LOS ANGELES -- As Dave himself might put it, you could do a lot worse than Bill Murray and Tom Hanks.
Along with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, Murray and Hanks will be among the very last Late Show guests as David Letterman winds down his 33 years in late-night television, CBS announced Thursday. Next week's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday broadcasts will be Letterman's last.
Hanks goes first, on Monday, his 60th appearance with Letterman; that night will also feature Vedder in a musical performance with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. Murray -- Letterman's first guest when Late Night debuted in 1982 -- will be taking his 44th turn in the chair on Tuesday.
No specific guests have been announced for the final show on Wednesday night, but CBS promises it will be filled with "surprises, memorable highlights, the show’s final Top Ten List and more."
As one might expect, Dave's final shows have been a ratings boon for CBS: Late Show averaged some 3.8 million viewers last week, its biggest audience in four years, eking out a ratings win over Jimmy Fallon for the first time since the SNL alum took over on NBC.
Pants!