Possible candidates to take over for David Letterman at 11:35 p.m.:
Craig Ferguson
Since “The Late Late Show,” which he has helmed since 2005, follows Letterman, it’s only natural to assume that the Scottish funnyman would be next in line. Conan O’Brien thought the same thing, though.
Chelsea Handler
She’s gotten quite a following on her long-running E! series “Chelsea Lately,” and on March 30, she revealed that she’ll end that show when her contract is up.
Ellen Degeneres
She’s killed hosting the Oscars and her daytime talk show is super popular. Late night could be the final frontier for this dancing comedian.
Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert
Comedy Central already saw one of its late night stars ditch the channel for a show on another network (John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” on HBO, starting April 27). One of the two stars could certainly make the leap to network.
Kevin Hart
This super-funny up-and-comer has seen his star rise in the past few years, with numerous movies, including his stand-up film “Let Me Explain” and the comedy reality series “Real Husbands of Hollywood.”
Joel McHale
Having hosted “The Soup” on E! since 2004, and with a high profile gig on NBC’s “Community,” he could be a dark horse candidate to grab this late night spot.