was a very fun interview.

Paris, Qui T’aime?

I want Paris Hilton to really know what love is.

Fast-forward to the 0:48 mark and then pay special attention to David Letterman’s comment at the 1:18 mark.

And laugh out loud at the 3:06 mark – it’s classic Dave:



Update: Just hours after this post, it was announced that La Hilton had split with her boyfriend du jour, Doug Reinhardt.

Every time this happens, an angel loses his wings, doesn’t she know?