David Letterman continues his rapid recovery from quintuple bypass surgery -- he'll return to CBS's "Late Show" on Monday.
He'll actually tape that return on Friday, which will be five weeks to the day since he underwent open-heart surgery."I think it's quick because Dave is very healthy," said "Late Show" executive producer Rob Burnett in a conference call with TV critics. "But, at the same time, I don't think it's irresponsible. . . . Dave is a young man and very healthy. He's a runner, and I think all of these things have served him very well."
Not that Letterman will return to full speed all at once. He's currently scheduled to host only two shows next week -- on Monday and Wednesday.
"The doctors are very comfortable with Dave doing a show on Friday and another one on Wednesday," said Burnett, who added that there's no timetable for when Letterman will return to work full-time. "We'll just kind of work our way back as slowly as Dave needs to work his way back."
And his first guest will also be the last guest he faced before undergoing open heart surgery on Jan. 14 -- Regis Philbin.
Philbin will also be part of another "Late Show" first. On Wednesday, Bill Cosby will be the first guest host in the history of the show; on Thursday, Philbin will be the second.
And guest hosts may become a regular feature of the "Late Show" in the coming months.
"I think it's absolutely a possibility," Burnett said. "We've never been opposed to it. We like the idea, sort of in the spirit of the old Johnny Carson show."
At this point, it's possible that Letterman could do a third show next week -- the Friday edition -- but that's still up in the air.
"It's likely that we will continue with some combination of Dave shows and various guest hosts," Burnett said. "He feels great and he continues to feel great. He's exercising. What he doesn't know is how he'll feel after hosting a network television show. . . . After something like this, it's just a question of stamina."
While five weeks may not seem like much time to recover from a quintuple bypass, Burnett said Letterman's doctors have given him clearance to return to work.
"Dave is very responsible when it comes to his health, and I think he's proven that by having this procedure done," he said. "When Dave says that he's ready to come back and do a show on Friday and do another one on Monday, I have full confidence in his ability to do that.
"He's hiking an hour and a half a day. He's eating well, he's sleeping well. Yes, I'm concerned about Dave's health, but, no, I'm not concerned that he's coming back too soon."
And Burnett denied reports that Letterman had originally planned to be back on the air on the "Late Show" on Valentine's Day.
"There were never plans for him to come back today at all," he said Monday. Keep in mind that today is four weeks after he had open heart surgery."
But, if anything, Letterman actually wanted to return to work earlier.
"He's really wanted to come back to work for a while now," Burnett said. "I think even as early as two weeks ago he was ready and raring to go. And I think every day that he gets stronger and stronger he's more ready to go."
And his absence from the "Late Show" has only made him more committed to it.
"Dave, I think, got a rare opportunity to experience what it's like not to do this. . . . It's an odd circumstance to get that experience, but I think the experience has absolutely made him miss the job."
LETTERMAN AND NBC: David Letterman, who left NBC almost six years ago with a great deal of bitterness on both sides, might be going back. Sort of.
His company, Worldwide Pants, is developing a sitcom for the Peacock network. And Letterman is one of the show's executive producers. How's that for weird?
"We sent him a gift for Christmas because we send gifts to all of our executive producers," said NBC Entertainment President Garth Ancier. "We sent him a . . . very nice box that had 'NBC' and a peacock stamped into it. And I got a thank-you note saying, 'Thank you for very much for the box with your company logo embossed into it. It means a lot to me.' "
Very sincere, no doubt.