David Letterman Announces His Retirement From The Late Show

It was a scoop that rocked the fewer than 2000 followers of former R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills's Twitter feed: David Letterman had just announced his retirement to the evening's live studio audience. Probably no one imagined that he would be the one breaking the news, but once he had and the media quickly disseminated the news, CBS put up an early clip of the announcement.

In a statement, CBS President and CEO Les Moonves actually managed to transcend the usual press release bullshit and sound legitimately heartfelt:

When Dave decided on a one-year extension for his most recent contract, we knew this day was getting closer, but that doesn’t make the moment any less poignant for us. For 21 years, David Letterman has graced our Network’s air in late night with wit, gravitas and brilliance unique in the history of our medium. During that time, Dave has given television audiences thousands of hours of comedic entertainment, the sharpest interviews in late night, and brilliant moments of candor and perspective around national events. He's also managed to keep many celebrities, politicians and executives on their toes -- including me. There is only one David Letterman. His greatness will always be remembered here, and he will certainly sit among the pantheon of this business. On a personal note, it's been a privilege to get to know Dave and to enjoy a terrific relationship. It's going to be tough to say goodbye. Fortunately, we won't have to do that for another year or so. Until then, we look forward to celebrating Dave’s remarkable show and incredible talents.

There will certainly be a lot more to write about this in the coming swan-song year, but in the meantime...I guess if you hadn't planned to DVR tonight's episode, maybe you should.