Letterman to be back behind desk on Monday

'Late Show' host easing into routine David Letterman fans, take heart. He'll be triumphantly returning to CBS' <I>Late Show</I> on Monday night, with Regis Philbin as his featured guest.

Tuesday, February 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

'Late Show' host easing into routine David Letterman fans, take heart. He'll be triumphantly returning to CBS' Late Show on Monday night, with Regis Philbin as his featured guest.

Mr. Letterman, who underwent quintuple-bypass surgery on Jan. 14, also is scheduled to host the Feb. 23 show as part of a gradual get-back-to-work regimen. For the first time, Late Show otherwise will use guest hosts.

Bill Cosby will be behind the desk next Tuesday, and the ubiquitous Mr. Philbin, who was a guest on Mr. Letterman's last show before the bypass, is set to host on Feb. 24. The next day, Feb. 25, is still up for grabs, depending on whether Mr. Letterman feels up to it.

"We're really just playing it by ear," executive producer Rob Burnett said in a teleconference Monday. "We'll just kind of work our way back as slowly as Dave needs to work back."

Late Show generally is taped at 5:30 p.m. New York time and then telecast on the same night. But at the advice of his doctors, Mr. Letterman will tape Monday's show this Friday in order to give him an extended break before returning the following Wednesday. His announced guest for that night's show is Julia Roberts.

"My understanding is that Dave medically is fine. Couldn't be better," Mr. Burnett said. "It's just a question of his stamina."

Mr. Letterman, who turns 53 on April 12, likely will work a patchwork schedule at least through next month because of CBS' coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament.

The comedian, who has grown a beard while recuperating, has "really wanted to come back to work for a while now," Mr. Burnett said. "Dave got a rare opportunity to experience what it would be like to not do this. . . . I think the experience has absolutely made him miss the job completely."

Using guest hosts could become part of the regular Late Show routine if Mr. Letterman decides to permanently cut back to four nights a week, Mr. Burnett said. The current practice of taping two shows on Thursday is being discontinued for now, he said.

"Eventually Dave will be able to do five nights a week again," Mr. Burnett said. "It will just be a question of if he wants to do it."

Guest hosts also might be used during weeks when Late Show otherwise has been in reruns. The last late-night host to use fill-ins was Johnny Carson, who retired from NBC's Tonight Show in May 1992.