David Letterman headed back to talk TV with Netflix series

NEW YORK — David Letterman, who said goodbye to his long-running talk show two years ago, will say hello to TV again with a new show for Netflix.

Netflix announced Tuesday that the six-episode series has Letterman combining two primary interests: in-depth conversations and in-the-field segments sparked by his curiosity and humor. In each hour-long episode, Letterman will conduct a long-form conversation with a single guest and explore topics of his own outside the studio.

The series, not yet titled, is set to premiere in 2018.

In 33 years on late-night television, Letterman hosted 6,028 episodes of NBC’s “Late Night” and CBS’ “Late Show,” and is the longest-running late-night broadcaster in American history. He has won 10 Emmys and two Peabody awards. He stepped down from the “Late Show” in May 2015.

Letterman said he feels “excited and lucky to be working on this project for Netflix.” He added these words of wisdom: “If you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first.”

Letterman is also a Kennedy Center Honoree, and will receive the Mark Twain Prize in October.

“I feel excited and lucky to be working on this project for Netflix,” Letterman said in a statement. “Here’s what I have learned, if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first. Thanks for watching, drive safely.”

The details of the deal have not yet been released, but according to forbes.com, “it wouldn’t be surprising if Letterman earned in the mid-to-high eight figures for the series. Over the past year, big name comics like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres each signed deals with the streaming service to make $20 million per one-hour special.”

Fellow comedian and late-night host Chelsea Handler has also found a series home on Netflix; her weekly show debuted in its second season in April.

Associated Press; Contributing: Sun-Times staff reporters Miriam Di Nunzio and Darel Jevens