David Letterman back from retirement at 70 with new talk show

David Letterman is coming out of retirement with a new talk show, two years after ending his 33-year-long stint at CBS.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 70-year-old presenter has signed a new deal with Netflix, to host a six-episode series in 2018.

"I feel excited and lucky to be working on this project for Netflix," Letterman said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Here's what I have learned, if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first. Thanks for watching, drive safely."

Letterman announced plans to step down from The Late Show in 2014 and signed off in 2015, after 33 years holding a late night spot first on NBC and then on CBS.

Nearly 14 million viewers tuned in to see his farewell in the US, with appearances from former US presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and the then president Barack Obama all repeating the words: "Our long, national nightmare is over".

Letterman hosted his late night television show at NBC and CBS for 33 years

It also featured appearances from a long list of celebrities including Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Murray.

Letterman hosted more than 6,000 episodes of late-night talk shows during his time on NBC's Late Night as well as CBS' The Late Show.

He received 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins, won a Peabody Award and the Mark Twain Prize.

"Just meeting David Letterman was a thrill; imagine how exciting it is for me to announce that we will be working together," Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos told THR.

"David Letterman is a true television icon, and I can't wait to see him out in the wild, out from behind the desk and interviewing the people he finds most interesting. We'll have to see if he keeps the beard."

Unlike his previous talk shows, his new series will not be broadcast live, but prerecorded to fit Netflix's model.

(SKYNEWS)