Wake the neighbors and phone the kids — David Letterman has announced his retirement. 
 
 The late-night TV vet will hang up his Top Ten lists and such in 2015, he shared with the audience at the taping of Thursday’s Late Show With David Letterman, to air at 11:35 pm EST (scroll down to watch the announcement). 
 
 PHOTOS | David Letterman Retires: 13 Possible Late Show Replacements 
 
 Letterman said he phoned CBS boss Leslie Moonves “just before the program, and I said ‘Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring.’ 
 
 “I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much,” he continued. “We don’t have the timetable for this precisely down – I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up.” 
 
 PHOTOS | Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show Debut: 10 Things We Absolutely Hated 
 
 Oddly enough, R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, who is joining tonight’s musical guest Joseph Arthur, broke the news on Twitter. 
 
 Dave just announced his retirement #2015 #muchlovedave — Mike Mills (@m_millsey) April 3, 2014 
 
 Letterman’s rise to stardom began in 1978, the year he made the first of 22 appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (where he would later go on to serve as a regular guest host). The Peacock net eventually gave the comic his own series in the post-Carson timeslot — Late Night with David Letterman — which premiered in 1982 and earned five Emmy awards during its 11-year run. After NBC awarded the Tonight Show hosting gig to Jay Leno following Carson’s retirement in 1992, though, Letterman jumped ship and launched Late Show with David Letterman at CBS the following year — where he’s roosted ever since. In all, Letterman’s shows have been nominated for 67 Emmys, winning 12; he also received a Peabody Award in 1992. 
 
 His announcement comes a little more than a month after longtime rival, Jay Leno, handed the Tonight Show reins over to Jimmy Fallon. 
 
 In a statement, Moonves said, “When Dave decided on a one-year extension for his most recent contract, we knew this day was getting closer, but that doesn’t make the moment any less poignant for us. For 21 years, David Letterman has graced our Network’s air in late night with wit, gravitas and brilliance unique in the history of our medium. During that time, Dave has given television audiences thousands of hours of comedic entertainment, the sharpest interviews in late night, and brilliant moments of candor and perspective around national events. He’s also managed to keep many celebrities, politicians and executives on their toes – including me. There is only one David Letterman. His greatness will always be remembered here, and he will certainly sit among the pantheon of this business. On a personal note, it’s been a privilege to get to know Dave and to enjoy a terrific relationship. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye. Fortunately, we won’t have to do that for another year or so. Until then, we look forward to celebrating Dave’s remarkable show and incredible talents.” ||||| The host, who has been with the series since 2005, will sign off in December. 
 
 CBS, as expected, is making a change at Late Late Show, with host Craig Ferguson announcing Monday that he will sign off from the series in December. 
 
 Ferguson will make the announcement during Monday’s show, which features guests LL Cool J and The Vampire Diaries’ Candice Accola. 
 
 The Late Late Show change means CBS’ entire late-night lineup will undergo a facelift, with The Colbert Report’s Stephen Colbert already having been tapped to replace a retiring David Letterman as host of Late Show starting in 2015. 
 
 “During his 10 years as host, Craig has elevated CBS to new creative and competitive heights at 12:30,” CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler said in a release. “He infused the broadcast with tremendous energy, unique comedy, insightful interviews and some of the most heartfelt monologues seen on television. Craig’s versatile talents as a writer, producer, actor and comedian speak to his great days ahead. While we’ll miss Craig and can’t thank him enough for his contributions to both the show and the network, we respect his decision to move on, and we look forward to celebrating his final broadcasts during the next eight months.” 
 
 News of Ferguson’s Late Late Show departure comes as his contract with CBS to host the talker was set to expire this year. Sources told THR that Letterman’s production company Worldwide Pants would likely no longer produce a late-night show following Letterman’s exit. (CBS currently co-produces Late Late Night with Worldwide Pants.) 
 
 “CBS and I are not getting divorced, we are ‘consciously uncoupling,’ but we will still spend holidays together and share custody of the fake horse and robot skeleton, both of whom we love very much,” Ferguson said. 
 
 Following CBS’ Colbert announcement, speculation over who would take over the 12:35 a.m. slot for Ferguson has run the gamut, with the host/comedian’s exit widely anticipated. The Ferguson-hosted Late Late Show has been averaging less than half of what NBC’s new Late Night With Seth Meyers is pulling in the key adults 18-49 demographic. 
 
 CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves has reportedly been open to candidates outside the traditional mold, with How I Met Your Mother alum Neil Patrick Harris believed to be interested in the job. Harris, 40, a three-time host of the Tony Awards, has twice hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards as well as the World Magic Awards and the Spike Video Game Awards. 
 
 The network ruled out Chelsea Handler for the Late Late Show gig earlier this month, telling THR that “there are no discussions” with the E! show host to take over the network’s 12:35 a.m. late-night broadcast. Handler had a general meeting with CBS' syndication group and is rumored to be in talks with Netflix for a new show. 
 
 Meanwhile, Ferguson already has his follow-up gig lined up: hosting FremantleMedia North America’s syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game. 
 
 The Late Late Show becomes the latest late-night show to make a change at the top. Jimmy Fallon took over NBC’s The Tonight Show, with Meyers taking his seat at Late Night; and Colbert is in for Letterman at CBS. Ferguson has been the host of the Late Late Show since 2005 when he took over for Craig Kilborn. 
 
 During his run, Ferguson earned a Peabody Award in 2009 and an Emmy nomination in 2006.
– David Letterman is signing off after more than 30 years in the late-night business, reports TVLine.com. The host said during the taping of tonight's show that he will step down in 2015, reports AP. Bassist Mike Mills of REM, who appears on the show, first broke the news on Twitter: "Dave just announced his retirement," he wrote. Letterman has hosted CBS' Late Show for 21 years, after 11 years at NBC's Late Night. Letterman told the audience that he phoned CBS chief Leslie Moonves before the taping, "and I said, 'Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring,'" according to the Hollywood Reporter. As the audience gave him a standing ovation, Letterman added, "We don’t have the timetable for this precisely down—I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up.” The announcement comes just weeks after Jimmy Fallon replaced Jay Leno at NBC. Business Insider reports that Craig Ferguson is believed to have the first right of refusal to replace Letterman in the 11:30 time slot. Letterman, who turns 67 next week, recently passed Johnny Carson as the longest late-night host in TV history.