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A good late night host can do three things really well:
1. Maintain the daily grind work schedule. You've gotta be invested in that sort of way of working.
2. Write / perform in good sketches and bits, plus the monologue.
3. Be an excellent interviewer.

I was looking at my list of the paths people have taken from roots to hosting in Post #94 and my favorites are definitely those whose roots are in writing and/or improv. To me, a writer / improviser would be able to do those three things I listed above pretty well. So with that, here are three ideas I haven't noticed mentioned in this thread or elsewhere (yet):

1. Steve Carell | Roots in the Second City improv theater, good writer, The Daily Show and The Office under his belt, and a movie career that proves even if his movies aren't big hits that people want to work with him and that means industry connections. I could see him taking the occasional few summer months off to do a new movie here and there, too. Heck, Carson was only doing like three or four live shows a week in his last years and he was still gettin' the big bucks. My guess is he would be funny, keep it up consistently, and have a lot of industry friends and connections who would like to be on the show. I could see it working for a good 10-15 years for him.

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2. Jim Rash | Roots in The Groundlings improv troupe, a smattering of TV and film appearances, did some guest writing for SNL, is consistently funny on Community, got big reception for his directorial debut The Way, Way Back, has already done some hosting/interviewing for The Sundance Channel, and won a freaking Oscar for co-writing The Descendents (did you see him mock Angelina Jolie during his Oscar acceptance?). I don't know if he's got "the look" people assume goes with this sort of show, but I get the impression he is well-liked and could be really creative. Plus, George Clooney could become his Tony Randall and show up whenever he has a last-minute guest slot to fill.

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3. Amy Poehler | Co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade improv theater, recurring actor on Late Night with Conan, not only didSNL but did Weekend Update, too. Parks & Rec is really good and I can see it either going a few more years (probably at least one too many) or wrapping it up soon (and probably at least one year too soon). She seems like she would excel at this sort of gig. I can see the NBC / Lorne Michaels connection stopping her from jumping over to CBS, though. But if there was a female comedian who could do the show well and has a lot of people who like her (and who isn't Ellen or Tiny), it's Amy.

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Dark Horse possibilities: I could see people like Will Farrell, Ben Stiller, and Jim Carey being interested in this sort of thing but I don't know how their schtick would play day-in, day-out in the long run. Each of them, to me, seem better in small doses.

Thoughts on any of that?

Drexl

What about Vince Vaughn?

mwbmis

A Vaughn hosted show would be too much like Kilborn.

Brack

No thank you. I prefer him uncensored on Real Time. I think he has no plans to leave his show.

Brack

Chevy Chase is the obvious choice for Letterman's replacement.

PhantomStranger

I don't think people will buy Stephen Colbert without his Bill O'Reilly spoof persona.

robin2099

I honestly think putting a female in the 11:35 slot would be suicide. So I see no way that would happen. One guy I think would be good even though he would have no interest in doing it is David Duchovny.

Mike86

I'm sure that CBS wants someone a bit younger. Maher is 58, and plus not only that I don't think he'd ever agree to it. Politics is kind of his thing just like it is for Stewart and Colbert.

Brack

Late night audiences want fluff. That's was they expect.

joltman

If this leads to Ferguson's show ending, that will be much sadder than Letterman leaving. Ferguson's show is amazing, and is the only of the standard late night shows I can watch. I do watch Daily Show and Colbert Report, but I really doubt I'd watch Colbert on Late Show.

majorjoe23

Gary Shandling.

arminius

They should just run Johnny Carson reruns.

Double_Oh_7

If Chelsea Handler lands any of these gig, I will lose all hope in humanity. What a c--t.

Jimmy James

Since it's clear they were trying to negotiate for somebody else at 12:35, I think the timing of all of this makes it VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY likely the 12:35 show to Handler is a done or nearly done deal.

I don't think Ferguson will have any problem at all finding somewhere to land.

Timber

Putting a female at 11:35 would not work, putting a female as old as Handler (not that old but looks much older) would be a disaster.

I love Colbert but do we know how is real personality is? I'm sure he's just as funny as himself but it wouldn't be what any of us are used to I don't think.

If it's not Colbert I want NPH and I don't think there is anyone else I would even entertain watching.

csant

Throw Tina Fey and Ellen DeGeneres names up there as well... supposedly they have been contacted by CBS.

Rypro 525

Ellen would prob be the obvious choice, as her afternoon show kinda has the same format as the late night shows, just well for daytime audiences. Has Ellen ever even done even PG13 material?

dolphinboy

The only possible upside for Tina Fey to do this would be a gigantic check and the same kind of deal Letterman got to basically own the show and if she likes the idea of the "stability" of working in NYC and being close to her family.

As much as she reveres Letterman, would Tina really want to compete against her close friend Fallon? Would she want to lock herself into a job that would keep her from acting? She could produce shows like Letterman did with Raymond, but she wouldn't be able to write or be hands on.

Ellen would seem more likely to be willing to take the job. However, she already makes a fortune and is the new Oprah of daytime tv. She is also under contract until 2017. Ellen likes new challenges and I know being a nighttime host, taking Letterman's seat, would definitely interest her and she has a huge fanbase and the social media thing down.

If she got the show, I wonder if they'd move it to LA?

mwbmis

It wouldn't just be competing against Fallon; it would be competing against Lorne Michaels. For that reason alone, Tina Fey just seems unlikely.

TomOpus

She will, on occasion, toss out some innuendo, but that's as risqué as she gets.

Jimmy James

That's why she screams daytime.

robin2099

Like I said it would be suicide putting a female on at 11:35. Out of Ellen and Fey, Fey would be the most logical but she won't do it because she won't want to compete against Fallon and Lorne Michaels. Ellen would be a disaster because she has a big female fan base but females aren't the main group who watch late night shows. Men do. Plus the 18-49 male demo is the one that advertisers crave most.

Mike86

Not necessarily. That type of humor appeals to a broader audience and I'm sure CBS doesn't care too much about risque humor. Throw Ellen in the spot I'm sure she'd do great as she definitely has the popularity to draw in a bunch of people. She'd be a safe choice if you ask me. I don't love or hate her but I could see her being a viable option.

Brack

Hey, if old ladies love "risque" crap like Two and a Half Men, why not her?

Jimmy James

She would get completely murdered by Kimmel and Fallon. Networks want to draw young, even CBS. Clearly Fallon is not the edgiest guy on the planet, but Ellen is pretty much the most edge-less option I have seen offered.