The well-known and loved Late Night host has returned to the television game, but this time on Netflix and with his new, iconic white beard. After a 33 year-long career, David Letterman retired from CBS’s "Late Night with David Letterman" in 2015. He is now making a comeback with a new interview series called “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.”

Back in the game

The series has a bit of a different spin compared to what audiences had remembered of Letterman. His first guest was the latest United States President, Barak Obama. This seemed to work out in perfect accordance with the last guest of the Late Show in 2015 being none other than, Obama.

So it was only fitting to kick off this new series where he left it.

There were various critiques of the first show with Obama as a guest. The tone of the show is much different than what Letterman was known for, which was his unconventional comedy that tested audiences. However, in this interview series there is a much looser and less comedic tone. This style of interviewing is much less aggressive than the Letterman we know and love but, it is a refreshing change. That means no roasting of celebrities this season, sorry folks. Instead, we are getting a bit blander, more informational show - but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It will be interesting to see how each episode turns out especially with the all-star guest line-up he has prepared including, Jay Z, George Clooney, Howard Stern, Tina Fey and Malala Yousafzai.

A new twist

Unlike most Netflix series that are released by season, this series will be released one installment per month, with a total of six installments. Letterman has a whole new world of opportunities to explore in this series since it is being released on Netflix. This means no censorship of language, no opening monologues and no flashy set - it is basically a plain stage with two people sitting down, talking for most of the hour-long show.

This first episode definitely demonstrated this new tone. The conversation with Obama was long, and widespread, touching on topics like vacationing in the Virgin Islands to the divide among Americans caused by social media and personalized news sources. The only change in scenery is the occasional pre-filmed, on-location clip that features an interview with a person related to the main guest.

This first episode features, Rep. John Lewis, in Selma, Ala. recounting his monumental efforts in the civil rights movement. Overall, the reviews seem to be mixed about Letterman’s new endeavors but only time will tell if the show can keep hopeful viewers interested.
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