Ferguson wants Jon Stewart to replace Letterman

TV Squad - Santa Monica, CA, USA - Awwww, isn't it nice when one late night host gives a compliment to another?

Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson says that he would like to see Jon Stewart take over for David Letterman if and when Letterman retires. Letterman's current contract with CBS is up in 2010, which just happens to be the same time that Stewart's contract is up with The Daily Show and Comedy Central.

But that's not the most interesting part of this interview with Ferguson over at Broadcasting and Cable. Ferguson hints strongly that if Letterman stays, he'll stay, but if Letterman does indeed retire, he'll probably retire too. And he really doesn't have an interest in the 11:35 slot (Ferguson has already said he might leave CBS when his six year contract is up).

As I've said here before, it would be great to see Jon Stewart take over for Letterman. Sure, he's had crazy success with The Daily Show and has become sort of an icon in that role and has probably been influential in some way, but as he has said a thousand times in interviews, success doesn't last forever in this business, and he might see the timing of the late night shake up (Leno leaving NBC in 2009, Conan taking over for him, Letterman and Ferguson possibly leaving in 2010) as a way to move on to the next thing in his career. Plus, he looks up to Letterman and would probably like to be part of that family again.

Maybe if Letterman retires, Stewart can get the 11:35 slot and Colbert can come over too and get the 12:35 slot? That would be an interesting shift in the late night network talk show landscape.