What Will David Letterman Do After 'Late Show'?

Although it's been a little over a year since David Letterman announced his Late Show retirement, hearing about him stepping down from his 22 year post, and witnessing it actually take place on Wednesday, May 20, will be two completely different situations. Understandably so, fans of the talk show host are sad to see his late night reign come to an end, but, before anyone goes getting too far down in the dumps about the gaping hole Letterman's absence will undoubtedly leave in the after dark TV lineup, consider the answer to this question: What will Letterman do after The Late Show ?

Will he provide voiceovers for a Ken Burns documentary? Maybe he'll go the way of his mentor Johnny Carson and retire quietly, choosing to abandon public life altogether. There's also been some speculation that a new interview show may be in the works. Either way, for a guy who crafted a successful career in television by delivering side-splitting jokes in monologue form, charming audiences, and hosting pretty much any celebrity you could think of (all while wearing a tailored suit) over the past 33 years, there's no doubt that giving up a cushy gig like The Late Show will require a fair amount of adjusting. Those adjustments aren't exactly clear, though, because it seems like not even Letterman is sure of his future plans.

However, back in January, Letterman did tell The Late Show guest host Regis Philbin precisely why he couldn't wait to retire. "Because I am sick and tired of people saying, 'Well, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do?' I have no idea what I'm gonna do," he said.

But that can't be all the way accurate, because, outside of his hosting duties, Letterman owns a production company called Worldwide Pants. Also, here's something you may not know about Letterman — he runs a record label called Clear Entertainment. Needless to say, managing music acts isn't exactly an extended vacation.

There are some legitimate reasons we shouldn't be completely broken up over Letterman's retirement. He'll certainly be missed on TV, but, from the looks of things, there's no doubt that he'll still continue living a full, productive life. But whether he chooses to live out his post-Late Show days in front of the camera or not remains to be seen.

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