Letterman Sweeps Back to Part-Time Duty

Five weeks after undergoing quintuple bypass heart surgery, David Letterman returns to “The Late Show” Monday as a part-time employee, kicking off a week of shows that will also feature Bill Cosby and Regis Philbin in guest-hosting roles, “Late Show” executive producer Rob Burnett announced Monday.

“Dave got a rare opportunity to experience what it would be like not to do this,” Burnett told reporters in a conference call, characterizing his boss as itching to get back to work. “I think the experience absolutely made him miss the job.”

For CBS, Letterman’s return translates into heightened interest in its key late-night property during the February sweeps period, one of the three months that stations use to negotiate advertising rates, and ends a frustrating period during which they had to keep their peace about scheduling, respecting Letterman’s iconic status in broadcasting and his reclusive style personally.

Now, however, the network stands to benefit mightily from Letterman’s total silence during his medical ordeal--as does the show, which has consistently trailed rival “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” in recent years. As Burnett put it, downplaying the significance of the first show’s guests, or comedy bits, or potential Top 10 list: “What people are interested in is what Dave has to say about all of this.”

Philbin, growing ever-more ubiquitous thanks to his host job on ABC’s hit “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” is Letterman’s only announced guest Monday, though Burnett said a musical act also will be on the bill. It was Philbin who appeared on “The Late Show” Jan. 14, the day Letterman entered the hospital for an angiogram, a precautionary test that revealed a clogged artery and prompted the heart operation that day.

Letterman will tape Monday’s show this Friday, to allow him additional rest before he returns to host another show on Wednesday, with guest Julia Roberts. To fill out next week, Bill Cosby will guest host Tuesday and Philbin on Thursday. Burnett said no decision had been made about next Friday’s show. Indeed, he conceded, “The Late Show’s” schedule will remain somewhat up in the air until Letterman has a better gauge of his stamina.

“A lot will be determined after Dave does his first show,” Burnett said, adding that Letterman has been hiking at least one hour a day. “He’s exercising. What he doesn’t know is how he’ll feel after he hosts a network television show. . . . We’re really just playing it by ear. The doctor’s are very comfortable with the idea of Dave doing a show on Friday and then on Wednesday.”

Burnett also left open the possibility of other celebrities guest hosting the week of Feb. 28, should Letterman not be able to resume his five-days-a-week work schedule. In Letterman’s absence, speculation about who would guest host “The Late Show” has ranged from Jerry Seinfeld to Johnny Carson--though Burnett said Monday that Letterman never wanted to burden Carson by asking him to fill in. To some, meanwhile, any guest host discussions ring hollow because Letterman--and Leno, for that matter--have workaholic strangleholds on their respective shows.

In Letterman’s absence, “The Late Show” first aired reruns, then had more success moving to a quasi-rerun format last week with “Late Show Backstage,” in which celebrities reminisced about previous appearances. This week, that format continues, with David Brenner, Tom Snyder and Tom Arnold interviewing past Letterman guests including Mike Myers, Don Rickles and Robin Williams.

Burnett, for his part, has been maintaining all along that “The Late Show” was open to guest hosts, although he stressed Monday that Letterman’s goal is to return to work full time. But Cosby and Philbin, Burnett said, are natural fits for the guest-hosting job.

“Cosby’s had great appearances on our show, and he’s a CBS employee,” Burnett said. “And Regis has been unbelievable to us. He’s been tied to all of this by being the last guest before the procedure.”

Asked how the 52-year-old Letterman looked, Burnett conceded that he hadn’t seen his boss in two weeks, when Letterman was last in the office. Throughout Letterman’s recovery, Burnett has taken to calling himself George Stephanopolous, a reference to how Letterman’s reclusiveness has turned Burnett into a spokesperson guarding White House secrets. The trickling down of information has had the side benefit of keeping media interest high throughout the last five weeks.

As for the show, Burnett said “The Late Show” format wouldn’t change to accompany Letterman’s condition. Except for one thing. “The show from here on in will only be six minutes in length,” Burnett cracked.