Lady of the Night?
/Until someone is finally named, speculation as to who will replace David Letterman on CBS's Late Show will continue to be a hot topic.
Maybe it's time to give girls a shot.
The NY Daily News says that Ellen DeGeneres and Tina Fey are high on the list to take over “The Late Show” when David Letterman retires next year, sources told The News.
Bringing either one into the late night wars, “would be a masterstroke,” said a source close to the situation.
“There’s no reason that late night television should be limited to men,” the source added.
With only one exception — Joan Rivers’ short-lived “The Late Show” in 1986 — late night TV has been dominated by men since the “Tonight Show” debuted in 1954 with Steve Allen as the host.
CBS and DeGeneres have quietly spoken about stepping into “The Late Show” when Letterman retired, a source said.
A rep for DeGeneres declined to comment.
Fey has not spoken to the network, her rep said, but CBS sources claim the “30 Rock” star is among those “topping the list.”
Another major contender emerged on Friday: Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert, whose deal with the cable network is believed to expire later this year, sources said.
One source said Colbert has spoken to CBS about the gig.
Conan O’Brien, who hosted “Late Night” on NBC after Letterman left — and briefly helmed “The Tonight Show” in 2010 — has also talked to CBS, a knowledgable insider said.
The least likely to get the job is Letterman’s protege, Craig Ferguson, the host of the Letterman-produced, “The Late Late Show,” several sources said.