That didn't take long: Just a week after David Letterman announced his plan to retire in 2015, CBS has officially found his successor. Stephen Colbert will take over as host of The Late Show upon Letterman's exit, the network announced today. And CBS is going all in, too, signing Colbert for a five-year contract. (Colbert's contract at Comedy Central runs through the end of 2014; CBS and Comedy Central have the same parent company.) The network says that "specific creative elements" — like producers, writers, and filming location — are still to be determined, as is the exact date of the handoff.
"The CBS Television Network today announced that Stephen Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning "The Colbert Report," will succeed David Letterman as the host of THE LATE SHOW, effective when Mr. Letterman retires from the broadcast. The five-year agreement between CBS and Colbert was announced by Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation, and Nina Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment.