Which host launched CBS’s The Late Show when it premiered in 1993?

David Letterman launched CBS’s The Late Show when it premiered in 1993. Letterman moved to CBS after a highly publicized change in the late-night television landscape involving NBC’s The Tonight Show.

The Late Show with David Letterman debuted on August 30, 1993, from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Paul Shaffer served as bandleader and sidekick, continuing the creative partnership he had developed with Letterman during Letterman’s NBC years. The CBS program retained Letterman’s unusual comedy, surreal audience interactions, and recurring segments while competing directly with The Tonight Show.

The show’s title can cause confusion because Letterman’s earlier NBC program was called Late Night, whereas his CBS series was The Late Show. Letterman hosted the CBS program until 2015, when Stephen Colbert succeeded him.