Colbert gets Letterman's job

IT'S FRENCH, BITCH: CBS has announced that Emmy- and Peabody-winning TV host Stephen Colbert will take over as host of The Late Show, succeeding departing legend David Letterman. This won't happen immediately, of course; Letterman's final broadcast isn't until sometime next year. CBS President/CEO Les Moonves called Colbert "one of the most inventive and respected forces on television," while Chairman Nina Tassler noted that the Colbert Report commentator/satirist "blazes a trail of thought-provoking conversation, humor and innovation with everything he touches." For his own part, the Comedy Central star, who came to prominence as a correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, said, "Simply being a guest on David Letterman's show has been a highlight of my career. I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave's lead... now if you'll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth." Colbert's faux-conservative "Stephen Colbert" character regularly pushes right-wing talking points to absurd conclusions; it remains to be seen how he'll transition to a version of himself without quotation marks. (4/10a)