David Letterman is Back

David Letterman Will Explore Climate Change For National Geographic Docu-Series

David Letterman has a new hosting gig – of sorts.

The veteran late-night comedian will in 2016 journey to India to examine how that nation is trying to bring solar power to its entire population within the next decade. It’s a far cry from rattling off the popular Top Ten Lists and Stupid Pet Tricks that were so much a part of his more than three decades of wee-hours television for CBS and NBC. But it’s a chance for Letterman to give voice to the issue of climate change on a new, albeit temporary, home: National Geographic Channel.

Letterman will join Jack Black, Ty Burrell, James Cameron, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson , Aasif Mandvi, Olivia Munn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder and Cecily Strong in the second season of the documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously,” which explores the issue of climate change and won a 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The project is the first Letterman has announced since leaving “The Late Show” on CBS last May.

A spokesman for Letterman said the comedian declined to comment.

David Gelber and Joel Bach, the series’ producers, said they thought they noticed Letterman become more animated on “The Late Show” when discussion of climate change came to the fore, and decided to reach out to him. “You could just tell. Whenever they would have a climate discussion, he would really kind of perk up,” noted Bach, in an interview. “And it turns out he does, he cares about it a lot,” he said. “He’s definitely invested in this issue.”

Letterman, the producers said, has never visited the country.

The producers never really had to wrangle celebrities – well, except for folks like Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Lesley Stahl and Morley Safer. Gelber worked at “60 Minutes” for 27 years, and met Bach when he joined the show as an associate producer. As stories related to climate change came and went, Gelber said he realized “this really is the big story out there. There is nothing – maybe except nuclear war – that compares to climate change as an important story. The big media is basically underplaying it, ignoring it,” he thought as he tackled his regular duties. As much as the pair enjoyed working at “60,” they said, they wanted to devote more time to covering the single issue, and knew they could not do it at the newsmagazine.

So they took a chance, taking time to develop a documentary to explore the topic. Bach reached out to an old college friend who happened to be the niece of Jerry Weintraub, the famous TV producer who died in July. As luck would have it, he expressed interest, advising the pair to forego a documentary and instead envision the project as a TV series.

The lessons of “60 Minutes” are not far from their thoughts. “The voice of Don Hewitt is still in my brain,” said Gelber, referring to the legendary CBS News executive who created the program. “We have to find strong characters, stories that have uncertain outcomes,” he explained. “We try to take it to the next level in terms of cinematography.”

For National Geographic Channel, “Years” is an example of the types of “ambitious projects” the network wants to see more of, said Courteney Monroe, chief executive of National Geographic Channels U.S., in an interview. The company, which counted 21st Century Fox as a backer as part of a joint venture, is now held more closely under the corporation’s umbrella than it is the non-profit National Geographic Society. The network want to work more closely with the creative community to “become a premium network for content around science and exploration and adventure,” she said.

In 2016, one of those adventures will feature David Letterman in the role of explorer and science correspondent.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/da...aphic-docu-series/ar-AAeqpdb?ocid=ansmsnent11

http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news...te-show-gig-on-climate-change-series-20150917

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/david-letterman-part-series-climate-change-33838739

 

Cool. Glad to see him around.

 

Good move for Dave. He obviously cares about the subject and this provides a way for him to show he is more than just about the jokes.

 

He'll get along great with Rupert Murdoch.

 

Is this retired Letterman's way of saying, "Get off my lawn!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity...ick-white-beard-post-retirement-photo-2015289

 

Yikes

 

His face has been on TV every day for about 35 years.

It's just a very effective disguise.

 

Then he needs a hat and different glasses

 

wasn't he wearing "frameless glasses" the last couple years on tv?

 

This sounds like a disaster that will cater to Letterman's worst, most tedious tendencies.

 

Aanya, Aadhya...Aadhya, Aanya...

 

Ulysses S. Grant

 

I'm happy he's doing something. Wish Johnny had kept his toe in the water back in the day. Could have extended his time here for a little while.
Na, probably not.

 

LOL!

 

David Letterman Comes Out of Retirement To Honor Paul Shaffer
https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/dave-letterman-comes-out-of-retirement-for-paul-161148556.html

 

If Dave jogged by me, I'd never guess its him..
David Letterman: Balding, Bearded and Happy as Ever »

 

He lives in my neighborhood, surprised I haven't seen him around. I see Paul once in a while.

 

Looks like a very contented man who knows he doesn't owe anyone an explanation.

 

a new side of life for Dave away from TV box, wasn't he spotted in Central Park driving a horse & buggy now?

like:

 

Very well put. Since my own retirement 2.5 years ago, I've heard more BS from those still sitting in traffic twice a day, to spend 9 hours a day in a cubicle, under fluorescent lights, praying that they might see freedom again one day. Envy is a powerful state of mind.
.

 

Did he shave his head, or WAS he actually wearing a hairpiece at some point?

 

Everybody sing along!

 

He looks like a zillion old geezers. I wouldn't recognize him if I ran over him...

Good for him. He looks happy.

 

Yikes! His hair looked better in post #5 - better balance with the beard, imho.